The Ministry of Culture will organise the BRICS Theatre Festival 2026 across three days from 12 to 14 October 2026 in New Delhi during India’s presidency of BRICS. The festival will bring together theatre practitioners, scholars, students and cultural representatives from nine countries to perform and exchange ideas through a shared artistic platform.
The event follows the Bhopal Declaration adopted at the BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting in August 2026, which called for greater cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges among BRICS nations. The festival carries forward this commitment by creating direct professional interactions between theatre artists from different countries.
Key facts
- Dates: 12 to 14 October 2026
- Location: New Delhi
- Theme: Shared Stories, Shared Futures
- Participating countries: India, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, Vietnam, Iran, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia
- Expected participants: Over 100 theatre practitioners, scholars, students and cultural representatives
- India’s contribution: Two theatre productions
- Russia’s contribution: Two theatre groups
- Inaugural venue: National School of Drama on 12 October 2026
- Performance venues: National School of Drama (Abhimanch and Sammukh Auditoriums), Kamani Auditorium, LTG Auditorium and Meghdoot Theatre
What the festival will showcase
The BRICS Theatre Festival 2026 will present a diverse range of theatrical forms including classical, contemporary and experimental theatre. Each participating country will present productions that reflect their unique languages, theatrical traditions and modern creative expressions. The festival aims to demonstrate how theatre serves as a bridge for cultural understanding across borders and different artistic traditions.
India will present two productions, while Russia will bring two theatre groups. The other seven participating nations, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Iran, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia, will each contribute their own theatrical pieces. This brings together nations from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, offering audiences in India exposure to theatre practices from across the globe.
Interactive workshops and professional exchanges
Beyond stage performances, the festival will host interactive workshops and discussions involving theatre directors, artistes and production teams. These sessions will focus on artistic vision, performance traditions, acting methodologies, stagecraft and technical design. Such professional interactions are intended to help theatre practitioners from different countries learn from each other’s approaches and build networks for future collaboration.
Venues across New Delhi
The National School of Drama, an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, will serve as the nodal agency organising the festival and will host the inauguration ceremony. Theatre performances will take place at five prominent venues across New Delhi: the Abhimanch and Sammukh Auditoriums at the National School of Drama, Kamani Auditorium, LTG Auditorium and Meghdoot Theatre. This spread of venues will allow multiple performances to happen simultaneously and make the festival accessible across different parts of the city.
Connection to BRICS cultural cooperation
The BRICS Theatre Festival 2026 is rooted in the Bhopal Declaration adopted by BRICS Culture Ministers in August 2026, which emphasised greater cultural cooperation and stronger networks among artists and cultural practitioners. India proposed a voluntary Artist Registry as part of this declaration to facilitate cultural exchanges among BRICS nations. The theatre festival is a concrete implementation of this vision, creating opportunities for artists to perform together and share their craft.
The festival has been recognised in the BRICS Leaders’ Declaration, which welcomed the Bhopal Declaration and supported initiatives aimed at strengthening cultural cooperation and people-to-people ties among member nations.
What this means for you
If you are interested in theatre, this festival offers rare opportunities to watch theatre productions from nine countries without travelling abroad. Students of theatre, performing arts and cultural studies will benefit from the interactive workshops and discussions with international theatre practitioners. Theatre enthusiasts and general audiences will get exposure to different theatrical traditions and contemporary creative expressions from across BRICS nations and partner countries.