Events in Stuttgart in 2017: CMT

If you’re following my blog for a while, you might know that Moritz and LOVE to travel. Ah, what do I say, we’re addicted! 😉 So visiting the CMT, the world’s largest public trade fair for tourism and leisure is a must. We always get great inspiration for our next trips. Plus, visiting all the stands from the different countries and enjoying shows and international food samples is a lot of fun! You can visit CMT between January 14 and 22 at Messe Stuttgart.

more about CMT

blog post about CMT from 2014

blog post about CMT from 2013

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Long Night of Museums

This is the perfect event if you want to get to know the cultural scene in Stuttgart in a short time. Last year, nearly 100 museums and cultural institutions participated. With one ticket, you have admission to all of them. The selection can be quite overwhelming so it is best to plan the night beforehand. I recommend visiting not more than four different locations, everything else gets stressful. Most of the museums offer some specials, like a band playing while you enjoy the artwork, a quiz, special tours and such. One more recommendation: try to mix well-known locations you had on your bucked list for ages with places you haven’t heard about. I promise, you will find the one or other gem. Lange Nacht der Museen will take place on March 25.

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Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Frühlingsfest

It belongs to Stuttgart like the tv-tower: the Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest. You could call it the spring version of Oktoberfest, based at Cannstatter Wasen in Stuttgart. Next to the inevitable beer tents you will find a lot of fun rides and food stalls. The Frühlingsfest is on between April 15 and Mai 7.

more about Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Festival of Animated Film

The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) is one of the most important events for animated film worldwide. It is all about current productions, including the intersections between games, architecture, art, design and comedy. They will put up a large screen at Schlossplatz where you can watch animated short films for free. Other productions will be screened at the movie theatres nearby. The festival will be in Stuttgart between May 2 and 7.

more about the Festival of Animated Film

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Knights Tournament and Market

If you’re interested in medieval times, the Knights Tournament and Market at Cannstatter Wasen might be for you. Between June 15 and 18 you can watch tournaments and shows, listen to music and shop at the medieval market.

more about the Knights Tournament and Market

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Stuttgart-Lauf

You’re a runner? Then you should sign up for THE running event in Stuttgart, the Stuttgart-Lauf. Next to several runs for kids the event has its highlight on sunday with the halfmarathon and a 7-km-run. But there’s also an event for walking and nordic walking as well as a handbike- and wheelchair-halfmarathon. The Stuttgart-Run takes place on June 18 and 19.

more about Stuttgart-Lauf

blog post about Stuttgart-Lauf from 2014

Events in Stuttgart: Heusteigviertelfest

One of my most favorite festivals and outdoor events in Stuttgart in 2017. I love the relaxed atmosphere at Heusteig quarter anyway, with all the art nouveau houses. And during the festival, it gets even lovelier. The selection of bands is great every time,  the food stands offer great snacks and drinks and everybody is very relaxed. I like! 🙂 The festival is held between July 1 and 3.

more about Heusteigviertelfest

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Colours-Dance-Festival

If I had to pick one out of all the events in Stuttgart in 2017 it would be this one: Eric Gauthier’s Colours-Dance-Festival. Dancer, choreographer and singer Eric Gauthier invented and held this festival for the first time in 2015 in Stuttgart and it was a huge success. Stuttgart was moved by colours: There was a big workshop for free at Marktplatz and several pop up events – and of course the amazing shows at Theaterhaus.

I was lucky enough to visit some of them and what can I say, I was thrilled. Dance companies from all around the world performed at Theaterhaus. Their performances were all very  different but equally brilliant. The gems of the festival were definitely the workshop where you could work with professionals like Eric himself. Well, this was 2015. And what can I say, I am so excited that the festival will come back to Stuttgart with even more companies  and events all over town! I already blocked the days between July 6 and 23 for Colours-Dance-Festival in my calendar! 🙂

more about Colours-Dance-Festival

blog post about Colours-Dance-Festival 2015

blog post about the workshop at Marktplatz 2015

blog post about the workshop “Dance for everybody” with Eric Gauthier 2015

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Hamburger Fischmarkt

If Stuttgart is missing one thing it is the ocean. But don’t worry, you will feel close to the sea when visiting Hamburg Fish Market between July 6 and 16 at Karlsplatz. While enjoying fish in all shapes and sizes you can listen to bands from Hamburg performing traditional music from the German coast, Jazz but also pieces from musicals.

more about Hamburger Fischmarkt

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Jazz-Open

Norah Jones, Jamie Cullum and Quincy Jones are just three of the great performers that will visit Stuttgart between July 7 and 24 for the legendary Jazz-Open Stuttgart. In front of the backdrop of Altes Schloss, some of the best Jazz artists of our days will perform for us. Insider tip: If you don’t get a ticket for your favorite act anymore, bring a blanket and sit down on the grass in front of the entrance and listen to the music while having a picnic.

more about Jazz-Open Stuttgart

blog post about Zaz at Jazz-Open Stuttgart 2013

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Festival of Lights

Höhenpark Killesberg is a treasure already. But when it is lit with thousands of lights on a warm summer night, it will take your breath away. Not to mention the firework! Lichterfest is truly a beautiful experience for the whole family. It is held on July 8 all over Höhenpark Killesberg.

Photo credit: in.Stuttgart / Isabell Munck

more about Lichterfest

Events in Stuttgart: Summer Festival of Cultures

Stuttgart has become a melting pot of cultures. This is most visible at Sommerfestival der Kulturen, when participants from all around the world express their cultural background in shows, with food and artwork. Between July 11 and 16 you can join the festival at Marktplatz.

more about Sommerfestival der Kulturen

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Bohnenviertelfest

At Bohnenviertel you get an idea of how Stuttgart looked like in older days. It is the last remaining part of the historical old town of Stuttgart and a cozy place with all its old houses and narrow streets. Fun fact: the Bohnenviertel, which translates into bean quarter, got its name from the beans that the inhabitants planted in their front yards, centuries ago. 🙂 During Bohnenviertelfest, between July 20 and 22, the quarter comes to live and local shop owners, artists, craftsman and restaurants move their products outside. You can stroll through the historic streets, shop a bit here and have a bite there. Definitely a festival with a lot of flair.

more about Bohnenviertelfest

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Stuttgarter Sommerfest

Not my most favorite festival amongst all the events in Stuttgart in 2017 but still worth mentioning it because of its location: The Stuttgart Summer Festival is located around Ecksee, right in front of the opera house in Schlosspark. Quite an outstanding location. In my opinion it is a bit posh and overpriced but nevertheless a nice place to hang out and have a cocktail while listening to live music on a hot summer evening. It is held between August 3 and 6 this year.

more about Stuttgarter Sommerfest

blog post about Stuttgarter Sommerfest 2013

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Stuttgart Wine Festival

Stuttgart is a mecca for wine lovers. Not only because of all the vineyards spread around the city, also because of the annual Stuttgarter Weindorf. 28 open-air restaurants, the typical “Weinlauben“, offer 500 local wines and local food. The relaxed festival for food and wine lovers is held between August 30 and September 10 in the city center.

more about Stuttgarter Weindorf

blog post about Stuttgarter Weindorf 2015

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Cannstatter Volksfest

Forget crowded Oktoberfest, visit Cannstatter Volksfest! 😉 Fun rides, food stalls and of course beer tents await you between September 22 and October 8 at Cannstatter Wasen. 

more about Cannstatter Volksfest

blog post about Cannstatter Volksfest 2012

Events in Stuttgart in 2017: Weltweihnachtszirkus

Fun for the young and the young at hearts 😉 World Christmas Circus has a long tradition here in Stuttgart. Top artists from all around the world perform in the big tent at Cannstatter Wasen between December 7 and January 7.

more about Weltweihnachtszirkus

So these are my favorite events in Stuttgart in 2017. What are you looking forward to the most? Let me know in the comments.

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Colours – this name was chosen wisely by Eric Gauthier, the artist director of the festival and director of Gauthier Dance who came up with the idea and concept of the festival. All the different colours represent diversity and a huge variety of meanings. A great name for a dance festival that has the goal of bringing all kind of people and dance companies together and of stirring this huge crowd only to watch the audience performing with the professional dancers (as seen on the pre-opening event on the Marktplatz or in the different workshops) and thus add another colour to the big picture.

I was lucky enough to see three amazing performances of very different dance companies at Colours International Dance Festival 2015. I started with “Kamuyot” from star choreographer Ohad Naharin, performed by Gauthier Dance/Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart.

Photo credit: Regina Brocke

If you want to put all the ideas of Colours International Dance Festival 2015 into one play, you would end up with Kamuyot. Performed in the gymnasium of the Theaterhaus the atmosphere was very relaxing and easy. At the beginning, the dancers sat among the audience, you could even chat with them. When the music started, the fireworks began. Ranging from classical to raggae and Asian pop, the variety couldn’t have been more colourful. And when the dancers started to invite members of the audience on stage to join them, it became obvious that dance is truly for everybody, no matter how old you are or what language you speak

Photo credit: Regina Brocke

The second show I saw at Colours International Dance Festival 2015 was “Milonga” by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui/Sadler’s Wells. And that night, it was tango time.

Photo credit: Tristram Kenton

I didn’t know much about tango before but I was thrilled. What a show! What a dance! The play showed how different tango styles can be performed by telling the tales of different couples. Once, it was fast and breathtaking, then calm and romantic. One couple was cheeky, the next one sad. Once, you watched two young people fall in love, in the next scene you were in the middle of a fight only to witness a tragic break up a few minutes later. And the music, played by an original Argentine tango band live on stage, did the rest. Did I already mention that I was thrilled?!

Photo credit: Tristram Kenton

I had decided to see a funny show, too. That’s how I got myself right into “Blue Love”, a physical theatre comedy by Shaun Parker. The evening started with the two actors handing out popcorn and free beer to the audience. Sweet!   In “Blue Love”, the fictive couple of Glenn and Rhonda Flune tells the audience about their love story, backed-up by home made films.

Photo credit: Prue Upton

However, their relationship isn’t as perfect as they want it to be and they find themselves right in the middle of a huge fight, conducting their marital dispute in quotations from pop songs: “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden, “ says Glenn and Rhonda answers “Love is a battlefield”. I could have watched their pop song fight forever. Soooo funny!

Photo credit: Prue Upton

What a festival! What a colourful variety and selection of performing companies! I really hope that Colours will be held in Stuttgart again next year. And the year after. And  the year after that and…

More information about:

Colours – International Dance Festival

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We were 30 people in the workshop Dance for everybody. Some were semi-professional dancers, others (like me) were there for fun. And fun we had! Eric is a very relaxed guy and an entertaining coach. It was interesting to see a pro like him at work. He came up with a choreography for us during the workshop. We tried something, if it looked good, we adopted it, if it looked bad, he thought of something else.

I think we did quite well even though we lost it as soon as he stopped leading and guiding us… Oh well, I think we might need one or two more rehearsals but then we should be ready for the big stage! ;-P

Tan

It was great to see that also non-professional dancers like us can successfully perform a choreography that looks quite nice after three hours of practising. It all depends on having the right teacher . So thank you Eric for a fun afternoon and a great workshop!

Now I am even more excited to see some of the international dance companies at Colours! I got invited to see three performances: “Kamuyot” – performed by Gauthier Dance, “m¡longa” – from the Flemish-Moroccan star choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and “Blue Love” by the Shaun Parker Company. Stay tuned for more!

More information about:

Colours – International Dance Festival

Theaterhaus Stuttgart (only in German)

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Despite the grey sky hundreds of ballet – and Eric Gauthier – junkies made their way to Marktplatz, right in front of the city hall, to take part in the free mini workshops and watch short extracts of the performances that will be held at Theaterhaus from the 25th of June to the 12th of July.

I wasn’t sure if workshops with such a large crowd would work well – but they did! Stuttgart was truly moved by colours! No matter if it was Hip Hop, Bollywood or classical Ballet, everybody was participating! Only the tango lesson was a bit too tricky for some of us…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YgIBxerrUI]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdUFMuqXwYs]

It was so much fun dancing in such a large crowd. It wasn’t that hard, either. Plus, dancers from Eric Gauthier’s dance company were everywhere and if you couldn’t follow what was going on on the stage or the big screen, you could look at them.

Next to the workshops there were performances of the international dance companies that will participate in the festival.

My favorite at the Colours International Dance Festival 2015 pre-opening event at Marktplatz was the “football ballet”. Yep, you read correctly. A slow motion scene from a football match, VfB Stuttgart against Borussia Dortmund , where Stuttgart gets a free kick. Sososo good! Eric Gauthier plays the referee who has to deal with cheeky players that hit each other behind his back and stuff like that. Very, very funny

After the great Colours International Dance Festival 2015 pre-opening event at Marktplatz I am even more excited about the festival. I got tickets for three performances: “Kamuyot” – performed by Gauthier Dance, “m¡longa” – from the Flemish-Moroccan star choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and “Blue Love” by the Shaun Parker Company. Plus, I will participate in a workshop held by Eric Gauthier: “Dance for everybody” – and after the short workshops at Marktplatz, I think this will be really, really good! Hurry up if you want to see some performances as well, most of the shows are sold out already!

More information about:

Colours – international Dance Festival

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