Venues

The construction of Dresden’s oldest suburban church was initiated by Electress Anna in the 16th century. Since its inauguration the Annenkirche was constantly rebuilt and thus has a contradictory architectural charm. Originally constructed as a baroque church it was replaced by an art nouveau building in 1909 that has very good acoustics.

Der an das Residenzschloss angrenzende Schlossplatz in Dresden bildet als Gebäudeensemble eine der wichtigsten Sehenswürdigkeiten der Altstadt. Von ihm aus geht es über eine eindrucksvolle Treppe zu der als »Balkon Europas« bezeichneten Brühlschen Terrasse. Diese verdankt ihren Namen Graf Heinrich von Brühl, der das Gelände einst vom Kurfürsten Friedrich August II., dem Sohn Augusts des Starken, geschenkt bekam.

Das C. Bechstein Centrum Dresden hat seinen Sitz im historischen Coselpalais und steht für traditionsreiche Klavierbaukunst der Spitzenklasse. Neben einer Ausstellungsfläche von 1.600 Quadratmetern dient der Robert-Schumann-Saal als Veranstaltungsort für Konzerte. Bereits Robert und Clara Schumann erkannten während ihrer Dresdner Zeit die außergewöhnliche Ausstrahlung des Festsaales und nutzten die einmalige Atmosphäre für zahlreiche Konzerte und Uraufführungen.

The monumental building in the style of Neue Sachlichkeit (»New Objectivity«) was erected by Wilhelm Kreis between 1928 and 1930 and is home of a museum, initiated in 1912 as »People’s Education Facility for Healthcare«, that today considers itself as »museum of humankind«. As part of the refurbishment that was finished in 2010 the great hall was completely redesigned and reconstructed.

It is widely considered one of Europe’s most beautiful natural theatres: the Felsenbühne Rathen in the National Park »Sächsische Schweiz«. The sandstone rocks rise impressively behind the open-air stage built within the craggy Wehlgrund, offering picturesque backdrops for many different open-air events. As early as 1954, the Saxonian State Theatres began presenting high-carat productions during the summer at the Felsenbühne Rathen. From October 2019 to April 2022, the venue was comprehensively modernized. The result is a new building housing an orchestra pavilion, new dressing rooms, workshops and technical spaces as well as storage. Thanks to a newly-designed gastronomy area with a roof and a renovated audience area, the public may look forward to increased comfort during performances at the Felsenbühne Rathen.

In 1911, the Festspielhaus Hellerau (Hellerau Festival Theatre) was built after a concept of the architect Heinrich Tessenow within the Gartenstadt Hellerau (Garden City) of Dresden. Its architectural clarity gave direction to the Bauhaus style. It was the Swiss music pedagogue Émile Jaques-Dalcroze who initiated the construction of the Festspielhaus and whose »Bildungsanstalt für Musik und Rhythmus« (School for Music and Rhythm) was located in this building. The Festspielhaus is considered a center for contemporary art, especially for dance and music, and therefore is a constant of Dresden's contemporary cultural scene.

The Frauenkirche is uniquely moving in its combination of space and sound and the spirit of reconciliation that resounds throughout the concerts. Destroyed in 1945, the church, reconstructed through monumental civic and international efforts, is a beacon of peace. Its impressive interior makes every concert an incomparable experience.

Since 1969, the Kulturpalast on Altmarkt square has been Dresden’s central event venue. The founding concept of a cultural venue open to various uses may still be considered visionary today. Dresden’s citizens have valued the clear architecture and varied program from the very beginning. The new concept for the Kulturpalast, which now houses the cultural institutions Dresden Philharmonic, the Municipal Central Library and the cabaret »Herkuleskeule« after undergoing renovations from 2013 to 2017, has returned the building to its original role as a cultural meeting-place in central Dresden. The concert hall located at the building’s centre is a modern and acoustically high-class performance venue on par with Europe’s finest, seating up to 1,700 visitors.

The city of Dresden has been home to a fairground since 1887. In 1999 it moved to its new location, the historical and landmark-protected »Erlwein’s Slaughterhouse« at the Ostragehege, and ever since it has been a popular location for trade fairs as well as symposia, conferences and concerts. As part of the Dresden Music Festival, it has already hosted several large-scale events.

The romantic palace located in the centre of the Große Garten served as a venue for pompous feasts of the courtly society. Saxony’s first baroque building of Italian design was constructed under Elector John George III between 1676 and 1683. Today it provides an atmospheric ambience and great acoustics for different kinds of chamber music.

The famous Parkhotel in Dresden’s »Weißer Hirsch« neighbourhood has always been a location for particularly sophisticated formats, with its Kakadu Bar, the Blue Salon and the sumptuous ballroom, the »jewel« in its crown. Here, famous parties were held from 1914 onwards, with no efforts spared for prominent guests. One of the most beautiful and popular event locations in Dresden, it combines a large seating capacity with historical elegance.

The Reithalle is part of the Cultural Center Strasse E® - an event center consisting of two red-brick buildings under landmark preservation in Dresden’s industrial area. Originally the entire industrial area was dedicated to military purposes. Its former use as the riding hall of the Royal Saxon Cavalry gave today’s Riding Hall Strasse E® its name. In the early 1990s the area was discovered as an ideal venue for parties and events.

In the past the Residenzschloss Dresden has been a government centre for Saxon Electors and Kings as well as a cultural centre point of the city. After complex reconstructions of the building, destroyed in World War II, the palace can draw on its rich cultural history. The small courtyard, covered by a transparent membrane roof, offers an exceptional ambience.

In 2001, the Free State of Saxony inaugurated Sankt Afra as a state high school for highly gifted children and teenagers, reigniting an educational tradition in Meißen that goes back centuries. As early as 1543, the Prince Elector Moritz had founded a school in Meißen where not family provenance or wealth, but talent was the main criterion for enrolment. Sankt Afra considers itself part of this tradition as a place for humanistic, innovative education. Approximately 300 young people live here, pursuing their education.

The Staatsschauspiel Dresden (Dresden State Theatre) can count itself among the outstanding centres of contemporary dramatic art. The building was constructed between 1911 and 1913 on a relatively small plot of land across from the Zwinger. At the time, the mighty stage tower with its hydraulic lifts for podia was considered the most modern in the world. To this day, the reconstructed sumptuous original architecture of the Schauspielhaus offers a venue for productions that combine musical and dramatic art forms in an ideal way.

Schloss Albrechtsberg (Albrechtsberg Castle) is one of the three Elbe Castles. It was built between 1850 and 1854 for the Prussian Prince Albrecht, who had to find a home outside of Prussia because he had married beneath himself. Designed in the late classicistic style by Alfred Lohse, the building offers a counterpoint to Dresden’s notable baroque buildings. The Kronensaal (Crown Hall) boasts a wonderful acoustic and gorgeous view of the River Elbe and is considered one of Dresden’s most beautiful chamber music halls.

1694 von Kurfürst Johann Georg IV. für seine Favoritin Magdalena Sibylla von Neitschütz erworben, ließ August der Starke den ersten Bau von seinem Lieblingsarchitekten Daniel Pöppelmann um das Wasserpalais und das Bergpalais erweitern. Bereits von 1768 an war Schloss Pillnitz die offizielle Sommerresidenz des Hofes und damit zugleich Ort glanzvoller Park- und Wasserfeste. Diese Tradition von Veranstaltungen und Festivitäten setzt sich bis heute fort.

Entering the building visitors are welcomed by the long and rich tradition that is continued until today by the opera house and his orchestra, the Dresden Staatskapelle. Whether great symphony concert or solo recital – the stage of the impressive Semperoper has always been the place for top class and glamorous festival encounters.

Where Dresden’s electricity was formerly produced, the Dresden State Operetta now ensures breathtaking, electrifying moments. Since moving into the newly-created Cultural Center Kraftwerk Mitte in December 2016, the house welcomes its visitors in a generous auditorium seating up to 700 persons. The industrial buildings with their noteworthy historical red-brick façades from the 19th and early 20th century are under landmark preservation, have been painstakingly restored and are now flanked by modern buildings.

Consecrated in 1546, the Municipal Church of St. Mary in Pirna is one of the most important late-Gothic hall churches in Saxony. Its filigree vaulting, with the original painting of 1546 intact, is among the highlights of vault construction in Saxony; the baptism font and epitaphs stand witness to the great stone-carving tradition in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. For centuries, St. Mary has also been the city’s musical centre.

The Kraftwerk Mitte, or Central Power Station, in Dresden is an imposing industrial landmark of the 19^th century; over the past years, it has been transformed into a unique space for the arts, culture and creative industries. Standing alongside prominent theatres and museums, the former railway power station with its red-brick façade was comprehensively rebuilt in 2010; since then, it has become one of the most well-known event locations in Dresden. Apart from the impressive architecture, the more than 1,000 square meters of floorspace are compelling for their central location, offering an atmospheric backdrop for events of all kinds: from concerts, stage shows, exclusive corporate events and comedy to long party nights.

Since first opening in the 19th century, the compound of the former Goehle Works has been used for very different purposes. For example, in World War II it served as an arms factory. In 2015 parts of the landmark ensemble were restored by cultural protagonists from various fields. Ever since, the building complex has been known as »Kulturfabrik Zentralwerk«, offering various multi-purpose event locations, at the heart of which lies the Henny Brenner Hall.