ZusammenLebenFestival 2026 in Stuttgart

The ZusammenLebenFestival took place for the first time from June 19 to 20, 2026, at the Kunstverein Wagenhalle e. V. in Stuttgart. The goal of the event was to highlight solidarity-based, sustainable, and inclusive forms of communal living and to promote professional and social exchange. The festival was characterized by a wide variety of presentations and an open, inclusive atmosphere.

ProWST was represented with an information booth on the renovation project for the Württemberg State Theaters in Stuttgart. A thematic connection to the festival arose from its geographical proximity: Starting in September 2026, development work will begin on the Wagenhallen site for the so-called Maker City as well as for the State Theaters’ interim location.

The alternative venue is more than just a temporary solution. Once the opera and ballet return to the renovated opera house on the Upper Castle Gardens, significant portions of the building’s infrastructure are to continue to be used in the long term in the new Stuttgart Rosenstein district.

In particular, the planned repurposing of the backstage areas is in line with the festival’s themes. About two-thirds of the structures are to be converted into Maker City, where they will contribute to sustainable neighborhood development. Plans include spaces for the creative industries, workshops, housing, and community uses.

The architectural design of the stage, auditorium, and lobby also follows the principle of circular construction: they are built using a method that allows for dismantling, enabling the materials to be reused later.

The area around the Wagenhallen is already being used as a venue for art, culture, and community gatherings. The principles of openness, inclusion, and communal living experienced during the festival will thus find their spatial continuation in the emerging urban neighborhood.

The ZusammenLebenFestival has demonstrated the potential inherent in communal and inclusive forms of housing and living, as well as the significance of these concepts for future urban development processes.