2026
A Fair with Danish flair
The 32nd edition of dFERIA has wrapped up with good figures in terms of the attending public, accredited professionals, and participating companies. The internationalisation strategy, a commitment made in recent years with an eye on Europe, has proven extremely successful, featuring Denmark as the guest country. It is also necessary to mention the impact of the general strike held on 17 March, which resulted in three shows being cancelled and a fourth one being rescheduled.
The 31 companies that participated in this edition presented 31 productions in 42 performances. Regarding the selection of works, it should be emphasised that a good number of shows (74%) premièred at dFERIA: two international premières, three national premières, and 18 debuts in the Basque Country.
The number of accredited professionals in this edition was 657. Of these, 229 were programmers, 217 were producers or company representatives, 79 were distribution companies, 79 were institutions, 21 were journalists and critics, and 32 were from other sectors. Special mention should be made of the number of international professionals at dFERIA, with 138 accredited professionals, of whom 69 were programmers and members of international festivals. They represented more than 40 countries across all continents.
Key data
- 15,985 participants
- 31 companies, 31 functions, 36 stage hours
- 657 professionals, 25 press conferences, 8 stages
Theme for 2025: Legatua / Legado
dFERIA, the Donostia / San Sebastián Performing Arts Fair, is a must-attend event and leading national reference for performing arts professionals. From 14-18 March, professional activities and performances alternated, making San Sebastián the focal point for the performing arts.
Highlights
Bloody Moon at the opening event of the Fair. Victoria Eugenia Theater. (Photo: Gorka Bravo).
Photo of officials with the Danish delegation (Photo: Gorka Bravo).
Professional activities
- Round Table
Las artes escénicas en la era del Tecnofeudalismo brought together seven professionals from the worlds of creation, management and production in the performing arts. Taking as their starting point the opinion piece ‘Towards Resilient Performing Arts’ by El Arbi El Harti, director of the María Pagés Foundation, and under the author’s own guidance, the assembled professionals sought to answer questions such as: What place do the performing arts occupy in a debate that does not exist and in a resistance that does not exist either? What role would they play in a hypothetical reflection on our new world? What values of the performing arts and of art in general should we defend in the liquid era of post-art? (Download the Manifesto, PDF) - Business Forum
5-minute speed talks between artists and those responsible for local, national and international programming, distributed into tables and organised according to shared interests. - Presentation of cooperation and internationalisation programmes
Two case studies were carried out: the first focused on ‘Foco Dinamarca: Emerging Organisations and Practices in the Danish Scene’, and the second on the European cross-border project Pyrenart II. - Meetings
Companies
- Ados Teatroa
Alberto Velasco
Àngel Duran
Begoña Quiñones & Verónica Garzón
Cidanz Producciones
Cielo Raso
Compañía Criolla
Danish Dance Theatre
Dejabu
Erain
Eva Guerrero
Fix+Foxy
K Producciones
La Dramática Errante
- Lasala
Led Silhouette
Luna Hiena
Nacho Diago
Node
Osa + Mujika
Paolo Nani
Sergi Casero
Sita Ostheimer & Álvaro Murillo
Tanttaka Teatroa
Txalo Produkzioak
Unahoramenos Producciones
Uparte
Uppercut Danseteater
Paolo Nani's La Carta (Photo: Gorka Bravo).
Business Forum, Tabakalera (Photo: Gorka Bravo).