Sommerblut

The festival takes a deliberately broad view of inclusion, encompassing physical and cognitive traits, lifestyles, value systems, traditions and faiths. Sommerblut spotlights the situation of minorities and disadvantaged groups. As its website puts it: "Sommerblut brings the margin into the center and takes the center to the margin."

For many years the festival worked with focus themes, including "Dementia" (2012), "Flight" (2013), "Love" (2016) and "Faith" (2019). Since 2022 it has shifted away from this format, instead centering each edition on a motto such as "Make It New!" or "Go Where the Fear Is."

The programme was originally shaped by artists from the German-language chanson and cabaret scene, including Georgette Dee, Tim Fischer and Désirée Nick. Today the focus lies more on dance, theatre and performance, with many in-house productions. In 2002 and 2003 the festival took place solely at the Theaterhaus and Limelight venues; later additions included the Cologne Philharmonic, Schauspiel Köln, the Gürzenich and the Comedia. Since 2022, actor and dancer Erwin Aljukic has chaired the board.

In 2007, the owners of the Atelier-Theater protested in an open letter against the inclusion of the Pascha nightclub, which at the time also hosted cultural events. Under public pressure and pressure from cooperation partner WDR5, organiser Rolf Emmerich moved the opening event "Wilde Nächte" to the Theaterhaus Köln; four further events remained at Pascha. Despite its dissatisfaction, the Atelier-Theater continued to take part in the festival.

Sommerblut received the Cologne Dance Prize in 2007 for the performance "Sex Id" and the Cologne Innovation Award for Disability Policy in 2012 for the dementia project "Anderland." The festival was nominated for the Cologne Theatre Prize in both 2018 and 2019.