Independent theatre

Bühne der Kulturen

since 1983

Intercultural theatre in Cologne's Ehrenfeld district, founded in 1983 as the Turkish Arkadaş Theater — closed its doors on 31 July 2017.

Carlswerk, Cologne

Former cable factory in Cologne-Mülheim where the first transatlantic telephone cable was made in 1904 – now a business campus and cultural venue.

Comedia Theater

4.6(1,421)· Google

Independent children's and youth theatre in a former Cologne fire station — with its own evening programme of cabaret, music and theatre for adults.

D.a.S. Theater

since 1990

Independent Cologne theatre now staging a single show: 'You Are My Mother' about dementia — one performer plays both mother and son.

Freies Werkstatt Theater Cologne

Contemporary theatre house in Cologne's Südstadt, born from a 1970s artist-and-pupils experiment, with a strong focus on children's and youth theatre.

Italian Cultural Institute Cologne

Landmarked Italian Rationalist building combining Italy's cultural institute and consulate general in Cologne

Klüngelpütz Kabarett-Theater

Cologne's only cellar cabaret theater from the 1960s still performing in its original space — a home for political-literary satire.

Kumede

Cologne theatre troupe performing exclusively in the Kölsch dialect since 1947 — today at the Volksbühne am Rudolfplatz.

Lutherkirche (Cologne-Nippes)

since 1886

Neo-Gothic Protestant church in the Sechzigviertel that has hosted concerts, readings and cabaret as Cologne's Kulturkirche since 2002.

Millowitsch-Theater / Volksbühne am Rudolfplatz

4.7(2,730)· Google

In 1953 this stage hosted Germany's first live TV broadcast of a theatre play — the Millowitsch family's dialect theatre, now the Volksbühne am Rudolfplatz.

Rathenauplatz

Cologne's leafy Südstadt park with a plane-tree avenue, a popular beer garden, and a name that mirrors Germany's turbulent 20th century.

Senftöpfchen

4.6(409)· Google

Cologne's beloved cabaret and variety theatre — a launchpad for comedy talent since the 1970s with a reputation that reaches far beyond Germany.

Studiobühne Köln

4.3(97)· Google

Germany's oldest university theatre since 1920 — an independent, experimental performance space with a film workshop at the University of Cologne.

Theater der Keller

Cologne's oldest private theatre, founded in 1955 — contemporary programme with many world premieres and its own acting school.

Theater im Bauturm

4.5(242)· Google

Independent backyard theatre in the Belgisches Viertel: freshly told classics and original productions with a Cologne twist and social commentary.

Theater Tiefrot

4.4(78)· Google

Private chamber theatre in Cologne's Altstadt-Nord with up to 80 seats — an off-theatre stage balancing literary classics and political drama.

Urania Theater

Cologne's first neighborhood theater in Ehrenfeld, now reborn as Theater&Ehrenfeld after decades of shifting names and uses.