New Delhi, 14 October 2026:* The BRICS Theatre Festival 2026, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, under India’s BRICS Presidency 2026, concluded in New Delhi, on 14 October 2026. Held under the theme ‘Shared Stories, Shared Futures’, the three-day Festival brought together artists and theatre institutions from nine BRICS member and partner nations, using theatre as a medium to strengthen cultural ties and foster mutual cooperation.
The closing ceremony was attended by *Shri Vivek Aggarwal,* IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, as the Chief Guest joined by *Shri. Arvind Kumar,* Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture.
The Festival brought together over 500 participants from India, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, Iran, Vietnam, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia, featuring 11 national and international plays that reflected the participating countries’ diverse languages, cultural identities and theatrical traditions.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the festival, Shri Vivek Aggarwal, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, said,
The concluding programme featured Louha Purush (Life and Legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel), a large-scale Hindi production presented by the NSD Repertory Company, with music, design and direction by Shri Chittaranjan Tripathy, Director, NSD. The production marked the culmination of the three-day Festival.
Other theatrical productions featured on the day included Land of the Ancients, presented by the Ethiopian National Theater; Someone, directed by Tandi Buchan and presented by The Waterfront Theatre School, Cape Town; and Kya Zhibek, presented by the M. Auezov Kazakh National Drama Theatre.
The Festival also featured various ambient performances showcasing India’s rich folk traditions from states like Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Assam, Odisha, Punjab and Manipur. These included Kalbelia dance, Mask Baan and Dhol Damau, Bihu, Sambalpuri folk dance, Chhau dance, Mayurbhanj Chhau, Bhangra and Manipuri dance.
Beyond the performances, theatre sessions and interactive discussions enabled artists, directors, performers and crew members to exchange ideas on artistic vision, acting methodologies, performance traditions and stagecraft.
The Festival followed the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, marking another cultural engagement under India’s BRICS Presidency 2026. It complemented India’s broader commitment to international cooperation by creating opportunities for artists and audiences to connect across national and cultural boundaries.
India’s BRICS Presidency 2026 is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with a people-centric approach to strengthening cooperation among BRICS nations. The Theatre Festival complemented these priorities by using the performing arts as a medium to promote intercultural dialogue, artistic collaboration and enduring people-to-people connections.
