A small note at the beginning: For the 2025/2026 season, the Grand House at the Old Garden will be closed for renovation work. During this time, the replacement venue will be the theater tent at Küchengarten, just a 10-minute walk away in the castle garden. But now: The curtain rises!

Welcome to the Mecklenburg State Theatre – a place where history and culture come to life! Did you know that the theatre has a history dating back to 1563? Back then, Duke Johann Albrecht I of Mecklenburg commissioned the founding of a court chapel. And where music is heard, a place of performance is needed – this is where the origin of the Mecklenburg State Theatre began.

The current building, located directly across from Schwerin Castle, was constructed between 1883 and 1886 under the direction of court architect Georg Daniel. And while the exterior radiates the grandeur of the 19th century, behind the magnificent façade, you will find a state-of-the-art stage with advanced technology. In the auditorium, with its 540 red velvet seats framed by opulent stucco and golden embellishments, you can experience the magic of the theatre. Additionally, the concert foyer opens its doors for chamber and salon music, readings, and matinées, and is also a popular venue for business or private gatherings in a stylish setting. Since 2024, the theatre has been part of the Schwerin Residence Ensemble and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Mecklenburg State Theatre takes pride in its long tradition, which began in 1753 with Conrad Ekhof, the "father of German acting," who founded the first German acting academy here. Famous composers like Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Brahms, and Saint-Saëns have graced the stage here – and even Richard Wagner visited Schwerin in 1873 to hire artists for the first Bayreuth Festival. The Mecklenburg State Theatre is a multi-disciplinary house. In addition to music theatre, drama, and ballet, it is home to one of the oldest orchestras in the world – the Mecklenburg State Orchestra Schwerin, which celebrated its 460th anniversary in 2023. Also well-known beyond the region is the Fritz Reuter Stage, the only professional Low German ensemble in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Since its merger with the Parchim State Theatre in 2016, this has also become part of the State Theatre and offers children's and youth theatre productions at the Cultural Mill Parchim.

Another highlight is the annual Schlossfestspiele in summer. In a special atmosphere on the Old Garden with a view of Schwerin Castle, the ensemble of the Schwerin Theatre delights audiences with annually changing productions such as West Side Story, Little Miss Sunshine, Titanic, and many more. In addition to the stage on the Old Garden, the Ballet Gala at the Grand House and the Fritz Reuter Stage production at the Open-Air Museum for Folk Culture Schwerin-Mueß are also part of the summer productions. The MeckProms, the picnic concert of the Mecklenburg State Orchestra at the Schwerin Open-Air Stage, are also particularly popular.

About the Style
Court architect Georg Daniel combined elements of the French and Italian Renaissance in the design of the theatre's new building in the style of historicism. The historicist theatre building steps back into the depth of the space to minimize its proximity to the museum. Its significant axis of display is, like the previous building, oriented towards the castle and the Burgsee. The east side of the theatre features a glazed loggia with a terrace and forecourt, providing an approach for the Grand Duke. The corners of the building are accentuated by pavilions topped with domes. These are echoed in the execution of the stage house, also crowned at the corners.