Lleida Puppet Fair 2026 Explores 'Fake News' and an English Quixote

The 37th edition of the international puppet and object theater festival in Lleida will host 29 shows and expects 40,000 visitors.

Generic image of a puppet stage with theatrical lighting.
IA

Generic image of a puppet stage with theatrical lighting.

The Lleida Puppet Fair will celebrate its 37th edition from April 30 to May 3, 2026, featuring an opening show on 'fake news' and an English version of Don Quixote, solidifying its international standing.

This event, the only one of its kind in Spain, will bring together some thirty proposals from companies in Lleida, the rest of Catalonia, and worldwide. For four days, the city will transform into a grand stage for puppet and object theater, with an estimated 40,000 attendees.
The fair stands out for its broad participation, with 27 companies: three from Lleida, six from the rest of Catalonia, ten from other autonomous communities, and eight international. Furthermore, numerous premieres will be presented: two absolute, one in Europe, five in the Iberian Peninsula, and nine in Catalonia. The event will also host over 300 accredited professionals from countries such as Slovenia, the United States, Estonia, Serbia, Greece, Norway, and Canada.
As a novelty, the fair will extend for the first time to the Museu Morera de Lleida, strengthening the connection between visual and performing arts with the family show Rauxa. Puppets will also return to the cloister of the Seu Vella de Lleida, after renovation works, and Sant Joan Square will be reinstated as a stage, where Cavall, a show featuring a three-meter-tall puppet, can be seen.
Among the 29 shows scheduled for children, youth, and adult audiences, highlights include Sabotage, by Sara Angius and Johanna Ehlert, which will open the fair with a reflection on 'fake news', and Don Quixote (is a very big book), by the British company Opposable Thumb Theatre, presenting an English version of the classic. Other proposals include Sum by Baychimo Teatro, Fantasmes de guerra by La Baldufa, Fly me to the moon by Leandre Ribera, L'Y - ànsia per volar by Yldor Llach, Bufairons by the Centre de Titelles de Lleida, and Escorça by Cia. Marc Bosch.
Almost half of the shows will be free, and for paid events, tickets are already available. Additionally, there will be a solidarity show where admission is paid with food donations for the Food Bank.