BRICS Theatre Festival 2026 Begins at National School of Drama

The BRICS Theatre Festival 2026 began on 12 October at the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi and is scheduled to run until 14 October. The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, is organising the festival during India’s 2026 BRICS Presidency. Its theme is “Shared Stories, Shared Futures”.

BRICS cultural cooperation

More than 100 theatre practitioners, scholars, students and cultural representatives from nine BRICS member and partner countries are participating. The participating countries are India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Ethiopia. The programme includes theatre performances and professional discussions. The festival’s stated theme is “Shared Stories, Shared Futures”. Its programme brings together participants from countries with different theatre traditions and cultural practices. Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended the inaugural ceremony on 12 October.

National School of Drama and performance venues

The National School of Drama is a theatre training institution based in New Delhi. The Ministry of Culture administers it as an autonomous organisation. Festival events are being held at NSD’s Abhimanch, Sammukh and Meghdoot venues, as well as Kamani Auditorium, LTG Auditorium and Shriram Centre. The opening-day performance was “Samudra Manthan”, written by Asif Ali and directed by Chittaranjan Tripathy. It was staged at the Abhimanch Auditorium. The programme also includes professional discussions alongside performances.

Theatre institutions and competitive-exam facts

NSD was established in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and became an autonomous organisation in 1975. The Sangeet Natak Akademi, established in 1953, is India’s national academy for music, dance and drama. BRICS began as BRIC, comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China; South Africa joined in 2010.

Important Facts for Exams

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• The National School of Drama was established in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
• The National School of Drama became an autonomous organisation in 1975.
• The Sangeet Natak Akademi was established in 1953.
• South Africa joined BRIC in 2010, after which the grouping became known as BRICS.

The festival runs from 12 to 14 October 2026, with performances and discussions at venues across New Delhi. Its opening production, “Samudra Manthan”, was staged at the Abhimanch Auditorium.