FIMP’26 brings international puppetry to Porto and Matosinhos

This year’s edition is themed Narratives – Fictions and Realities, exploring how stories can help audiences interpret the world around them. The programme draws inspiration from literary works and poetry, bringing together different artistic perspectives on fiction, reality and contemporary life.

Among the writers referenced in the festival’s programme are Cervantes, Gogol, Victor Hugo and Dostoevsky, alongside Portuguese authors José Luís Peixoto and Regina Guimarães. Their works provide starting points for performances that revisit established literary narratives while exploring the possibilities of puppetry and animated objects as forms of theatrical expression.

Artists from Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal will take part in FIMP’26, presenting different approaches to the art form. While some productions find inspiration in literature and stories written centuries ago, others connect more directly with contemporary issues, bringing questions about the present to the stage through visual storytelling and physical performance.

Puppetry and object theatre offer a distinctive way of communicating ideas, using movement, materials and illusion to create meaning on stage. The festival highlights this creative potential, inviting audiences to discover how seemingly simple objects and animated figures can become powerful tools for telling stories and reflecting on human experience.

Although the programme is primarily aimed at adults, FIMP’26 also maintains a place for younger audiences and families. Educational activities for theatre professionals and curious members of the public further extend the festival’s scope, creating opportunities to explore the techniques and creative processes behind contemporary puppetry.

Taking place across Porto and Matosinhos, the festival brings together international artists and local audiences for ten days of performances and artistic exchange. FIMP’26 continues to highlight puppetry as a contemporary performing art, connecting literary heritage, experimentation and new ways of looking at the world.