The Bucharest Scenography Biennale runs from 16 to 25 October 2026, featuring exhibitions, artist talks, workshops, and family activities across central Bucharest. The programme brings theatre costumes, puppets, set models and film props into exhibition spaces, where visitors can take a closer look at the work behind a production.
Now in its second edition, the Romanian OISTAT Centre, alongside the National Theatre Festival, organises the biennale. For anyone visiting Bucharest this October, it’s an interesting stop between museums and performances, especially if you enjoy theatre, cinema, or design.
What to See at the Former CINA Restaurant
The former CINA Restaurant, at 10 Benjamin Franklin Street, hosts several of the biennale’s exhibitions and is a useful place to start your visit.
The central exhibition, W.O.R.K. — Women. Oppression. Resistance. Irina Moscu curates it. Through installations, costumes, objects and photographs, it explores women’s work in scenography, including the pressures and inequalities they face in the profession.
The international selections feature established designers, emerging artists and students. Sketches, models, costumes and multimedia projects show how designers approach a performance and develop its setting. This is a chance to study details that might be hard to catch from a theatre seat.
The film scenography exhibition follows the process from early drawings to the finished surroundings seen on screen. Technical plans, photographs, props, furniture and costumes reveal how much work goes into making a film’s setting convincing. If you often find yourself admiring a movie’s interiors or costumes, add this exhibition to your list.
Puppetry and Family Activities in Amzei
At Hub deGalben, 13 Amzei Square, visitors can explore an exhibition dedicated to puppetry and theatre for children and young audiences. The exhibition displays puppets, marionettes, costumes, and scenery alongside sketches from recent productions.
Visitors can also contribute: The Doodle Gate, a large participatory artwork they can draw and colour.
Families heading to Amzei during the closing weekend can catch a Pinocchio street performance on Saturday, 24 October, from 12:30 to 13:30, in the Amzei public space. A children’s workshop on handling animated objects follows from 13:40 to 15:40.
Talks and Exhibitions on Academiei Street
The “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism, at 18–20 Academiei Street, hosts the Schools of Scenography exhibition. It brings together projects by students from Romanian universities of theatre, art, and architecture.
The programme also includes artist talks by Jean-Guy Lecat on Wednesday, 21 October, at 18:00, and Rachel Hann on Friday, 23 October, at 18:30, both at the university.
On Saturday, 24 October, Modul Cărturești, at the same address, hosts book launches dedicated to scenography and theatre costume. The programme includes publications by Rachel Hann, Pamela Howard, Jean-Guy Lecat, and Bianca Imelda Jeremias.
Where to Visit and Opening Hours
The main exhibitions remain open until 25 October 2026:
| Venue | Address | Exhibition hours |
|---|---|---|
| Former CINA Restaurant | 10 Benjamin Franklin Street | Daily, 10:00–22:00 |
| Architecture University Gallery | 18–20 Academiei Street | 10:00–20:00; closes at 16:00 on 25 October |
| Hub deGalben | 13 Amzei Square | 10:00–20:00; closes at 16:00 on 25 October |
With venues around Amzei, the Romanian Athenaeum, and Academiei Street, you can fit in a couple of exhibitions on a walk through central Bucharest. The former CINA Restaurant stays open until 22:00, so you can visit in the evening, too.
