New face at the Nibelungen Festival: Petra Simon takes over!

New face at the Nibelungen Festival: Petra Simon takes over!

On January 25, 2025, Petra Simon was presented as the new managing director of the Nibelung Festival in Worms. In this position, she takes responsibility for the renowned festival, which is part of the Rhein-Neckar Festival region. This network was launched in 2006 and binds more than 30 significant festivals together in the metropolitan region, 15 of which are internationally recognized.

Petra Simon is not only the managing director of the Nibelungen Festival, but also spokeswoman for the festival network. Together with Rainer Kern, the head of the “Enjoy Jazz” festival, and Christian Holtzhauer, the acting director of the National Theater Mannheim, she will represent the concerns of the network. This is committed to visibility and cultural development in the region and supports innovative projects in the art and cultural sector. Within the festivals, over 400,000 visitors are counted annually who can experience a wide range of art forms, including theater, dance, performance, film, photography, literature, visual arts and music, such as Cityguide-neckar.de reported.

The role of Petra Simon

Petra Simon started the sole management of the Nibelungen Festival on October 1, 2024 after she previously worked as an artistic and technical company director. Her change to this leadership role happened in coordination with the city of Worms and the directorate of the festival. Mayor Adolf Kessel and director Nico Hofmann paid tribute to their commitment and their professional approach to the artistic challenges of the theater. Simon had already accompanied numerous productions in front of the Worms cathedral and worked closely with well-known directors, as NibelungenfestSpiele.de

The passion for cultural projects and her deep understanding of the theater now wants to use Petra Simon as a spokeswoman for the network to further advance cultural development in the metropolitan region. The network was founded with the aim of developing joint projects and better positioning the region internationally.

cultural diversity and upcoming events

The Nibelungen Festival stand out as an essential part of this network and also offer a varied program in 2025. The highlight will be the premiere of the play "See from Asche - The Song of the Nibelungs" by Roland Schimmelpfennig, which will take place from 11 to 27 July 2025 in front of the Worms Cathedral directed by Mina Salehpour. The ticket sales begin on October 31, 2024. According to NibelungenfestSpiele.de , the festival aims to address an audience from the region and beyond.

The Network Festival region Rhein-Neckar will also publish a cultural magazine three times a year that informs about current programs and events and indicates other events of the cultural scene. With these measures, it is sought to continuously promote and develop the cultural landscape of the Rhein-Neckar metropolitan region.