Arsmondo Islands Festival

From 12 to 22 March

Islands—pieces of land surrounded by water, sometimes miles and miles away from the nearest mainland—are traditionally regarded as places of escape and refuge in our collective imagination. However, the islands scattered across our seas and oceans are particularly vulnerable to the environmental, migratory and geopolitical challenges that are reshaping our world. Some are even disappearing due to climate change and rising sea levels, while others are becoming strategic crossroads of globalization and bastions of cultural resistance.

Organized by the Opéra national du Rhin with the participation of a growing number of partners each year, the interdisciplinary Arsmondo Festival returns in spring 2026 to explore the captivating yet vulnerable world of island cultures and territories. Film screenings, concerts, readings and panel discussions will explore the multifaceted nature of island life—navigating the themes of isolation and interdependence, heritage and modernity, threats and utopias.