World Theatre Day for Children and Young People will be marked with a major program at Republic Square.
On Friday, March 20, the first day of spring and World Theatre Day for Children and Young People, Belgrade will host a large carnival parade of children, bringing together preschoolers and first-grade primary school pupils.
The program begins at 10 a.m., when the children will gather in front of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SASA), from where, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Police of Serbia, a ceremonial carnival parade will proceed along Knez Mihailova Street to Republic Square.
On the central stage at Republic Square, choirs of the Children’s Cultural Center Belgrade will perform, while eight different stage points will host interactive theatre programs intended for the youngest audiences.
Participating in the program are Boško Buha Theatre, Duško Radović Little Theatre, Pinocchio Puppet Theatre, and Puž Theatre, which will present theatre props, set design elements, puppets, and various stage techniques through direct interaction with the audience. Children will have the opportunity to actively take part in the program and learn about the process of creating a theatre performance, as well as different forms of stage expression.
This event aims to bring the world of theatre closer to the youngest citizens of Belgrade, encourage their imagination and creativity, and highlight the importance of art and culture in children’s development.
The program is organized by the Secretariat for Culture of the City of Belgrade, the Secretariat for Education and Child Protection, the Secretariat for Emergency Management and Coordination, and the Municipality of Stari Grad.
Theatre Week for Children and Young People
Following the carnival parade, over the next week Belgrade’s children’s theatres will open their doors to young audiences through a series of special programs, workshops, meetings with artists, and open-stage events.
In this way, March 21 — World Puppetry Day, as well as March 27 — World Theatre Day, will also be marked, further emphasizing throughout the week the importance of theatre art in the education and cultural development of children and young people.
The audience will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes, learn about the process of creating a performance, and through creative workshops and conversations with artists discover the rich and diverse world of performing arts for young audiences.
Little Theatre “Duško Radović”
Little Theatre “Duško Radović” continues in the coming days with a rich repertoire for children, youth, and adults, along with a special program marking World Puppetry Day.
On the repertoire is the play “Tesla” on Saturday at 5 p.m., written by Mina Milošević and directed by Ivan Baletić.
On Sunday at 12 p.m., the audience will be able to see “Gulliver,” based on Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, adapted by Zoran Đerić and directed by Isidora Goncić. On the same day at 1 p.m., on the occasion of World Puppetry Day, an art workshop for children titled “The Secret of the Street” will be held, led by artist and art pedagogue Danica Radumilo.
On Tuesday, March 24 at 10:30 a.m., the play “How the Cricket Got Well” by Toon Tellegen, directed by Nikola Zavišić, will be performed, while the same day at 8 p.m. the play “In the Ceiling the Stars Are Shining,” based on the novel by Johanna Thydell, adapted by Tijana Grumić and directed by Damjan Kecojević, will be staged.
On Friday, March 27, World Theatre Day, at 8 p.m., the play “If Bees Disappeared from the Face of the Earth,” based on the novel Youth Without God by Ödön von Horváth, adapted by Tijana Grumić and directed by Anja Suša, will be performed.
Boško Buha Theatre
The Buha School Caravan will be held on Friday, March 20 at the “Danilo Kiš” Primary School. Through this project, pupils of the 4th and 8th grades will be introduced to theatre professions. Lecturers include actors of Boško Buha Theatre: Đorđe Kadijević, Boba Latinović and Borka Tomović, as well as Đurđa Tešić, theatre director and artistic director, Dragica Laušević, costume designer, and Marko Rančić, stage manager and prompter.
As part of the regular repertoire, on Saturday, March 21 at 12 p.m. the play “Cinderella” by Igor Bojović, directed by Iva Milošević, will be performed at Teatar Vuk. On Monday, March 23 at 7 p.m., “The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole” by Sue Townsend, adapted by Milena Depolo and directed by Tatjana Mandić Rigonat, will be staged. On Friday, March 27 at 12 p.m., the play “The Three Musketeers” by Ken Ludwig, adapted by Slobodan Popović and directed by Ivan Vuković, will be performed at Teatar Vuk.
Following the performance “The Three Musketeers,” a panel discussion titled “All for One — One for All” will be held. Moderators are Milena Depolo, dramaturg at Boško Buha Theatre, and Marija Manojlović, psychologist. Participants include actors Viktor Savić and Stefan Trifunović.
Pinocchio Puppet Theatre
From March 23 to 27, Pinocchio Puppet Theatre will organize guest performances in schools and institutions that support children without parental care and children with developmental disabilities. The performances will be carefully designed and adapted to the age and needs of the audience, with a special focus on interactivity, understanding, and creating a supportive and positive environment. On this occasion, the play “Little Dog Toby” will be performed at “Novi Beograd” Primary School, the institution for children and youth in Sremčica, and the Belgrade Shelter for Children.
Pinocchio Puppet Theatre will mark World Puppetry Day, March 21, 2026, with performances from its regular repertoire: at 10 a.m. “Dawn and Dream,” an original project by Mina Ćirić; at 12 p.m. “Pinocchio,” by Alexey Tolstoy and Eva Borisova, directed by Živomir Joković; and at 5 p.m. “Little Dog Toby,” based on a story by Zdeněk Florian, directed by Živomir Joković.
On March 22, the repertoire includes: at 12 p.m. “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats,” adapted by Jelena Paligorić Sinkević and directed by Goran Damjanac, and at 5 p.m. “Alice in Wonderland,” based on the story by Lewis Carroll, directed by Ivana Koraksić.