JISDF 2026 Opening Night
Tuesday 15 September| Hansen House

19:00 | Gates Open | Wine & Site Specific Performances

JISDF 2026 opens with an evening of dance, music and wine. Hansen House transforms into a vibrant performance landscape, where encounters unfold throughout its courtyards, indoor spaces and surrounding grounds. The evening begins with site specific works created especially for Hansen House, turning the entire venue into a living stage. Audiences are invited to wander freely through the performances, pause, come closer, and discover new encounters between body, place and imagination.

India Up Close

In the Tea House, an intimate setting of chai, Indian music and dance awaits, featuring an international Kathak performance accompanied by live music. Wine, a Jerusalem sunset, and performances from around the world fill the courtyards and indoor spaces before the evening gradually gathers around the festival’s main stage.

20:30 | Main Stage

New works, original productions and international dance performances from Israel, Austria, Germany, Russia, the United States, Croatia, Slovakia and India. Built especially for the festival in the courtyard of Hansen House, the main stage transforms the space into an open air dance theatre. A vibrant international evening bringing together diverse artistic voices, bodies and perspectives.