Call for proposals: Catering in the Festspielhaus Hellerau

We are looking for a catering operator from 1 August 2026, ideally for the restaurant in the East Wing of the Festspielhaus Hellerau, the bistro in the Festspielhaus and the catering on the entire Festspielhaus site, including bar service in the foyer areas during special events. We are looking for operators who would like to work with us to develop a concept for catering for guests, artists and employees and who would like to make the special atmosphere of this extraordinary location in the fast-growing north of Dresden a gastronomic experience.

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HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts is located in Gartenstadt in the north of Dresden, a dynamic district that is not only known for its important industrial and technology settlements, but is also characterised by its good accessibility and quality of life. In the immediate vicinity of important business and research centres, the HELLERAU site offers the opportunity to attract a diverse audience of residents, employees of the surrounding companies, visitors to HELLERAU, international guests and tourists to the state capital. HELLERAU built in 1911 as a festival theatre and laboratory of artistic modernism, today it is one of the most important international centres for contemporary live dance, music, performance and media art in Germany and Europe. Other users of the site are the Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony and the Werkbund Sachsen.

Since the completion of the modernisation and expansion of the East Wing building in 2025, the entire Festspielhaus site has been used for cultural purposes again for the first time in its current form. With the spatially independent catering unit of the Festspielhaus Hellerau in the east wing, it is now possible to offer a high-quality catering service in addition to the bistro and foyer counter in the Festspielhaus at HELLERAU.

This independent catering area in the east wing has the potential to develop its own gastronomic brand in the unique ambience of the garden city Hellerau and the Festspielhaus area. The premises in the east wing are currently empty with the corresponding kitchen connections available on site. Kitchen equipment and furniture are to be brought in. Planning documents can be provided for the kitchen and guest room, on the basis of which the equipment can be planned in consultation with the landlord. The Festspielhaus has a functional kitchen that is part of the equipment and can later be used as a warm kitchen for catering or similar.

Catering operation Festspielhaus Hellerau

HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts (stage of the state capital Dresden) is looking for a gastronomic operator for the entire gastronomic operation on the Festspielhaus site (Festspielhaus and East Wing) who would like to develop the opportunities of the special location together with the event operations of the European Centre for the Arts on the basis of an independent concept.

Our season usually runs from September to July, with around 150 events a year, both our own and those organised by third parties, plus up to 200 smaller events.

In the course of the reallocation of the catering operations, two possible operating options will be presented. Bidders can apply for one or two variants in several stages:

Variant A in the Festspielhaus

Bar service and food on event days as well as lunch catering
Bar service, hot meals before performances, à-la-carte in the evening before the performance
Lunch catering for staff and artists, hot meals on at least 4 days/week until 22:00

Option B in the Festspielhaus and East Wing

Full catering service
All services from A, plus use of the East Wing as an independent unit, hot meals at least 4 days/week until 10.00 pm

Rooms

1) The catering area in the Festspielhaus

The existing kitchen (without loose equipment) in the main building of the Festspielhaus can currently be used as a kitchen as well as a warming kitchen and for the intermediate storage of food for events. The adjoining bar area consists of a counter with various cooling, dispensing and dishwashing facilities. The dining area is designed for around 25 seats, and additional seating can be arranged outside. In the cellar there is a storage area with a barrel cooler housing and cold room. The state capital has no plans to fit out any of the areas to be taken over by the operator in the form of new or replacement purchases or a tenant-specific extension.

2) The catering area in the East Wing

The premises in the East Wing comprise the dining room and kitchen without fixtures, equipment or loose fittings. A concept study for the dining room and the kitchen equipment can be left to the operator. The dining room is designed for around 60 seats. Additional seating can be arranged in the outdoor area, which faces north towards the garden.

General conditions (for both variants)

Event-dependent operation with standard theatre peak times
Flexibility in terms of visitor numbers and event formats
Coordination with performance, rehearsal and production operations with regard to catering for visitors, employees and artists/external teams during events
Detailed service, price and billing modalities are regulated in an operator contract

The restaurant in the East Wing can and should be conceived independently of the artistic operation of the Festspielhaus.

An operating agreement must be concluded with HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts.

The City of Dresden (Office for Building Construction and Property Management) will conclude a rental agreement for the catering areas in the Festspielhaus (approx. 119 m²) and in the East Wing (152 m², including 73 m² restaurant, 55 m² kitchen with storage and delivery, 24 m² catering area) with the following contents, among others: The rental period begins on 1 August 2026 and a term of four years is being sought. The rent is the highest bidder, but amounts to at least EUR 1/m² as a monthly fixed rent plus a turnover rent and an advance payment of EUR 1,300 per month for operating costs. All ancillary costs (waste, electricity, heating, telephone and internet) are borne by the tenant; car parking spaces are available at the property. For the rooms in the east wing (Varinate B), a deposit of 5,000 euros must be paid for the rental space.

Notes on the submission of tenders

Please send your offer summarised in a PDF file (up to 5 MB) exclusively by e-mail to vertraege@hellerau.org by 15 April 2026. We reserve the right to consider offers received after this deadline.

Offers must be assigned to variants A and B
The following must be presented for each variant offered
- Full details of the applicant and the lead/acting persons including qualifications with supporting documents
- Operating concept (areas of use, opening hours, food and beverages, price overview)
- Personnel and organisational structure
- Economic model (calculation model for ongoing business, amount of planned investment, proof of creditworthiness)
- Offer at the rental price

The decision to award the contract is made in several stages and includes a conceptual discussion. The decision to enter into concrete contract negotiations is made taking into account quality, profitability, rental offer and conceptual fit; if necessary, further documents must be submitted in advance.

Viewing, contact & queries

For further enquiries, additional documents and to arrange viewing appointments, please contact

Mrs Dana Bondartschuk
comm. Head of Production Office
bondartschuk@hellerau.org
Phone 0351/264 62 - 39