The Zürich cultural scene offers a lot of live performances for children, from plays to musical theater to classical music and opera. Most performances are in Swiss-German but some also in English. Below are a list of theater and musical companies in the Zürich area that particularly cater to children and families.
After the holidays, I like to have some exciting activities lined up to counter the after-Christmas blues. One tradition we have is going to a children’s play or musical during the Christmas break. I’ve included some of our experiences below.
For current listings of theater and musical performances, see KiKuKa and Lolabrause.
English-speaking theater
Here are a few English-speaking theater groups in the Zürich area that offer performances suitable for children. Some international schools occasionally have performances that are open to the public, but they are not well-publicized. I’ve only heard about them through friends that have kids in the schools. See more English speaking theater groups in Switzerland (not necessarily for children).
Simply Theatre Academy
Simply Theatre puts on a few English-speaking productions a year in both Zürich and Geneva. Upcoming productions include A Christmas Carol, Peter Pan, Oklahoma and The BFG. See current schedule. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook for more news.
They also offer weekly theater workshops and camps during school holidays, for children from age 4 to 18.
Note: Simply Theatre has gifted us tickets to their upcoming performance of A Christmas Carol. Excited to report back on our experience.
English Theatre Group of Zug
The English Theatre Group of Zug has been doing shows since 1987, usually on one musical a year. In past years, they have done The Sound of Music, The Secret Garden, Honk, Chess, Oliver, etc. See etgz.ch for upcoming shows and news.
Close Encounters Youth Theatre
This theater group offers acting, movement & performance workshops and courses for children, youth and adults. They present a few theater productions a year. In Dec 2021, they are performing an adaptation of Frankenstein. See current course and performance schedule at www.closeencounterstheatre.com
German-speaking theater
Theater am Hechtplatz – Fairy Tale Theater for Kids
This tiny theater near Bellevue hosts at least one theater production for kids each year, typically in Swiss German. A couple years ago we saw Aladdin, which our kids really enjoyed. They follow the pantomime tradition of encouraging the kids to boo at the villain and cheer for the hero and call things out at the characters on stage. The seating is very cramped and the room quite hot, so be prepared.
See www.theaterhechtplatz.ch for current program.
Hechtplatz 7, 8001 Zürich
Bernhard Theater • Musicals for Kids
Bernhard Theater is located adjacent to the Zurich Opera House. They usually offer a children’s musical during the winter months. We’ve seen The Jungle Book, Der Kleine Eisbär, and Emil und die Detektiven, all in Swiss German. See their current schedule.
My kids really liked the performances, especially because it’s a small room and you can sit very close to the stage. Some of the actors come out in costume after the performance to meet the kids. In general, I like the Bernhard Theater as a venue. Instead of traditional rows of theater seats, it has movable chairs set around tables (5 chairs around each table). You can eat and drink in the theater. They sell food, but I’ve always also brought my own snacks and no one seems to care. Having food really helps young children enjoy the experience.
www.bernhard-theater.ch
Sechseläutenplatz 1, 8001 Zürich
Theater Pur Pur – Theater for and by Kids
Several of my friends recommend Theater Pur Pur, a small theater for children in Zürich Enge. They do dramatized story telling, live theater, theater workshops for children, etc. They have regular theater performances (in German) on Wednesday afternoons and weekends. See the current schedule.
They also do birthday parties. My 5 year old went to a birthday party there and apparently had a “great time” though he couldn’t really articulate what they did besides play games. I thought it was a little weird that they didn’t let the parents (even of the birthday child) watch the games. They had to wait outside in the cafe.
Grütlistrasse 36, 8002 Zürich
www.theater-purpur.ch
Theater Winterthur
Theater Winterthur does a few theater and musical performances a year specifically for families. In Dec 2021, they are performing “Der Zauberer von Oz” as shown in the picture below. Tickets range from CHF 25-45.
www.theaterwinterthur.ch
Theaterstrasse 6, 8402 Winterthur
Musical performances
Zürich Kammerorchester
The Zürich Kammerorchester (aka chamber orchestra) hosts many musical performances for children. See current program.
Some performances include a reading of a children’s book, accompanied by music and song. They also have a “Nuggi-Konzert” for babys ages 0-1, with a specially composed musical program for sensitive baby ears. You bring your own mat for your child to lay comfortably on the floor.
zko.ch
Seefeldstrasse 305, 8008 Zürich
Zurich Tonhalle • Family Matinee Concerts
The Zurich Tonhalle hosts Kinder-Matinee, daytimes concerts for children, usually on Sundays. I would recommend it for kids that are interested in music. My son who loves music and plays the piano really enjoyed the experience and wanted to go again. My other son doesn’t like music and this concert did not change his mind.
Make sure to get tickets early so your kids can sit close to the musicians. One time we sat way at the back and my kids couldn’t see well and they had trouble maintaining interest. Get to the performance early to grab a free seat cushion that lifts your child higher up to see better.
My friend took her boys to the Peter und der Wolf and said: “Peter and the Wolf was very interactive in the beginning. Sandra Studer, the famous Swiss newscaster and narrator on many children’s CDs, was the host. She introduced the conductor and then the conductor explained each instrument and they did a little demonstration on how you could copy the sound of each instrument so the garden hose was similar to the French horn I think. Then they started playing and there was no more interaction just music.” The picture above shows her son helping to demonstrate how a hose and funnel can sound like a French horn.
tonhallezuerich.ch
Claridenstrasse 7, 8002 Zürich
Zürich Opernhaus • Opera for Kids
Zurich Opernhaus usually does one semi child-friendly opera each year, aka “Kinderoper”. You can see their current program here. Tickets for these go fast since there are only a few performances. I think they announce the Kinderoper in late summer, so best to check for tickets early so you can get good seats.
Some of these performances are rather avant garde and some parents have found them a little strange and disturbing. So consider yourself warned. My husband and 8 year old son went to the Treasure Island opera at the Zurich Opernhaus. I had a good report from my son. It helped that he was old enough to read the super-titles (in German), since opera singing can be hard to understand. The opera house also has workshops for kids, which I’ve heard are quite good. I’m not a huge opera fan, but I like the idea of introducing my children to various art forms.
www.opernhaus.ch
Sechseläutenplatz 1, 8001 Zürich
Do you have any suggestions on where to see children’s theater and music in and around Zurich, particularly English-speaking? I’d love to expand our options.
One Response
I hope you enjoyed the Jungle Book. Thanks for the links. I'm excited to find more theater events for my kids. – Tanya