25 discoveries · official sources checked Personally approved by Mike
From Mike’s own workshop & archive
Puppetry is happening. Let’s find it.
A living guide to performances, screenings, workshops and the people bringing characters to life—wherever they appear.
Checked sources
Human approved
Useful to fans & makers
A note from Mike · Welcome
How did I not know?
I recently discovered, purely by accident, that puppetry was happening at an event I was already attending. I found myself asking, “How on earth did I, of all people, not know?” That led me to think: we need one place where any kind of puppet-adjacent event can be posted and easily found. I hope everyone finds this useful. I want it to become as comprehensive as possible, with a fresh update every Sunday. Enjoy!
Why this existsUpdated Sundays
Sunday edition · 18 October 2026
This week in puppetry
Three-month focusOctober–December 2026
Dates describe runs or selected sessions, not daily performances. Please check the official source for times, access and ticket availability.
Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company
Gallery of Modern Art · Brisbane
Explore original puppets, animatronics, props and drawings from The Jim Henson Company, including the Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock Great Hall set. An ongoing exhibition: it overlaps the autumn and winter windows despite opening in September. Check entry arrangements with QAGOMA.
United Kingdom
Family performance · Puppets & songs
Pip and Posy Live on Stage
Little Angel Theatre · Islington, London
Puppets, songs and interactive play bring Pip and Posy to the stage in a roughly 45-minute production aimed at ages 2-5. The current performance page lists selected dates through 21 November; the venue’s schools pages still give 22 November. Check the live timetable and chosen performance before travelling. Some performances are sold out; check the selected session before booking.
United States
Puppet cabaret · Live music · Ages 18+
The Ghastly Dreadfuls
Center for Puppetry Arts · Atlanta, Georgia
An adult Halloween cabaret combines live music, macabre stories and several styles of puppetry at the Center for Puppetry Arts. Ages 18+. Selected performances within 7-31 October; check individual dates and availability.
Netherlands
International festival · Puppet & object theatre
Puppet International
Multiple venues · Meppel
Puppet and object theatre fills venues across Meppel, with an international programme for adults and families. Choose individual productions through the festival programme; age guidance and booking vary.
Austria
String marionettes · International festival
PUPPETS! Salzburg Marionette Theatre Festival
Multiple venues · Salzburg
A festival centred on string marionettes brings European companies to Salzburg, including Upfront’s Stanelli’s Super Circus. Productions use different venues and languages; check each listing for audience guidance and performance times.
Australia
Family exhibition tour · Jim Henson
Kids Tours: Make Believe Magic
Gallery of Modern Art · Brisbane
An interactive family tour explores Jim Henson’s characters, followed by early exhibition access. The activity is pitched at ages 4-8, with all ages welcome. Adults and children each need a ticket. This is an exhibition visit, not a live puppet performance; ticket availability is not guaranteed.
United Kingdom
Family puppet-making · Ages 5-9
Family Workshops: Halloween
Little Angel Studios, Islington · London
Children and accompanying adults make light-up ghost and pumpkin lantern puppets from recyclable craft materials. The workshop is aimed at ages 5-9 and lasts about one hour. Each child and adult needs a ticket. Check the chosen session before booking; places are limited.
Denmark
Puppet, object & visual theatre
Festival of Wonder
Multiple venues · Silkeborg
Silkeborg celebrates forty years of its international puppet, object and visual theatre festival. The programme brings together work for adults and children, with a family puppetry workshop also announced. Check individual productions for venue, language, age guidance and booking.
Canada
Experimental puppetry · Cabarets & workshop
OBJECTO Fest
TRANZAC and The Puppetry Exchange · Toronto
Concrete Cabaret presents experimental puppet and object-performance cabarets on 6 and 7 November, followed by a Mind of a Snail workshop on 8 November. The workshop explores overhead-projector techniques and creating original object performances. The activities use different venues; workshop registration is required.
Malaysia
Puppetry symposium · Performances · Workshops
Moved to Life: Tradition and Reinvention in Asian Puppet Theatre
Penang Institute and Armenian Park · George Town, Penang
Teochew iron-rod puppetry and contemporary practice meet across two days of performances, talks and practical workshops. Daytime sessions take place at Penang Institute; evening performances and gatherings are at Armenian Park. The venue describes daytime admission as ticketed and the evening programme as free. Check the programme and ticketing arrangements for the sessions you want to attend.
Australia
Family puppetry and animation · Ages 1–6
Where is the Green Sheep?
Canberra Theatre · Canberra
Monkey Baa and QPAC’s Out of the Box adapt Mem Fox and Judy Horacek’s picture book through puppetry and animation. Public performances on 7 November are listed at 10am, 12:30pm and 3:30pm, with Auslan interpretation at 12:30pm. The roughly 45-minute show is aimed at ages 1–6 and their families. Performances on 6 and 9 November are marked for schools; this listing covers the public day. Check availability before booking.
United States
Puppet festival · Live performance
La MaMa Puppet Festival
La MaMa venues · New York City
La MaMa brings contemporary puppet artists together for a festival curated by Denise Greber and Federico Restrepo. Shows run on different dates within the festival; consult each production for its venue, time and audience guidance.
Singapore
International puppetry · Family programme
No Strings Attached: Beyond Borders & Strings
Goodman Arts Centre · Singapore
Paper Monkey Theatre’s anniversary festival brings international puppetry to Goodman Arts Centre, including shadow work, object manipulation and live digital cut-out storytelling. The family programme is advertised for ages 3 and above; admission rules and booking vary by session. Check the selected programme before visiting.
Japan
Japanese puppet-theatre festival
Hamamatsu Inasa Puppet Theatre Festival
Inasa Branch Office and Inasa Multipurpose Training Centre · Hamamatsu
Puppet troupes gather in Hamamatsu’s Inasa district for a two-day festival. The organiser confirms 14-15 November 2026 at the Inasa Branch Office and nearby multipurpose training centre. The primary information is in Japanese; check the programme for individual shows, admission and language needs.
Belgium
Contemporary puppetry, objects & shadows
Festival of Discoveries, Images, and Puppets
Maison de la Marionnette and partner venues · Tournai
Tournai’s biennial festival explores contemporary puppetry alongside object and shadow performance, in theatres and other city spaces. The organiser gives 16-21 November for the festival. Consult the programme for each production’s venue, date and audience guidance.
France
International puppetry festival
Marionnettissimo
Multiple venues · Tournefeuille and Haute-Garonne
The 29th Marionnettissimo festival takes place in Tournefeuille and other towns in Haute-Garonne from 17 to 22 November 2026. Puppetry and animated forms are the festival’s focus. The organiser has published its programme; follow the official page for individual productions, venues, age guidance and booking.
Australia
Movie puppetry · Exhibition
Lifelike: Puppets, Movies & Magic
ACMI, Fed Square · Melbourne
Original screen puppets, concept art and behind-the-scenes material explore practical creatures, animatronics and film performance, including work from The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and Pinocchio. Hands-on activities are part of the exhibition. ACMI lists daily opening from 10am to 5pm, except Christmas Day. Check the sensory guide: some spaces include flashing imagery and loud sound, and an optional horror section is intended for a more mature audience.
United States
Puppet-project producing workshop
From Concept to Ask
La MaMa · New York City
Jean Marie Keevins leads a one-day intensive in building a budget and pitch for a puppet project, with an evening performance and talkback as a working example. The workshop start time and runtime are not confirmed on the page. The 6pm time refers to the accompanying performance. Enrolment is limited; places are not guaranteed.
United Kingdom
Family performance · Puppetry & songs
The Snowflake
Little Angel Studios, Islington · London
Benji Davies’ story becomes a puppet-and-song production about a snowflake, a girl and her grandfather finding where they belong. Little Angel recommends it for everyone over five; the running time is approximately fifty minutes. Performances run on selected dates, with some school-only or sold-out sessions.
United Kingdom
Film screening · Live orchestra
The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert
Eventim Apollo · London
Watch The Muppet Christmas Carol on the big screen with its musical score performed live by an orchestra. A film-and-orchestra event, not a live Muppet performance or advertised puppeteer appearance. Check the selected booking time.
South Africa
Outdoor puppet procession · Environmental arts
Antarctic Rights Festival: Puppet Procession
Company Gardens · Cape Town
The Antarctic Rights Festival lists an 11am procession through Company Gardens on 1 December, with puppets representing whales, ice, krill and birds alongside drums and voices. This is the puppet-related part of a wider 30 November–4 December programme. The organiser provides registration links; check attendance arrangements before making plans.
Belgium
Contemporary puppetry festival
Festival MAboule
Multiple venues · Genappe
TOF Théâtre and Le MONTY announce the 12th MAboule festival for 17–20 December. Contemporary puppetry is at the centre of this Genappe gathering. The current homepage confirms the dates, but also links to previous editions; use the organiser’s current programme for individual shows, venues, age guidance and booking rather than older archived schedules.
January–March 2027 · Early dates for your diary
On the horizon 3
United States
Save the dates · International festival
Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival
Multiple venues · Chicago, Illinois
Plan ahead for Chicago’s international puppet festival, with performances across venues in the city. Festival dates are confirmed. This listing does not promise a particular artist, show or ticket availability; follow the organiser’s developing programme.
United States
Adult puppetry · Cabaret · Ages 18+
Edith and Me
Center for Puppetry Arts · Atlanta, Georgia
Yael Rasooly combines puppetry, cabaret and autobiographical storytelling in a solo show where a puppet Edith Piaf accompanies a performer confronting trauma. The venue lists ages 18+ and an approximately one-hour running time. Check individual performances and booking availability.
United Kingdom
Two-day puppetry intensive
Core Skills of Puppetry and Object Animation
Shoreditch Town Hall · London
A two-day workshop explores how a visible performer shares the stage with a puppet or animated object, including focus, manipulation and figures operated by three people. Sessions run from 10:30am to 4:30pm each day. It is intended for participants with performance experience and some puppetry experience or a strong interest in using objects. Physical participation is involved; check access and booking arrangements.
Permanent source watch
Missed it once? We’ll watch for the next one.
Recurring screenings, museum programmes, guild news and returning guests can become watch subjects. Dates are only published after fresh verification.
Official publicity imagePuppetry This Week© Apple · Courtesy Apple & The Jim Henson CompanyH