Cold, wet afternoon and a kid who needs somewhere to point all that energy? This list pulls together the indoor plans coming up soonest: puppet theater, kids' opera and musicals, magician shows, hands-on workshops and family exhibitions. Everything happens under a roof, so the weather never decides for you. Check each listing for the language of the show and the age it suits before you book.
Zurli turns 20, and for the first time its universe moves into a contemporary museum. The exhibition at Art Safari New Museum shows memories and stories from Zurli's early days, from the first dresses to the books, music albums and games that went into millions of family homes.
It suits kids who already know Zurli. A child who has never heard of it will get less out of it.
Țăndărică's puppet staging of the folk tale. Jack, a mischievous boy with a big heart, climbs an enchanted beanstalk to the Giant's land to help his mother, and beats the Giant with quick wits and nerve.
Puppets of many types and sizes share the stage with actors in full view.
Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, staged so the musicians play the characters: the sparrow chirps on flute, the cat purrs on clarinet, the duck quacks on oboe and the wolf grumbles on French horn. A narrator, Domnul Poveste, guides kids through the story and helps them name each instrument.
It suits kids who understand Romanian, since the narration carries the story.
Țăndărică's puppet version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen (Crăiasa Zăpezii) follows Gerda as she sets off across a frozen land to free her brother from the Snow Queen. Actors dressed in white work the puppets in full view, from a towering Snow Queen to a gang of mushroom-capped forest creatures, against projected scenery. The show is in Romanian, but kids who know the fairy tale can follow along.
The Little Mermaid, staged as a children's play in MINA Museum's show room, where projections and sound fill the space around the audience. Kids follow the fairy tale with its images surrounding them.
It is performed in Romanian, so it suits kids who follow the language or already know the story.
A live retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with actors and puppets on stage together. SasaLand, the company behind it, bills it as a show about good manners: the Beast stands for what people turn into when they stop being kind, and gentleness and good deeds are what bring him back. It is performed in Romanian, so it works best for kids who already know the story.
Erus and the Valley of Love is a children's musical staged by Opera Comică pentru Copii, Bucharest's opera house for young audiences, and directed by Ana Crăciun Lambru.
It is performed in Romanian, so it suits kids who follow the language best. Younger children can still enjoy the singing and the stage.
Teatrul Țăndărică retells the Lion King story with large puppets: lions with spiky manes, a monkey, a warthog, a meerkat and a bright bird. Actors dressed in black move them in full view across a stage of green savanna strips, to original music written for this staging. Directors Andrei and Andreea Grosu built it around the visuals, mixing puppetry with stage acting.
Matei Vișniec, Romania's most-performed playwright, makes his Țăndărică debut with a play for children. A snowman feels the sun melting him and sets off to find it, handing out the accessories kids gave him to animals who help along the way. When he arrives, he asks the sun to help his friends instead. Puppets, projections and fog effects carry the story.
A comic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood by the Opera Comică pentru Copii, danced as neoclassical ballet. The wolves become cabaret stars, Grandma gets the witty lines and a talking tree keeps the story moving.
It is played for laughs and color, so it suits kids who already know the fairy tale and will enjoy seeing it turned upside down.
A modern stage adaptation of Rossini's famous comic opera, made for children and young audiences. Kids meet Figaro the barber, Count Almaviva, Doctor Bartolo and Rosina in a story of love, humor and adventure.
The production mixes the classic tale with contemporary touches. It suits school-age kids who follow Romanian and are curious about theater and music.
A concert-lesson at Opera Comică pentru Copii on the last two parts of Vivaldi's Four Seasons: autumn and winter. Kids hear the music and get shown how to "read" the story hidden in the notes, from the colors of autumn to dancing snowflakes.
It follows earlier concerts on spring and summer. A good fit for curious school-age kids who can sit through a classical concert.
Winter Wonderland is a winter-themed circus show staged indoors in the hall at Circul Metropolitan. Kids watch the circus acts from their seats while a live orchestra plays the music.
It is a full-length show with a break, so it suits kids who can sit through a long performance.
An interactive Christmas play built on the Grinch story. The Grinch and his dog Max plot to steal the holiday from Cine-Ville, and the kids in the audience stop him: they sing, dance and take on challenges to wreck his plan, with plenty of humor and colorful characters along the way. It suits kids who like to join in rather than sit quietly.
A science and craft workshop at the Grigore Antipa natural history museum about the capybara, the world's largest rodent. Kids start on the museum's ground floor at the capybara diorama, learning how this cautious animal gets by in the wild in South America.
Then they move to the workshop room to see the calmer side of capybaras in captivity and make a craft to keep. It suits animal-curious kids.
A theater and music show that takes kids back to 18th-century Germany to meet young Ludwig van Beethoven. The story follows the boy who grew up to write great symphonies, sonatas and concertos, with live classical music along the way.
It's made for children and parents to watch together. The show is in Romanian, so it suits kids who understand it.
A stage version of the story of a sly fox who fills her sack with fish, teaches the bear to fish, and fools a hunter along the way. Actors play the Fox, the Bear, the Hunter, the Rooster, the Dog and the Rabbit.
It's part of the Caravana cu Spectacole series at Clubul Țăranului, performed in Romanian, so it suits kids who can follow a story in the language.
Gaudeamus is Radio România's book fair, now in its 33rd edition, filling a hall at Romexpo with publishers' stands. Kids can browse and buy books straight from the stands.
It suits families with readers who like to pick their own books more than kids who want a hands-on activity.
Poveste de Crăciun is the holiday show at Bucharest's children's opera house: a big staged production directed by Cristian Mihăilescu, with ballet dancers, singers and a symphony orchestra playing live.
It suits kids who enjoy music and dance and can sit through a full show. The singing is in Romanian, so children who follow the language get the most from the story.
Pettson and his chatty cat Findus, from Sven Nordqvist's best-selling book, come to life in a new Christmas show by Teatrul Coquette. On Christmas Eve, Findus talks Pettson into fetching a tree, a troublesome sled spoils the plan, and someone takes their tree. Friendship and kindness bring Christmas back.
The play is performed in Romanian, so it suits kids who follow the language or already know the book.
A new musical staging of The Little Match Girl. On a bitter winter night, a girl selling matches is left with just 12 of them, until a mysterious stranger offers her a trip around the world. Each match she lights opens onto another corner of the globe, with its own rituals, music and dances.
Along the way she learns that wishes come true when they are given to others.
A theater show for young kids that tells the story of Moș Nicolae (St. Nicholas). Actors play in full view alongside puppets, and the children don't just watch: they become part of the story, helping the characters through their adventures.
It's a warm, funny tale about kindness, generosity, friendship and the joy of giving.
A traditional Romanian winter show where the actors stay in plain view as they work the puppets and marionettes. The story follows the carolers and old winter customs, told with music and humor, and Moș Crăciun is the character kids wait for.
It is performed in Romanian, so it suits families who speak the language, or young kids happy to follow along through the songs and puppets.
Trupa de Teatru Qfeel tells Cinderella as a funny show with music, where kids are part of the story. They help Cinderella along, dance and sing, and play with Gus the mouse and the fairy, while stepsisters Anastasia and Drizella bring the comedy.
At the end, kids can meet the characters and take photos with them. In the foyer, the Qfeel team has surprises and craft workshops for kids.
Clasic e Fantastic is a yearly Christmas concert that fills the main hall of the Ateneul Român with Romanian and international carols. On stage are the Irina Sârbu Band, MA RA MU, the Enescu Vibes group, a giant organ and a piano, plus guests on saxophone and vocals.
Kids are invited to bring their parents and grandparents and sing along. The music carries the evening, so it needs no Romanian.
The Romanian National Opera's full-length staging of Tchaikovsky's ballet, in its repertoire since 2018. Clara, the Nutcracker and the Mouse King tell the story through dance, with no dialogue to follow, so it works whatever language your kid speaks.
The opera's own orchestra plays live, and its children's choir joins the ballet company. It suits kids who can sit through a long show; toddlers will struggle.
Minunații's Christmas show is a stage performance built around one idea: the magic of the holidays lives in small gestures of affection. Expect surprises, plot twists, comic moments and Christmas songs, and Santa Claus comes too.
It is performed in Romanian, so it best suits kids who follow the language.
A musical comedy set in Santa's workshop in summer, where gnomes, elves and fairies make the toys. While Santa relaxes by the pool, the toys go on strike, unhappy with how children treat them. Santa brings them a few kind children, and the story nudges kids toward books and reading.
A Teatrul Muzical Ambasadorii production, written by Dan Doboș with original songs by Adrian Daminescu.
Part of Clasic e fantastic, a music education project for children, this show tells the story of The Nutcracker through Tchaikovsky's music. Actors carry the tale while a piano and a violin play live on stage.
It suits kids hearing classical music for the first time, and parents who want a calm, seated December outing.
Humperdinck's fairy-tale opera, in a new staging by Cristian Mihăilescu at the city's opera house for children. Hansel and Gretel get lost in the forest, cross paths with dancing insects and a giant mushroom, and find a house built of cakes and candy canes. Its owner, the witch Baba Cloanța, locks Hansel in a cage, and the siblings have to outsmart her to get home. The witch scenes get dark.
Roald Dahl's story as a stage musical, with Marc Shaiman's songs and big sets. Charlie Bucket, an ordinary boy with a big heart, gets to explore Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, where every room hides a surprise.
It suits school-age kids who know the book or film and can sit through a long show.
A magic show where nothing goes to plan. Hocus Poc, a drawing on a sketch, comes to life, talks back and argues with his magician, turning every prepared trick upside down.
Kids in the audience step in to help, taking part in illusions with objects floating in the air and a scarf that answers questions by hopping. The banter is in Romanian, so it suits kids who follow the language.
Bubu, the round, smiling ball who only ever says his own name, visits the zoo to the music of Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals. Two actresses lead the show in a soft set of tunnels, long leaves, giant dinosaur eggs and a padded slide. Babies and toddlers are free to crawl, wander and play with the performers the whole time, so no one has to sit still.
Bubu, billed as babies' best friend, sets off on a new adventure through an enchanted forest of fairies, elves and fireflies, woken up by Felix Mendelssohn's music. The story starts from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
It is a sensory, musical show made for babies and toddlers, one of the Bubu shows Opera Comică pentru Copii puts on for its youngest audience.
Cold, wet afternoon and a kid who needs somewhere to point all that energy? This list pulls together the indoor plans coming up soonest: puppet theater, kids' opera and musicals, magician shows, hands-on workshops and family exhibitions. Everything happens under a roof, so the weather never decides for you. Check each listing for the language of the show and the age it suits before you book.
Zurli turns 20, and for the first time its universe moves into a contemporary museum. The exhibition at Art Safari New Museum shows memories and stories from Zurli's early days, from the first dresses to the books, music albums and games that went into millions of family homes.
It suits kids who already know Zurli. A child who has never heard of it will get less out of it.
Țăndărică's puppet staging of the folk tale. Jack, a mischievous boy with a big heart, climbs an enchanted beanstalk to the Giant's land to help his mother, and beats the Giant with quick wits and nerve.
Puppets of many types and sizes share the stage with actors in full view.
Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, staged so the musicians play the characters: the sparrow chirps on flute, the cat purrs on clarinet, the duck quacks on oboe and the wolf grumbles on French horn. A narrator, Domnul Poveste, guides kids through the story and helps them name each instrument.
It suits kids who understand Romanian, since the narration carries the story.
Țăndărică's puppet version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen (Crăiasa Zăpezii) follows Gerda as she sets off across a frozen land to free her brother from the Snow Queen. Actors dressed in white work the puppets in full view, from a towering Snow Queen to a gang of mushroom-capped forest creatures, against projected scenery. The show is in Romanian, but kids who know the fairy tale can follow along.
The Little Mermaid, staged as a children's play in MINA Museum's show room, where projections and sound fill the space around the audience. Kids follow the fairy tale with its images surrounding them.
It is performed in Romanian, so it suits kids who follow the language or already know the story.
A live retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with actors and puppets on stage together. SasaLand, the company behind it, bills it as a show about good manners: the Beast stands for what people turn into when they stop being kind, and gentleness and good deeds are what bring him back. It is performed in Romanian, so it works best for kids who already know the story.
Erus and the Valley of Love is a children's musical staged by Opera Comică pentru Copii, Bucharest's opera house for young audiences, and directed by Ana Crăciun Lambru.
It is performed in Romanian, so it suits kids who follow the language best. Younger children can still enjoy the singing and the stage.
Teatrul Țăndărică retells the Lion King story with large puppets: lions with spiky manes, a monkey, a warthog, a meerkat and a bright bird. Actors dressed in black move them in full view across a stage of green savanna strips, to original music written for this staging. Directors Andrei and Andreea Grosu built it around the visuals, mixing puppetry with stage acting.
Matei Vișniec, Romania's most-performed playwright, makes his Țăndărică debut with a play for children. A snowman feels the sun melting him and sets off to find it, handing out the accessories kids gave him to animals who help along the way. When he arrives, he asks the sun to help his friends instead. Puppets, projections and fog effects carry the story.
A comic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood by the Opera Comică pentru Copii, danced as neoclassical ballet. The wolves become cabaret stars, Grandma gets the witty lines and a talking tree keeps the story moving.
It is played for laughs and color, so it suits kids who already know the fairy tale and will enjoy seeing it turned upside down.
A modern stage adaptation of Rossini's famous comic opera, made for children and young audiences. Kids meet Figaro the barber, Count Almaviva, Doctor Bartolo and Rosina in a story of love, humor and adventure.
The production mixes the classic tale with contemporary touches. It suits school-age kids who follow Romanian and are curious about theater and music.
A concert-lesson at Opera Comică pentru Copii on the last two parts of Vivaldi's Four Seasons: autumn and winter. Kids hear the music and get shown how to "read" the story hidden in the notes, from the colors of autumn to dancing snowflakes.
It follows earlier concerts on spring and summer. A good fit for curious school-age kids who can sit through a classical concert.
Winter Wonderland is a winter-themed circus show staged indoors in the hall at Circul Metropolitan. Kids watch the circus acts from their seats while a live orchestra plays the music.
It is a full-length show with a break, so it suits kids who can sit through a long performance.
An interactive Christmas play built on the Grinch story. The Grinch and his dog Max plot to steal the holiday from Cine-Ville, and the kids in the audience stop him: they sing, dance and take on challenges to wreck his plan, with plenty of humor and colorful characters along the way. It suits kids who like to join in rather than sit quietly.
A science and craft workshop at the Grigore Antipa natural history museum about the capybara, the world's largest rodent. Kids start on the museum's ground floor at the capybara diorama, learning how this cautious animal gets by in the wild in South America.
Then they move to the workshop room to see the calmer side of capybaras in captivity and make a craft to keep. It suits animal-curious kids.
A theater and music show that takes kids back to 18th-century Germany to meet young Ludwig van Beethoven. The story follows the boy who grew up to write great symphonies, sonatas and concertos, with live classical music along the way.
It's made for children and parents to watch together. The show is in Romanian, so it suits kids who understand it.
A stage version of the story of a sly fox who fills her sack with fish, teaches the bear to fish, and fools a hunter along the way. Actors play the Fox, the Bear, the Hunter, the Rooster, the Dog and the Rabbit.
It's part of the Caravana cu Spectacole series at Clubul Țăranului, performed in Romanian, so it suits kids who can follow a story in the language.
Gaudeamus is Radio România's book fair, now in its 33rd edition, filling a hall at Romexpo with publishers' stands. Kids can browse and buy books straight from the stands.
It suits families with readers who like to pick their own books more than kids who want a hands-on activity.
Poveste de Crăciun is the holiday show at Bucharest's children's opera house: a big staged production directed by Cristian Mihăilescu, with ballet dancers, singers and a symphony orchestra playing live.
It suits kids who enjoy music and dance and can sit through a full show. The singing is in Romanian, so children who follow the language get the most from the story.
Pettson and his chatty cat Findus, from Sven Nordqvist's best-selling book, come to life in a new Christmas show by Teatrul Coquette. On Christmas Eve, Findus talks Pettson into fetching a tree, a troublesome sled spoils the plan, and someone takes their tree. Friendship and kindness bring Christmas back.
The play is performed in Romanian, so it suits kids who follow the language or already know the book.
A new musical staging of The Little Match Girl. On a bitter winter night, a girl selling matches is left with just 12 of them, until a mysterious stranger offers her a trip around the world. Each match she lights opens onto another corner of the globe, with its own rituals, music and dances.
Along the way she learns that wishes come true when they are given to others.
A theater show for young kids that tells the story of Moș Nicolae (St. Nicholas). Actors play in full view alongside puppets, and the children don't just watch: they become part of the story, helping the characters through their adventures.
It's a warm, funny tale about kindness, generosity, friendship and the joy of giving.
A traditional Romanian winter show where the actors stay in plain view as they work the puppets and marionettes. The story follows the carolers and old winter customs, told with music and humor, and Moș Crăciun is the character kids wait for.
It is performed in Romanian, so it suits families who speak the language, or young kids happy to follow along through the songs and puppets.
Trupa de Teatru Qfeel tells Cinderella as a funny show with music, where kids are part of the story. They help Cinderella along, dance and sing, and play with Gus the mouse and the fairy, while stepsisters Anastasia and Drizella bring the comedy.
At the end, kids can meet the characters and take photos with them. In the foyer, the Qfeel team has surprises and craft workshops for kids.
Clasic e Fantastic is a yearly Christmas concert that fills the main hall of the Ateneul Român with Romanian and international carols. On stage are the Irina Sârbu Band, MA RA MU, the Enescu Vibes group, a giant organ and a piano, plus guests on saxophone and vocals.
Kids are invited to bring their parents and grandparents and sing along. The music carries the evening, so it needs no Romanian.
The Romanian National Opera's full-length staging of Tchaikovsky's ballet, in its repertoire since 2018. Clara, the Nutcracker and the Mouse King tell the story through dance, with no dialogue to follow, so it works whatever language your kid speaks.
The opera's own orchestra plays live, and its children's choir joins the ballet company. It suits kids who can sit through a long show; toddlers will struggle.
Minunații's Christmas show is a stage performance built around one idea: the magic of the holidays lives in small gestures of affection. Expect surprises, plot twists, comic moments and Christmas songs, and Santa Claus comes too.
It is performed in Romanian, so it best suits kids who follow the language.
A musical comedy set in Santa's workshop in summer, where gnomes, elves and fairies make the toys. While Santa relaxes by the pool, the toys go on strike, unhappy with how children treat them. Santa brings them a few kind children, and the story nudges kids toward books and reading.
A Teatrul Muzical Ambasadorii production, written by Dan Doboș with original songs by Adrian Daminescu.
Part of Clasic e fantastic, a music education project for children, this show tells the story of The Nutcracker through Tchaikovsky's music. Actors carry the tale while a piano and a violin play live on stage.
It suits kids hearing classical music for the first time, and parents who want a calm, seated December outing.
Humperdinck's fairy-tale opera, in a new staging by Cristian Mihăilescu at the city's opera house for children. Hansel and Gretel get lost in the forest, cross paths with dancing insects and a giant mushroom, and find a house built of cakes and candy canes. Its owner, the witch Baba Cloanța, locks Hansel in a cage, and the siblings have to outsmart her to get home. The witch scenes get dark.
Roald Dahl's story as a stage musical, with Marc Shaiman's songs and big sets. Charlie Bucket, an ordinary boy with a big heart, gets to explore Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, where every room hides a surprise.
It suits school-age kids who know the book or film and can sit through a long show.
A magic show where nothing goes to plan. Hocus Poc, a drawing on a sketch, comes to life, talks back and argues with his magician, turning every prepared trick upside down.
Kids in the audience step in to help, taking part in illusions with objects floating in the air and a scarf that answers questions by hopping. The banter is in Romanian, so it suits kids who follow the language.
Bubu, the round, smiling ball who only ever says his own name, visits the zoo to the music of Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals. Two actresses lead the show in a soft set of tunnels, long leaves, giant dinosaur eggs and a padded slide. Babies and toddlers are free to crawl, wander and play with the performers the whole time, so no one has to sit still.
Bubu, billed as babies' best friend, sets off on a new adventure through an enchanted forest of fairies, elves and fireflies, woken up by Felix Mendelssohn's music. The story starts from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
It is a sensory, musical show made for babies and toddlers, one of the Bubu shows Opera Comică pentru Copii puts on for its youngest audience.
