2026 · KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen

KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen 2026

17th edition of the KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen
22.5. – 7.6.2026

With a Community-Picknick at the festival centre, the Wandelkonzert Stimmen der Stadt for the Night of Museums, a post-digital morning ritual in the Großer Garten and, last but not least, the magnificent colour battle by WASCO! in the DHC-Halle, the first edition of the KunstFestSpiele under artistic director Brigitta Muntendorf came to a close on the weekend of 6–7 June.

The KunstFestSpiele can look back on one of the festival’s most successful editions, despite the budget cuts introduced this year: a total of around 19,000 visitors attended the events of the KunstFestSpiele 2026.

With the new programme strand Art, Technology and Society, as well as new artistic formats that also incorporate club culture, we believe we have reached a much younger audience. This was particularly evident with events such as The Day Before, DIE TONIGHT – LIVE FOREVER. A Club Opera, Electric Art Monday, the Post-Digital Morning Ritual in the Großer Garten, and the events for children and families. Furthermore, the core audience, which has grown steadily over the years, as well as the press, gave unanimously positive feedback on the concerts, theatre, performances, installations and the organisation.

A huge thank you goes to all the artists, the team at the Herrenhäuser Gärten, and all the partners and sponsors who support the KunstFestSpiele and thus make the festival possible in the first place.

At the festival centre, freitagsküche once again provided culinary delights and curated cuisine as a social event: through its programme of workshops, the artists’ collective created a social space where artistic practice and everyday culture intersect.

NDR presenter Friederike Westerhaus welcomed artists and audience members for a discussion after selected performances in the Festival Center and in the venues.

For the ninth time, the Festivalcampus Niedersachsen brought around 40 students from five universities in Lower Saxony to Hannover for the KunstFestSpiele and subsequently to the Festival Theaterformen.

The 18th edition of the KunstFestSpiele will take place from Fri 14.5 to Sun 30.5 2027.

Trailer

Aftermovie

Venues

Arne Jacobsen Foyer, Galerie, Orangerie, Orangerie Hinterbühne, Ehrenhof, Festival centre, Großer Garten, DHC-Halle, Schauspielhaus, Neues Rathaus, Tagungszentrum Schloss Herrenhausen

Download material

Programmbuch 2026 (German)

Pressekit 2026

Sponsors and partners 2026

Events

Stromhungrige KI: Nachhaltige Wege zu mehr Künstlicher Intelligenz VolkswagenStiftung Talk Wed 8.4 / 8:30 p.m. Doors open 45 minutes before the start Tagungszentrum Schloss Herrenhausen
Acts of Peace in Times of War – Wie kann Krieg beendet werden? HANNAH ARENDT TAGE, Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum Talk Wed 29.4 / 7 p.m. Orangerie
Authentizität als Illusion? Zwischen Wirklichkeit und Inszenierung VolkswagenStiftung Talk Thu 21.5 / 7 p.m. Doors open 45 min before the start Orangerie
The Forty Part Motet Janet Cardiff Audio installation with 40 speakers, stands, and computer (2001) Fri 22.5 – Sun 31.5 / 3 – 8 p.m. Special opening hours: Sat 23.5 / 3 – 10 p.m. Sun 24.5 / 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Mon 25.5 / 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Tue 26.5 / 3 – 10 p.m. Thu 28.5 / 3 – 10 p.m. Sat 30.5 / 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sun 31.5 / 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Galerie
Einstein on the Beach Philip Glass / Ictus Ensemble / Collegium Vocale Gent / Suzanne Vega / Tom de Cock Concert / Beach club – Festival opening Fri 22.5 / 6 p.m. Doors open Beach club Fri 22.5 / 6:30 p.m. Festival opening terrace Gartensaal Fri 22.5 / 7:30 p.m. Concert The beach club is open to everyone, and you can experience the concert here via audio stream. Neues Rathaus / Kuppelhalle
BODIES AND SUBWOOFERS (B.A.S.) Stefanie Egedy Sound installation Sat 23.5 / 6 and 9:30 p.m. Opening Activation Sat, May 23 / 6:00 PM (approx. 8 min) and 9:45 PM (approx. 8 min) Sun, May 24, and Mon, May 25 / 8 min each at 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM, and 7:00 PM (Welcome 30hz) Tue, May 26 – Sun, June 7 / jeweils 8 min um 16:00, 17:00, 18:00 und 19:00* *außer am Fr 29.5. und Sa 30.5. Großer Garten / Rasengarten
The Day Before Brigitta Muntendorf / Christiane Jatahy / Rosa Montero Music-theatre – German premiere Sat 23.5 / 7:30, 9 p.m. Sun 24.5 / 7:30, 9 p.m. DHC-Halle
Piano Concerto Simon Steen-Andersen / NDR Radiophilharmonie / Ning Yu / Vimbayi Kaziboni Concert Sun 24.5 / 11, 12:30 a.m. Orangerie
Weird Machine Wrekshop Paul Granjon Interactive installation Sun 24.5, Mon 25.5 / 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., 3 – 7 p.m. Tue 26.5, Thu 28.5, Fri 29.05 / 3 – 9 p.m. Sat 30.5 / 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sun 31.5 / 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., 3 – 6 p.m. Arne Jacobsen Foyer
Ballroom Post uit Hessdalen Tech circus Tue 26.5. / 11:45 a.m., 1:15, 3:15 p.m. Mon 25.5 / 2:15, 3:30, 4:45 p.m. Ehrenhof
kestnerkids Kestner Gesellschaft Open workshop for children Sun 24.5 / 12 – 5 p.m. Mon 24.5 / 12 – 5 p.m. Festivalzentrum
Wild Conversation ~Music Tennis~ Syotaro Hayashi Interactive installation – German premiere Fri 22.5 / 12 – 6 p.m. Mon 25.5 / 12 – 6 p.m. Faustwiese (Fri 22.5) / Welfengarten (Sat 23.5) / Großer Garten / Lawn at Prinzentor (Sun 24.5 and Mon 25.5)
Talk with Simon Steen-Andersen Festival campus for KinderKunstSpektakel Talk Tue 26.5. / 1 p.m. Festivalzentrum
Where is Laika? imes – Das Institut für Mechatronische Systeme der Leibniz Universität Hannover Tue 26.5 / 1 – 5 p.m. Mon 25.5 / 1 – 5 p.m.
Simple Machines kwaad bloed vzw. Robot performance Tue 26.5. / 2, 4, 6 p.m. Mon 25.5 / 12:00, 2:30, 5 p.m. Orangerie Hinterbühne
Introduction to The Day Before Friederike Westerhaus in conversation with Brigitta Muntendorf and Christiane Jatahy Introduction Sun 24.5 / 6:45 p.m. DHC-Halle
BUSCH Babys Wilhelm Busch Museum Mon 25.5 11 – 12:30 a.m. Mon 25.5 1 – 2:30 p.m. Galerie / Königsbusch
Key Jack Michael Beil / Ning Yu Mini concert performance Mon 25.5 / 11 a.m., 1:30, 4:15, 6:15 p.m. Orangerie
Weird Machine Wrekshop: Programmable lights workshop Programming workshop for everyone aged 12 and above, no prior knowledge required Workshop Tue 26.5 / 3 – 6 p.m. Arne Jacobsen Foyer
Accessible tour of The Forty Part Motet & BODIES AND SUBWOOFERS (B.A.S) by and with Zwoisy Mears-Clarke Accessible guided tour Tue 26.5 / 5 p.m. Meeting point festival centre Galerie / Großer Garten
Silence is Golden Sarah Maria Sun / Kilian Herold / Jan Philip Schulze Concert x Kammermusikgemeinde Tue 26.5 / 7 p.m. Orangerie
Sourdough Bread Workshop with Brotzeit Workshop freitagsküche Wed 27.5 / 5 – 9 p.m. Festivalzentrum
Weird Machine Wrekshop Workshop for children aged 8 and above Workshop Thu 28.5 / 3 – 6 p.m. Arne Jacobsen Foyer
Von Vergänglichkeit & Zauber Sarah Maria Sun / Jörg Widmann / NDR Radiophilharmonie Concert Thu 28.5 / 8 p.m. Orangerie
Putting the Pressure On – collective silkscreen image worlds Workshop freitagsküche Fri 29.5 / 4 – 8 p.m. Festivalzentrum
Introduction to A Club Opera Brigitta Muntendorf in conversation withThomas Posth Introduction Fri 29.5 / 8:15 p.m. DHC-Halle
DIE TONIGHT – LIVE FOREVER. A Club Opera Treppenhausorchester Club opera – World premiere Fri 29.5 / 9 p.m. Sat 30.5 / 8 p.m. Introduction Fri 29.5 / 8:15 p.m. DHC-Halle
Textile Practice of Togetherness Workshop freitagsküche Sat 30.5 / 12 – 4 p.m. / 12:00 – 16:00 Festivalzentrum
Workshop for eco-electronic art for crafters and artists Workshop Sat 30.5 / 1 – 5 p.m. Arne Jacobsen Foyer
Alone in a Pickle? Try a Collective Fermentation! Workshop freitagsküche Sun 31.5. / 12 – 4 p.m. Festivalzentrum
Chapters of Celebration Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe / Wouter Deltour / Muziektheater Transparant Dance / Performance – German premiere Sun 31.5 / 6 p.m. Orangerie
Talk after Chapters of Celebration Friederike Westerhaus in conversation with Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe Talk Sun 31.5. / after the performance Festivalzentrum
Electric Art Monday Cio D’Or / Laima Adelaide / Woody92 / Mike Parker Early clubbing Mon 1.6 / 6 p.m. Orangerie
Community Dinner – Francisco Salvoch freitagsküche Tue 2.6 / from 6 p.m. Festivalzentrum
Music Music – Histoire(s) du Theatre VII Trajal Harrell Dance – German premiere Tue 2.6 / 7:30 p.m. Schauspielhaus Hannover
Talk after Music Music Friederike Westerhaus in conversatoon with Trajal Harrell Talk Tue 2.6 / after the performance Schauspielhaus Hannover
Workshop for Dancers: Dancing Memories & Christos Papadopoulos Repertoire Practice Workshop Tanznetz Niedersachsen Workshop Mi 3.6. / 10:30 – 13:30 Norddeutsche Tanzwerkstatt "Upstairs", Nieschlagstr. 10/11, 30449 Hannover
An Invitation to Disappear Julian Charrière Audiovisual installation Wed 3.6 / 7:30 p.m. Opening followed by a DJ set by Inland Thu 4.6 – Sun 7.6 / 3 – 8 p.m. Galerie
Community Dinner – Luna Jurado freitagsküche Fri 4.6 Festivalzentrum
My Fierce Ignorant Step Christos Papadopoulos Dance – German premiere Thu 4.6 / 7:30 p.m. afterwards talk with Christos Papadopoulos / 7:30 p.m. afterwards talk with Christos Papadopoulos DHC-Halle
Talk after My Fierce Ignorant Step Friederike Westerhaus in conversation with Christos Papadopoulos Talk Thu 4.6 / after the performance DHC-Halle
Bleaching & Dyeing: Botanische Drucke auf Textilien Workshop freitagsküche Fri 5.6 / 5 – 9 p.m. / 5 – 9 p.m. Festivalzentrum
Introduction to Ways of [] Brigitta Muntendorf in conversation with Zeno van den Broek Introduction Fri 5.6 / 6:15 p.m. Orangerie
Ways of [] Zeno van den Broek / HIIIT / Les Percussions de Strasbourg Human-Robot Concert – German premiere Fri 5.6 / 7 p.m. Orangerie
The rise and fall of platforms: From aesthetics to alternatives VolkswagenStiftung Lecture Performance Fri 5.6 / 8:30 p.m. Door open 45 minutes before the start Tagungszentrum Schloss Herrenhausen
Ein postdigitales Morgenritual Stefanie Egedy / Fronte Vacuo / A Song For You Choir / DJ Kikelomo Concert, Performance, Hybrid art x Fuchsbau Festival Sat 6.6 / 5:00 a.m. Meeting point: Prinzentor (no late admission) Großer Garten
WASCO! hetpaleis & Voetvolk / Lisbeth Gruwez & Maarten Van Cauwenberghe Action painting performance Sat 6.6 / 4 p.m. Sun 7.6 / 2 p.m. DHC-Halle
Tanzcafé TALK with voetvolk Heike Bröckerhoff in conversation with Lisbeth Gruwez & Maarten Van Cauwenberghe Talk Sat 6.6 / 5:30 p.m. / 5:30 p.m. Festivalzentrum
Stimmen der Stadt – Voices of the City Hanover choirs: Bachchor, Collegium Vocale, Johannes-Brahms-Chor, Junges Vokalensemble, Knabenchor, Mädchenchor, Norddeutscher Figuralchor, Vivid Voices Walking concert x Nacht der Museen Sat 6.6 / 6 p.m. / 6 p.m. City center Hanover
Community Dinner – Über den Tellerrand freitagsküche Sat 6.6 / from 7 p.m. Festivalzentrum
Community picknick Kulturstadt Hannover, Was Geht Festival closing Sun 7.6 / 3 – 10 p.m. Festivalzentrum
SpektakelAkademie Talks, Workshops, Guided tours, Festival Campus Wed 8.4 – Sat 6.6 various locations across the festival site

Team

Artistic Director Brigitta Muntendorf

CEO Christoph Grasse

Dramaturgy Thomas Frank (Direction), Beate Schüler

Production Lena Breitfuß (Direction), Thomas Seidel, Sina Wienbergen (FSJ Kultur), Mathias Brühlmann, Janna Flöttmann, Stephanie Höll, Lara Kebeck, Goetz Phillip Körner, Max Kroeschell, Franziska Lusch, Maurice Meyer, Annemarie Oertelt, Nina Reimann

Artistic Administration Julia von Knebel

Technical Engineering Willi Brune (Direction), Wiglev von Wedel, Petra Wiedenhöft

Sponsoring / Fundraising / Awareness Friederike Zschau

Assistant to the Artistic Director / Ticketing Daphne Jaschniok

Press and Marketing / Online Communications Hendrik von Boxberg (Leitung), Vera Fleischer, Sophie Holzmann

Costume
Sabine Mech

Allrounder Peter Weidemann

Festival assistants Jakob Breitfuß, Miriam Ebbing, Anke Gol, Augustin Gorisse, Tracy Ihedioha, Elisa Jungmann, Wojtek Krajewski, Gisela Limpert, Pablo Mathes, Ursula Meyer-Petersen, Marie Ott, Olivia Römert, Laura Schandry, Daniel Sebastian, Ronja Wendtland

Design festival centre Lucia Vonrhein

Curators Festivalcampus Niedersachsen Antonia Rohwetter, Philipp Schulte

Design Studio Yukiko

Editing programme book Vera Fleischer, Thomas Frank, Daphne Jaschniok, Beate Schüler, Hendrik von Boxberg

Editing website Vera Fleischer, Sophie Holzmann

Translations Michael Turnbull

Director Herrenhausen Gardens Prof. Dr. Anke Seegert

We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Anke Seegert (director of the Herrenhausen Gardens) and all employees of the Herrenhausen Gardens for their excellent cooperation.