Motto of the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe 2026

‘Lightyard Stories: Visions of Urban Living Spaces’

The SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe will focus on architecture and urban space in the Weinbrenner Year 2026, marking the 200th anniversary of the death of Karlsruhe architect and city planner Friedrich Weinbrenner. Under the motto ‘Lightyard Stories: Visions of Urban Living Spaces’, the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe celebrates the outstanding architecture of the UNESCO City of Media Art Karlsruhe and the life and culture it produces.

"Architecture is not only the construction of buildings, but also the spaces in between: the streets, parks, squares and courtyards. These are the meeting places where we come into contact with acquaintances and strangers and where different cultures and ways of life mix. This is the essence of a thriving city. In this spirit, we gather in front of the palace and the visions of these artists to celebrate the joy of urban life."

Alistair Hudson, Scientific and Artistic Director of the ZKM | Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe and member of the Board of Trustees of the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe

BBBank Award 2026 enables three new productions

Three works from Czechia, Singapore and India to be displayed on the palace façade from summer onwards

The first three shows, which will be presented at Karlsruhe Palace in the summer of 2026, have already been selected. They are the works of the winners of the BBBank Award in Projection Mapping, which was held for the sixth time. From a total of 118 concepts submitted by artists from all over the world, the jury of the BBBank Award selected three works from Czechia, Singapore and India, which will now be realised by summer with the help of the prize money.

The winners are Henry Hu (Singapore) with ‘MIRΔGE’, Studio Moebius X Three Oscillators (India) with ‘RE:STRUCT’ and Metanoia (Czechia) with ‘Metabolism’.

‘I was deeply impressed by the enormous participation of 118 submissions for the BBBank Award. The award-winning entries from Czechia, Singapore and India are examples of the extraordinary artistic level that can be achieved in projection mapping. I am very much looking forward to experiencing these atmospheric works at the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe in the summer of 2026.’

Oliver Lüsch, Chairman of the Board of BBBank eG

FREUNDESKREIS KARLSRUHE E.V. PRESENTS DONATION!

COMMITMENT TO CULTURE: A REMARKABLE TOTAL OF €25,000 RAISED SO FAR!

Around 300,000 people visit the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Light Festival in Karlsruhe every year. The event, which took place for the first time in 2015 to mark the city's 300th anniversary, has become a permanent fixture in Karlsruhe's summer calendar.

In order to maintain the quality and diversity of the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe and to further develop the event format, committed individuals from the city's society, business, culture and trade sectors founded the Freundeskreis SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe e. V. (Friends of SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe). During the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE 2025, which took place from 14 August to 14 September, the Freundeskreis collected the first donations for this purpose. This week, the impressive sum of €25,000 was handed over to KME Karlsruhe Marketing und Event GmbH as the organiser.

-> Donation options and further information about the Friends of the Karlsruhe Castle Light Show Association

Media art in the heart of the city

Support the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe via the circle of friends of the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE

Over 250,000 people visit the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Light Festival in Karlsruhe every year. The event, which was held for the first time in 2015 to celebrate the city's 300th birthday, has become a well-established part of Karlsruhe's summer. Thanks to a financial contribution from the City of Karlsruhe and the support of good partners and sponsors, admission is free of charge for visitors. The association Freundeskreis der SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe was founded to secure long-term funding. The aim is to collect donations in order to maintain the quality and variety of the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE in economically challenging times and to further develop the event.

Let it shine!

More informations and donation options at:
freundeskreis-schlosslichtspiele.de

Digital Version

of the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe

After their big success with the digital edition 2020, this year you can watch six digital shows of the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE 24 hours around the clock.

The following shows are available:
- Resilience, Atelier v3 (2022)
- Karlskompensator, Crushed Eyes Media (2021)
- Synthetic Sonnets, Antonin Krizanic (2021)
- Attitude Indicator, TNL (2020)
- Changes3, Ruestungsschmie.de (2020)
- Matter Matters, Maxin10sity (2020)

To the digital version...

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