Name: 22. German TV Crime Festival Wiesbaden 2026
Start: 2026-05-03T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-05-10T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Caligari FilmBühne

TV Crime Festival

About TV Crime Festival

The German TV Crime Festival is Germany's only festival exclusively for TV crime films. The 22nd edition runs from May 3rd to 10th, 2026, at the Caligari FilmBühne Wiesbaden. The competition features 10 crime productions and 3 crime series, including 3 German or world premieres. Honouring Munich's Tatort commissioners Miroslav Nemec and Udo Wachtveitl. Awards ceremony on May 8th. Accompanying screenplay competition "Tatort rechtsaußen".

Dates 03 May — 10 May 2026

Venue Wiesbaden (06414)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

TV Crime Festival — edition 2026

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The 22nd German TV Crime Festival runs from May 3rd to 10th, 2026, at the Caligari FilmBühne Wiesbaden. 10 TV crime films and 3 crime series in competition (3 premieres, 2 German premieres), including "Eierkratz-Komplott" (ORF/ARTE) and "Acht" (ORF/ZDF). Series competition on 5/4 with Schattenseite (ARD), Sternstunde der Mörder (ARD), and Banksters (HBO MAX). Honouring Miroslav Nemec and Udo Wachtveitl. Screenplay competition "Tatort rechtsaußen". Awards ceremony 5/8.

Eight days of focused crime film programming at the Caligari FilmBühne. Opening on Tuesday with Tatort, series competition on Monday, with the screenplay award and lifetime achievement award as highlights.

Highlights TV Crime Festival 2026

22nd edition of Germany's only TV crime festival
10 crime films + 3 series in competition
3 premieres (2 German premieres)
Honouring of Miroslav Nemec & Udo Wachtveitl
"Tatort rechtsaußen" screenplay competition
Series competition featuring HBO MAX alongside ARD for the first time

Programme TV Crime Festival 2026

Sunday, May 3, 2026 — Opening Weekend

Opening evening with a Long Crime Film Night and exhibition

Monday, May 4, 2026 — Series Competition

3 series compete for Crime Series of the Year
"Schattenseite" (ARD)
"Sternstunde der Mörder" (ARD)
"Banksters" (HBO MAX)

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 — Competition Opening

6:00 PM — "Tatort – Gottesgarten" (BR) with Rosalie Thomass and Fabian Hinrichs

Wednesday–Friday, May 6–7, 2026

Screenings of further competition crime films
3 premieres / 2 German premieres
Including: "Eierkratz-Komplott" (ORF/ARTE), "Acht" (ORF/ZDF)
Q&As with directors, screenwriters, and actors

Friday, May 8, 2026 — Awards Ceremony

Presentation of the German TV Crime Award
Presentation of the Crime Series Award
Honouring of Munich Tatort commissioners Miroslav Nemec and Udo Wachtveitl
Presentation of the "Tatort rechtsaußen" screenplay award

Saturday–Sunday, May 9–10, 2026 — Closing

Repeat screenings of award-winning films
"Dream Cinema for Kids" (Children's program)

Accompanying Events

Long Crime Film Night
Exhibition in the foyer of the Caligari FilmBühne
Discussion panels on the genre

Prices TV Crime Festival 2026

Advance sales start April 24th, 2026, 10:30 AM, at Wiesbaden Tourist Information and online at fernsehkrimifestival.de.

Practical information

Practical information — TV Crime Festival

Date 2026

May 3rd to 10th, 2026, at the Caligari FilmBühne. Opening Tuesday 5/5. Awards ceremony Friday 5/8.

Location

Caligari FilmBühne, Marktplatz 9, 65183 Wiesbaden.

Getting There

By train: Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof, then bus to Marktplatz. By car: A66/A3, parking in the Markt underground garage.

Tickets

Advance sales start April 24th, 2026, 10:30 AM, at the Tourist Information office on the Marktplatz and online at fernsehkrimifestival.de.

Germany's only TV Crime Festival

The German TV Crime Festival is unique in Europe: a festival dedicated exclusively to television crime films. The state capital Wiesbaden has hosted the event annually since 2005 – not by chance: Wiesbaden is the seat of the Federal Criminal Police Office and thus the "Federal Capital of Crime Fighting". In 2026, the 22nd edition runs from May 3rd to 10th at the Caligari FilmBühne on the Marktplatz.

22nd Edition – Ten Crime Films in Competition

The main competition in 2026 features 10 TV crime films and 3 crime series, selected by a pre-jury from 70 submissions. Of these, 3 are German or world premieres. The competition opens on Tuesday, May 5th at 6 PM with the Munich "Tatort – Gottesgarten" (BR) starring Rosalie Thomass and Fabian Hinrichs.

Series Competition on May 4th

Newly relevant: the Series Competition. Three series will compete for the title "Crime Series of the Year" on Monday, May 4th: "Schattenseite" (ARD), "Sternstunde der Mörder" (ARD), and "Banksters" (HBO MAX). International streaming competition is thus on equal footing with German public broadcasters for the first time.

Lifetime Achievement Award for the Munich Tatort Commissioners

This year's special honour goes to Miroslav Nemec and Udo Wachtveitl – on the case as Tatort commissioners Batic and Leitmayr since 1991, making them one of Germany's longest-serving TV crime duos. The award celebrates a quarter-century plus of crime history.

Screenplay Competition "Tatort rechtsaußen"

Running alongside the competition showcase is the screenplay competition "Tatort rechtsaußen": screenplays from the Tatort series with themes related to right-wing extremism. The festival thus takes a political stance and restores the genre's societal dimension.

Awards Ceremony May 8th

The awards ceremony on Friday, May 8th, 2026, marks the highlight of the festival week. The main prize is the "German TV Crime Award" for the best production, along with awards for series and screenplays.