Herner SpieleWahnsinn

One of Germany's Oldest Board Game Fairs

From Friday, May 1st, to Sunday, May 3rd, 2026, the Kulturzentrum Herne transforms into one of Germany's most important board game destinations: The 43rd edition of the Herner SpieleWahnsinn brings around 4,000 visitors and 50 exhibitors to the former industrial center at Willi-Pohlmann-Platz. Four decades of tradition make the event one of Germany's oldest board game fairs — a destination for hobby gamers, professional designers, publishers, and families.

Four Decades of Board Game History

The Herner SpieleWahnsinn was launched in 1984, making it one of the three oldest board game fairs in Germany (alongside the Münsterländisches Brettspielwochenende and the Berliner Brettspielwochenende). The organizer is Mehr als Spielen e.V., an association dedicated to promoting board game culture in North Rhine-Westphalia. The connection between the association and the city of Herne is strong — the venue commitment is valid until 2030, providing planning security.

2026 Program: From Major Publishers to Indies

The mix of 50 exhibitors is broadly positioned:

• Major publishers present new releases and classics
• Indie game designers showcase their prototypes — often with the opportunity to play the game directly with the designer
• Board game swap market for used games
• Several tournaments throughout the weekend

Championships: Catan and Carcassonne

Two national highlights in 2026:

• German Catan Championship — Qualification Round: players can qualify for the national final round here
• German Carcassonne Championship — Final Round: the played final between the players qualified throughout the year

These two competitions attract the German gaming scene elite to Herne every year — making the SpieleWahnsinn not just a consumer fair, but also a sporting meeting point.

Cooperation with the LWL-Museum

A special feature: The cooperation with the neighboring LWL-Museum für Archäologie (also in Herne) — museum entry is included in the ticket. This combines the board game madness with the archaeological museum into a double event that showcases Herne's cultural landscape in an unusual way.

Opening Hours and Admission

Three days of madness:

• Fri, May 1st: 2 PM–7 PM
• Sat, May 2nd: 10 AM–7 PM
• Sun, May 3rd: 10 AM–6 PM

Admission: €6 per day (concessions €3), €10 multi-day ticket (concessions €5). Children and young people under 17, as well as refugees, free admission.

Kulturzentrum Herne — Venue

The Kulturzentrum Herne at Willi-Pohlmann-Platz 1 is a modern cultural center that has developed into a dense gaming location for the board game fair. The spacious halls allow for the setup of long game tables, which are used throughout the day — a board game fair is not an exhibition, but an active gaming venue where new game rounds are constantly formed.

Herne in the Heart of the Ruhr Area

With just under 158,000 inhabitants, Herne is the smallest of the larger Ruhr area cities — located between Bochum, Recklinghausen, and Castrop-Rauxel, with its own distinct identity. The SpieleWahnsinn is one of the city's most important cultural highlights and attracts board gamers from all over Germany and neighboring countries.