Long Night of Innovation and Culture Mannheim
4th Edition — 90 Programme Points at 12 Locations in One Night — Free Entry and Shuttle
About Long Night of Innovation and Culture
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Long Night of Innovation and Culture — Mannheim as a City of Invention
The Long Night of Innovation and Culture is Mannheim's newest and most ambitious event format. Launched in 2023, it unites two worlds that usually exist separately: the city's innovation and economy (startups, universities, technology centres) and its cultural and museum landscape. The idea: on one evening, research, technology, and creative industry centres open their doors parallel to classical cultural institutions. The 4th edition in 2026 will take place on Saturday, April 11, starting at 6 p.m.
12 Locations — from Technology Centre to Art Gallery
The programme is spread across 12 venues:
- MAFINEX Technology Centre (Mannheim Forum for Innovative Startups)
- CUBEX ONE — Medical Technology Centre
- C-HUB — Creative Economy Centre
- National Theatre Mannheim (NTM)
- Reiss-Engelhorn Museums
- Kunsthalle Mannheim
- City Airport Mannheim
- other locations from business, science, and culture
Over 90 Programme Points
Over 90 individual events are spread throughout the night: exhibitions in museums and galleries (often with special access and guided tours), guided tours of research labs and startups, live music on several stages, comedy, food trucks, startup pitches (young Mannheim founders present their business models), hands-on workshops (coding, maker spaces, robotics), lectures on current research findings, performances. The programme is aimed at all age groups — families, students, professionals, seniors.
Free Shuttle Service
As the locations are spread across the entire Mannheim city area, the organizer provides a free shuttle bus service. Several routes connect the locations at short intervals; visitors can switch between venues flexibly. Free parking is available at the Glückstein-Parkhaus near the main train station.
Free Admission — Networking and Civic Engagement
All 90 programme points are free to access. The format is designed as a networking evening: direct contact with founders, creatives, and companies, whose innovative products and sustainable business models are presented. The organizers are the City of Mannheim and the municipal development company Next Mannheim GmbH — the latter as a location marketing and innovation promotion institution.
Mannheim — UNESCO City of Music and Innovation Hub
Mannheim (approx. 320,000 inhabitants, district code 08222) is simultaneously a UNESCO City of Music and an important innovation hub in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. The University of Mannheim, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts, and numerous research institutions shape the city; the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg is one of Germany's most important music education institutions. The Long Night of Innovation and Culture is the annual showcase of this dual identity.
Long Night of Innovation and Culture — edition 2026
4th Long Night April 11, 2026
The 2026 edition is the fourth since the format's inception in 2023. The format has already established itself as an important annual city event in this short time — Mannheim celebrates its dual identity as a city of music and a hub of innovation on a central evening of the year.
The programme is curated by the City of Mannheim and Next Mannheim GmbH together with the participating venues. Detailed programme points will be published on mannheim.de and next-mannheim.de approximately 6 weeks before the event.
Programme Long Night of Innovation and Culture 2026
Format of the Long Night 2026
- Start: April 11, 2026, from 6 p.m.
- Locations: 12 venues in the Mannheim city area
- Programme Points: over 90 individual events
- Categories:
- Exhibitions (museums and galleries)
- Guided tours (research labs, startups)
- Live music (several stages)
- Comedy and performance
- Food trucks
- Startup pitches
- Hands-on workshops (coding, maker spaces, robotics)
- Lectures on research and innovation
- Locations (Selection): MAFINEX, CUBEX ONE, C-HUB, NTM, Reiss-Engelhorn Museums, Kunsthalle Mannheim, City Airport Mannheim
- Shuttle: free shuttle service between all venues
- Parking: free at Glückstein-Parkhaus near the main train station
- Free admission
Highlights Long Night of Innovation and Culture 2026
- 4th edition since its start in 2023
- 12 locations, over 90 programme points
- Innovation + Culture in one night: startups, museums, theatre, research
- Free shuttle service between venues
- Free admission to everything
- Organizers: City of Mannheim and Next Mannheim GmbH
Prices Long Night of Innovation and Culture 2026
Free admission to all 90+ programme points at all 12 locations. Food trucks and catering stands on-site at standard market prices. Shuttle service is free. Parking is free at the Glückstein-Parkhaus.
Practical information — Long Night of Innovation and Culture
Getting There
Train: ICE stop Mannheim Hauptbahnhof.
Car: Free parking at the Glückstein-Parkhaus near the main train station.
Shuttle: Free shuttle bus between all 12 locations.
Programme App
A digital programme app and programme booklet will help with navigation. Programme points and times will be gradually published on mannheim.de.
Admission
Free admission to all 90+ programme points and all 12 locations.
Tip
Plan 4–6 programme points in advance that particularly interest you — with 90+ options, it's easy to lose track. Use the shuttle instead of your car — the connection between the city centre and City Airport is easier by shuttle than by your own vehicle.
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Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Long Night of Innovation and Culture al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Where it takes place Long Night of Innovation and Culture
12 Locations in Mannheim — MAFINEX, CUBEX ONE, C-HUB, NTM, Reiss-Engelhorn Museen, Kunsthalle Mannheim, City Airport u. a.
Innenstadt, 68161 Mannheim