Mainau Open-Air Cinema

Summer Cinema on the Flower Island

The Mainau Open-Air Cinema takes place annually in August on the famous Mainau Island in Lake Constance — the flower island shaped by the House of Bernadotte, which has been one of Germany's most visited excursion destinations for decades. The organizer is Mainau GmbH, which curates the island's program and supplements it with events such as the open-air cinema, concerts, themed weeks, and markets. The island administratively belongs to the city of Konstanz (Konstanz district, Baden-Württemberg state).

An Island as a Film Set

What makes the Mainau Open-Air Cinema unmistakable is its backdrop. As the sun sets over Lake Constance, the walls of the baroque Mainau Castle glow, the evening scent of palm trees, roses, and hibiscus awakens in the subtropical gardens, and the waters of Lake Constance shimmer in the background. Before the film begins, you can stroll through the illuminated garden complex — an experience that cannot be found at any other cinema location.

Program and Selection

The open-air cinema shows a carefully curated selection of films for various target groups. The focus is typically on:

• Current German and international audience favorites
• Classics and cult films from film history
• Family comedies
• Romantic comedies for a balmy Lake Constance summer evening

The exact program for 2026 will be announced in the weeks before the festival via the Mainau website.

Mainau Island — Germany's Most Famous Flower Island

Mainau Island has a eventful history: For centuries owned by the Teutonic Order, it came into the possession of Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden in 1853 and, after his death, to his daughter Queen Victoria of Sweden. Her son Lennart Bernadotte transformed the island into the famous flower island starting in 1932. Today, the Mainau Foundation is the owner, maintaining and curating the island with over 200 employees.

Special features:

• Over 200 hectares with seasonal and themed plantings
• Subtropical gardens with palm trees, banana plants, and hibiscus
• Italian Rose Garden
• Butterfly House
• Swedish Cross and Bernadotte Memorial
• Baroque Palace and Palace Church

Combination with a Mainau Visit

Those who visit the open-air cinema often arrive on the island in the afternoon, explore the gardens, dine in one of the restaurants, and then stay for the film. Accommodation is available in Konstanz, Meersburg, and on the Austrian shore of Lake Constance.