Name: Mannheimer Sommer 2026
Start: 2026-06-18T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-06-28T00:00:00+00:00
Location: OPAL, Friedenskirche, Schlosstheater Schwetzingen, Rhein-Neckar-Stadion, Planetarium, Technoseum, Luisenpark, Rosengarten, Altes Kino Franklin

Mannheimer Sommer

About Mannheimer Sommer

From June 18 to 28, 2026, the Mannheimer Sommer will transform the city of squares into an eleven-day festival stage for music and theatre. Under the motto “Let yourselves go beyond boundaries!”, the National Theatre Mannheim will use venues that extend far beyond classical theatre halls: from the OPAL — the interim opera house situated between the motorway, stadium, and shopping centre — to the Friedenskirche, the Planetarium, the Technoseum, the Luisenpark, the Rosengarten, and the Rhein-Neckar-Stadion. The opening will feature Mozart's The Magic Flute on June 18, and the closing will be a landscape music performance in the Luisenpark on June 28. International guests such as soprano Diana Damrau, choreographer Boris Charmatz, and actor Charly Hübner will meet the ensemble in residence Wooden Elephant.

Dates 18 Jun — 28 Jun 2026

Venue Mannheim (08222)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Mannheimer Sommer — edition 2026

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The 2026 edition of Mannheimer Sommer runs from June 18 to 28, 2026, under the motto “Let yourselves go beyond boundaries!”. Opening with Mozart's The Magic Flute in the OPAL, Monteverdi's L'Orfeo in the Schlosstheater Schwetzingen, Boris Charmatz's 10000 Gestures with Mozart's Requiem, Beyoncé's Lemonade by Wooden Elephant at the Rhein-Neckar-Stadion. Guests: Diana Damrau, Charly Hübner, Boris Charmatz. Closing on June 28 with landscape music in the Luisenpark.

Mannheimer Sommer 2026 — 11 Days of Festival

From June 18 to 28, 2026, Mannheimer Sommer will perform at around 12 venues in Mannheim and Schwetzingen. The programme ranges from Mozart's The Magic Flute and Monteverdi's L'Orfeo to experimental theatre projects (Don Giovanni Justin Bieber Remix, E.L.I.Z.A. about AI, Lacrimosa dance, Mercy Seat with Schubert and Nick Cave) to the robotics performance MR-808 at the Technoseum and the family-friendly closing concert in the Luisenpark.

International artists — Diana Damrau, Boris Charmatz, Charly Hübner, the ensemble in residence Wooden Elephant — will meet the NTM ensembles and guests from the independent scene. The festival gala evening Schloss in Flammen with fireworks will take place on June 27 in Schwetzingen.

Highlights Mannheimer Sommer 2026

11 Days of Festival with around 12 venues in Mannheim and Schwetzingen
International Guests: Diana Damrau, Boris Charmatz, Charly Hübner
Ensemble in Residence: Wooden Elephant — Beyoncé's Lemonade as a string quintet
Extraordinary Venues: Rhein-Neckar-Stadion, Planetarium, Technoseum, Luisenpark
Schloss in Flammen — Opera Gala with Fireworks in Schwetzingen (June 27)
Family programme, free concerts, after-show dance parties

Programme Mannheimer Sommer 2026

Programme Highlights 2026

June 18 — Opening Premiere: Mozart, The Magic Flute (Director Cordula Däuper), OPAL
June 23–24 — Monteverdi, L'Orfeo, Schlosstheater Schwetzingen
June 24 — Wooden Elephant: Lemonade after Beyoncé for string quintet and speaker, Rhein-Neckar-Stadion
June 25 — Boris Charmatz: 10000 Gestures with Mozart's Requiem
Diana Damrau Recital — Soprano guest star returns to NTM
June 27 — Schloss in Flammen: Opera Gala with Fireworks, Schwetzingen Palace Gardens
Moritz Simon Geist: MR-808 — programmable robot drum machine, Technoseum
Sound Installations at Planetarium Mannheim — Atlas Eclipticalis after John Cage
Theatre Performances: Don Giovanni (Justin Bieber Remix), E.L.I.Z.A. (Music theatre about AI), Lacrimosa (Dance theatre), Hunter (after Björk), Mercy Seat (Schubert/Nick Cave)
Orchestra Karaoke — Audience sings along with the Symphony Orchestra
June 28 — Landscape Music in Luisenpark (Closing)

Prices Mannheimer Sommer 2026

Individual tickets depending on production and seating category. Discounts: Children ≤13 years for The Magic Flute Sunday performances -50%; accompanying parents/grandparents -25%; students and pupils -50%; social welfare card holders at reduced rates; groups from 10 people -10%, from 20 -25%. Many Wooden Elephant concerts and performances are free. Advance sales via NTM Box Office (O7 18), Tel. +49 621 1680 150 or [email protected].

Practical information

Practical information — Mannheimer Sommer

Getting There

Train: ICE stop Mannheim Hauptbahnhof, from there tram 2 or 6 in 8–12 minutes to OPAL. Schlosstheater Schwetzingen: S-Bahn S5/S39 to Schwetzingen + 5 minutes walk.
Airport: Frankfurt (FRA) — 30–40 minutes by ICE.
Car: A6/A656 to Mannheim, car parks at the main train station or N7.
Festival Shuttle: Free shuttle bus between venues.

Box Office and Information

NTM Box Office O7 18, 68161 Mannheim. Opening hours: Monday 11 AM–2 PM, Tuesday–Friday 11 AM–6 PM, Saturday 11 AM–2 PM. Phone +49 621 1680 150, [email protected].

Tip

Allow ample time for travel to and from Schwetzingen performances — the S-Bahn runs every 20 minutes. The festival centre with a bar, curated talks, and after-show dance parties is located directly at the OPAL.

Mannheimer Sommer 2026 — Eleven Days of Music and Theatre in Unusual Locations

The Mannheimer Sommer is the international summer festival of the National Theatre Mannheim (NTM) and has been one of the most interesting programmes in the South German festival summer since 2002. While the NTM's main venue, the Goetheplatz, has been undergoing general renovation since 2023, the theatre is performing in the OPAL — a specially constructed interim opera house on the former Franklin grounds. This unusual location between the city motorway, the Rhein-Neckar-Stadion, and a furniture store has become programmatic: the festival uses it as a stage for the boundary-breaking idea of the 2026 edition.

Programme 2026 — “Let yourselves go beyond boundaries!”

The motto permeates every piece. Mozart's The Magic Flute, directed by Cordula Däuper, opens the festival on June 18 in the OPAL; Monteverdi's L'Orfeo will be performed on June 23 and 24 in the baroque Schlosstheater Schwetzingen. On June 25, Boris Charmatz will present his much-discussed choreography 10000 Gestures set to Mozart's Requiem. The ensemble in residence Wooden Elephant will bring Beyoncé's Lemonade as a string quintet version to the Rhein-Neckar-Stadion and will also give concerts, workshops, and performances at the festival centre. Soprano Diana Damrau returns to the NTM for a recital. Actor Charly Hübner will be a guest with a theatre evening.

Venues — The City as a Stage

The festival uses around a dozen venues across Mannheim and into neighbouring Schwetzingen: OPAL (main venue), Friedenskirche (concerts), Schlosstheater Schwetzingen (baroque opera), Planetarium Mannheim (sound installations), Technoseum (MR-808 robot drum machine by Moritz Simon Geist), Luisenpark (closing landscape music June 28), Rhein-Neckar-Stadion, Rosengarten, Altes Kino Franklin, Studio Werkhaus, and the mobile Festival Centre. The OPAL is conveniently located between Käfertal and the main train station; the NTM offers free shuttle and festival bus connections between the locations.

Mannheim — UNESCO City of Music and City of Theatre

Mannheim (independent city in the Rhein-Neckar district, city code 08222) is Baden-Württemberg's second-largest city with around 320,000 inhabitants and has been a UNESCO City of Music since 2014. It is home to the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg, the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (University of Music and Performing Arts), and the traditional National Theatre (founded 1779) — Schiller's The Robbers premiered here. The Mannheimer Sommer is the city's most important theatre festival and one of the most ambitious programmes of the Southwest German summer.

Tickets and Advance Sales

Advance ticket sales for the Mannheimer Sommer 2026 are now open. Individual tickets are available depending on the production and seating category; discounts for children (-50% on The Magic Flute Sunday performances), students (-50%), social welfare card holders, and groups (10+ people: -10%, from 20: -25%). Many Wooden Elephant concerts, workshops, and performances are free. Reservations can be made via the NTM box office (O7 18), by phone at +49 621 1680 150, or by email at [email protected].