School Culture Festival Hanover

School Culture Under the Open Sky

The School Culture Festival will take place in 2026 on Tuesday, June 30th, in the Herrenhausen Gardens. It is one of the most unusual school culture formats in Germany: instead of an event in a single auditorium or cultural center, the schools jointly use a baroque park of world heritage quality. 13 stages are spread between Milchtor in the north and Lindenstücken in the south of the Great Garden, each offering its own program.

Participating Schools

Among others, the IGS Stöcken and the Ricarda-Huch-Schule are participating, supplemented by other secondary schools from the city area. Each school contributes its own projects developed during the school year – from elective music courses, performing arts, art, dance, working groups, and interdisciplinary projects.

Program Diversity

The range extends from classical plays to school orchestras and big bands, contemporary dance productions, spoken word contributions, multimedia installations, and hands-on workshops for the audience. Some contributions last a few minutes, others fill entire program blocks. The audience wanders freely between the stages, creating their own festival itinerary.

Educational Policy Background

The festival is part of the municipal strategy for cultural education. It aims to make cultural work in schools visible, give students a voice in a professional setting, and promote exchange between schools of different educational tracks. The event is organized by the state capital Hanover in cooperation with the Herrenhausen Foundation and the participating schools.