Highlights 2027

International Garden Exhibition in the Ruhr Area

An entire region is coming into its own: from 23 April to 17 October 2027, the Ruhr Area invites you to Europe’s largest garden festival. Five park landscapes in Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Lünen and the Emscherland region between Castrop-Rauxel and Recklinghausen combine garden art, industrial heritage and ideas for the urban life of tomorrow. Alongside these central ‘gardens of the future’, around 60 further parks and landscaped areas offer insights into the green transformation of the former coal-mining region. They are all linked by cycle routes.
www.iga2027.ruhr

Skulptur Projekte Münster

Every ten years, Skulptur Projekte transforms the city of Münster into a vast open-air museum. This will be the case again from 13 June to 3 October, when artists from all over the world will exhibit their works in public spaces. To mark the festival’s 50th anniversary, other neighbourhoods will also become exhibition spaces alongside the city centre. The artworks can be discovered whilst exploring on foot or by bike.
https://skulptur-projekte.de

125 Years of the Von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal

To mark its 125th anniversary, the Von der Heydt-Museum in Wuppertal invites visitors to explore, reflect and get involved. From 5 February 2027 to 8 January 2029, the exhibition ‘125 Years Now’ will show how this internationally significant collection of art from the 16th to the 21st century came into being and which people have shaped the museum. Artworks, historical photographs and archive documents being examined for the first time tell the story of new beginnings, upheavals and fresh perspectives at the Von der Heydt-Museum, which was founded in 1902 as the Elberfeld Municipal Museum.
von-der-heydt-museum.de

The 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death, Bonn

To mark the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death, his birthplace, Bonn, is hosting concerts, events and exhibitions. A highlight is the exhibition ‘Beethoven by Warhol’, in which the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn traces the creation of Warhol’s Beethoven portfolio until 5 April 2027. The screen-print series combines the famous portrait of Beethoven with the sheet music for the ‘Moonlight Sonata’. Further reasons to visit include the Chamber Music Festival with Daniel Hope from 18 to 20 March, as well as the Beethovenfest, with editions in April and September.
www.beethoven.de

450 Years of Rubens, Siegen

Siegen is celebrating its famous son, the Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, who was born 450 years ago in the town of Siegen-Wittgenstein. The Siegerland Museum is honouring the artist with the special exhibition ‘Rubens and his Workshop – from Idea to Masterpiece’, which runs from 25 April to 18 July and shows how sketches were transformed into paintings. The exhibition is accompanied by an anniversary programme, which includes a Flemish fair. On 27 June, the Baroque artist’s birthday, it will take place at the Oberes Schloss (Siegen) and in the castle grounds.

1,250 Years of Paderborn

First mentioned in a document in 777, Paderborn is celebrating its 1,250th anniversary. Throughout the year, concerts, exhibitions, festivals and special events invite visitors to discover the history and present-day life of this town in the Teutoburg Forest. For example, a street music festival brings a wide variety of rhythms and melodies to the city, whilst a gourmet festival offers culinary delights around the Pader spring area.
www.paderborn1250.de/

The Castle Ghost and the Moat Ghost in the Münsterland

Old legends are being brought to life on new stages: the cultural project ‘The Castle Ghost and the Moat Spirit’ is bringing stories from the Münsterland region back to their historic settings. A theatre festival is planned for late summer 2027, with performances at Vischering Castle, Hülshoff Castle, Raesfeld Castle and the Liesborn Abbey Museum. Newly retold and illustrated legends, as well as a radio play, complement the project.
www.muensterland.com

New Story Hall in Düsseldorf launches with Titanic exhibition

Düsseldorf is gaining a new venue for special exhibition projects: in December 2026, the Story Hall will open on a former factory site with the new exhibition “Titanic: An Immersive Journey”. The exhibition marks the start of a series of changing exhibitions in the new event hall.
https://www.story-hall.de

Digital journey through time in Bielefeld

A new augmented reality tour, “Bielefeld 1850–1920: A Journey Back in Time”, promises insights into Bielefeld’s industrial history. From September, it will bring to life the era of the linen weaving and textile industries, as well as the story of how Dr Oetker was founded. Digital views complement the sight of today’s city in the Teutoburg Forest and convey its industrial history directly at the respective locations.
www.bielefeld.jetzt

Art & Bike, Bergisches Land 

The landscape in the Bergisches Land becomes a gallery: four new “Art & Bike” routes combine cycling, experiencing nature and enjoying art. Along the 20 to 40-kilometre routes, selected works of art invite you to stop off and offer new perspectives on the region.
www.dasbergische.de