Up to 650,000 visitors attend the festivals organised by the Projektbüro each year—surpassing the population of Nuremberg itself. This underlines their place at the heart of the city’s cultural DNA and their role as beacons within a diverse cultural landscape. A key factor in their delivery is the ability to operate at the interface between sectors, fostering collaboration and close cooperation with partners from the arts and culture, business, and wider society.
Tradition and Objectives
One of the most remarkable and distinctive achievements of Nuremberg’s cultural life is the breadth of high-quality offerings—largely free of charge. By their very nature, the festivals are open to all, providing unrestricted access to a wide range of genres. As such, they serve as effective gateways for a culturally engaged urban society in the 21st century. At the same time, addressing sustainability is one of the central challenges of large-scale urban events. A core objective is therefore to consider both people and the environment at every stage of planning and implementation. This includes climate targets, mobility behaviour, the responsible use of resources, and the right to culture and education.
The Projektbüro Team
Under the department head, each major festival is led by a project manager responsible for both organisation and programme. Team members regularly collaborate across the different festivals. The planning and coordination process is further supported by in-house administration and technical management.
History of Projektbüro Kultur
The Projektbüro Kultur was established from 1996 onwards as an organisational unit in connection with the celebrations marking Nuremberg’s 950th anniversary in 2000. Several festival formats proved so popular that, at the request of both the public and policymakers, they were permanently established after the anniversary year. Since 2003, the Projektbüro Kultur has operated as a staff unit within the Department of Cultural Affairs, reporting to the Deputy Mayor for Culture.
Highlights Throughout the Year
The annually recurring festivals include Klassik Open Air, Bardentreffen, and the Stadt(ver)führungen. These are complemented by biennial events such as Die Blaue Nacht, Stars im Luitpoldhain, Silvestival (discontinued in 2022), RathausART (discontinued in 2021), as well as a range of special formats. During and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic—when large-scale cultural events were effectively prohibited—the Projektbüro Kultur responded with a wide range of concepts and maximum flexibility, ensuring that culture in the city remained visible and accessible. This led to projects in 2021 such as Kunst-Anschlag, Back to Live, Seebühne am Dutzendteich, Lost & Found, and Muse im Museum, followed in 2023 by the special format Mauerblümchen, supported by the urban development funding programme. From September 2024 to May 2025, Zukunftsmusik activated the former Kaufhof Nürnberg site and its surroundings.
Links
More information on the individual events can be found on their respective websites.
