From 26 January through 26 March 2026 Joseph Beuys. Works from the Nationalgalerie Collection will remain closed due to installation work for the exhibition Shilpa Gupta in the Kleihueshalle.
In 2026, Hamburger Bahnhof will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a diverse year-long programme: eight new exhibitions, as well as performances, concerts, and conferences that will expand the museum far beyond its site into the city itself. Successful formats such as Open House and Berlin Beats will continue and grow. The highlight of the year will be the anniversary weekend from 13 to 15 November 2026. Over these days, an international conference will discuss the future of collecting museums of contemporary art and the museum will be open continuously for 30 hours.
Berlin is and remains a city of art, and Hamburger Bahnhof is an integral part of this vibrant cultural landscape. Since its opening on 3 November 1996, as a location for the Nationalgalerie’s collection, the museum has become an international meeting point for contemporary art. In 2026, Hamburger Bahnhof celebrates its 30th anniversary with a programme that spans from the site’s history into the future.
The projects developed for the anniversary year present the museum as a place of artistic renewal, rooted in Berlin yet globally connected. The exhibitions revolve around artistic exchange and collaboration, forms of participation, and the museum’s role in the city.
Even before its opening as a museum, the building was used by artists as an alternative exhibition venue. The anniversary year builds on this history: starting in February, Annika Kahrs will present performances in public space as part of the series Hamburger Bahnhof on Tour, followed by concerts from Saâdane Afif. In April, Petrit Halilaj will stage his first opera Syrigana with the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra. Over the year, the Crossroads# series will expand with interdisciplinary projects at the intersections of art, literature, theater, and music, in collaboration with Literaturhaus Berlin and other institutions.
The education programme will continue to evolve in the anniversary year. In addition to 1,000 free guided tours and an open studio in the Rieckhallen, new participatory formats and an extended school programme will be developed. A digital platform will make the museum’s discursive content freely accessible from autumn 2026. By the end of 2026, the museum’s publication series will grow to more than 25 volumes.
During the anniversary weekend, 13 to 15 November 2026, an international multi-day conference will address how museums of contemporary art collections can position themselves for the future. In parallel, the museum will open for 30 consecutive hours on 14 to 15 November, celebrating art together through the night.
