In 2026, Hamburger Bahnhof celebrates its 30th anniversary with a year-long programme of eight special exhibitions, a new collection presentation, and a series of performances, concerts, and other events. Extending far beyond the museum walls, the programme affirms the institution’s role as a site of participation, collaboration, and collective experience. The anniversary culminates in a weekend-long celebration from November 13–15, including a continuous 30-hour opening and an international conference on the future of museums collecting contemporary art.
Since its opening on November 3, 1996 as a new site of the Nationalgalerie, Hamburger Bahnhof has become an international meeting point for contemporary art. The anniversary programme spans the building’s layered history and future, presenting the museum as a place of artistic renewal rooted in Berlin yet globally connected.
Giulia Andreani
February 27–September 13, 2026
Giulia Andreani’s first institutional solo exhibition in Germany brings together newly created paintings with works from Berlin’s Antikensammlung, Kunstgewerbemuseum, Museum Europäischer Kulturen, and Kupferstichkabinett, reframing historical collections through a contemporary perspective.
Shilpa Gupta
March 27, 2026–January 3, 2027
As part of an ongoing series of exhibitions in dialogue with Joseph Beuys’ iconic works from the museum’s collection, Shilpa Gupta engages with themes of language, borders, and power structures, offering diverse perspectives on this influential postwar figure and underscoring Hamburger Bahnhof’s commitment to a plurality of artistic voices.
CHANEL Commission: Lina Lapelytė
May 1, 2026–January 10, 2027
For the second edition of the CHANEL Commission, Lina Lapelytė transforms the Historic Hall into a polyphonic site for a participatory choreography. Visitors are invited to become part of this large-scale commission, placing the architecture of Hamburger Bahnhof at the centre.
Collection presentation and Ayşe Erkmen
Opening June 12, 2026
Hamburger Bahnhof opens a new presentation of it’s collection, focusing on Berlin’s art scene in global dialogue from 1989 to today. In parallel, Ayşe Erkmen will develop a new work for the Endless Exhibition. Both presentations debut during the fourth edition of Open House (June 12–14, 2026), which welcomed 40,000 visitors in 2025 for three days of art, music, and culture, featuring a varied programme and free admission.
[materialistin]
July 3, 2026–February 28, 2027
This exhibition brings together the eight women sculptors of the Leipzig-based artist group [materialistin]: Laura Eckert, Enne Haehnle, Elisabeth Howey, Lucy König, Agnes Lammert, Wibke Rahn, Theresa Rothe, and Sophie Uchman—foregrounding new forms of collective practice and solidarity.
Ryuichi Sakamoto
September 11, 2026–June 23, 2027
Opening with Berlin Art Week in September, Ryuichi Sakamoto‘s first major retrospective in Europe explores the artist’s groundbreaking impact on sound art and moving image—a hallmark of Hamburger Bahnhof and its collection since its founding 30 years ago.
Studio Rieckhallen: Tacita Dean, Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, Henrik Håkansson, Tomás Saraceno
October 9, 2026–February 2027
Five artists return to the Rieckhallen at Hamburger Bahnhof, where they once had their studios in the former train freight warehouses-now partly integrated into the museum as one of its iconic exhibition halls. The exhibition carries forward the creative energy of the site and highlights the dynamic innovation of artists who have shaped Berlin’s art scene in a global context.
Sophie Calle
November 13, 2026–May 2, 2027
Opening during the anniversary weekend, Sophie Calle presents works made in Berlin alongside pieces mirroring the museum’s history as a train station, and complemented by a new commission created especially for the collection on the occasion of the 30th anniversary.
Performances and Programmes
The anniversary year builds on Hamburger Bahnhof’s pre-museum history as an experimental venue for artists. Beginning in February, Annika Kahrs stages performances in public spaces across the city, followed by concerts by Saâdane Afif. In April, Petrit Halilaj presents his first opera Syrigana with the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra. Throughout the year, the Crossroads# series expands with interdisciplinary projects bridging art, literature, theater, and music in partnership with different Berlin cultural institutions.
Alongside the fourth edition of Open House (June 12–14, 2026), the fourth edition of Berlin Beats returns to the museum’s garden every Thursday evening from June-August 2026. Since its inception in 2023, Hamburger Bahnhof’s free open-air DJ series has attracted 200,000 visitors, celebrating Berlin’s electronic music culture.
Education and public programmes continue to evolve, with 1,000 free guided tours, open studios in the Rieckhallen Atelier, new participatory formats, and an expanded school programme. A digital platform launching in autumn 2026 will make discursive content freely accessible, while the museum’s publication series grows to over 25 volumes.
Anniversary Weekend
From November 13 to 15, 2026, Hamburger Bahnhof celebrates its 30th anniversary with a wide-ranging programme, including the opening of Sophie Calle’s exhibition and a forward-looking exploration of the museum’s next chapter. An international conference will convene scholars, artists, and museum practitioners to debate the future of museums collecting contemporary art. Over the same weekend, Hamburger Bahnhof will remain open for 30 continuous hours, inviting audiences to celebrate art and community through the night.
“For the 30th anniversary, Hamburger Bahnhof is opening itself even more to its audiences,” say directors Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath. “We celebrate Berlin as a vibrant and diverse art city with global resonance, and we want to welcome everyone to join us in a year-long celebration.”