Bonn Summit

International Forum on Culture and Politics

September 16–18, 2026

Register now

Contact
bonnsummit (at) bundeskunsthalle.de

Program Curator
Dr. Sven Sappelt
sven.sappelt (at) bundeskunsthalle.de

The BONN SUMMIT brings together protagonists from the arts, culture, science, politics and society from all over the world in Bonn to discuss current challenges of our time and their cultural dimension under the guiding idea of planetary boundaries and global interdependencies. The first edition in 2026 will centre the relationship between culture and politics in times of geopolitical power shifts. We will look at current developments in the USA and ask about the consequences for Europe. We will highlight selected scenes of culturally coded conflicts over values and worldviews and invite to a joint exchange on future scenarios, options for action and shaping strategies.

Our ambition is to establish a public forum for transdisciplinary exchange on the foundations and future of our coexistence. A forum like this appears to be urgently required for several reasons: Firstly, the rise of autocratic and anti-democratic forces in both the West and the East threatens to substantially damage valuable achievements of the post-war and post-reunification order, such as freedom, diversity, constitutional legality, multilateralism and cooperative collaboration in combating global crises such as climate change and poverty. Secondly, Europe is facing the challenge of redefining its own role in the world and stabilising the grounds for concerted action. Thirdly, cultural factors are essential components of such a common European foundation – such as shared values and norms, behaviors and principles of action, memories and visions of the future, religiosity and promises of salvation, practices of self-reflection, moral judgment, empathy, and concern for the common good, etc. In this sense, reaching an understanding of Europe's cultural foundations and strengthening cultural infrastructures is a general political task that has far-reaching consequences for our social coexistence.

In this context the Bundeskunsthalle is creating a public platform for an agreement on cultural foundations, on which cooperative action in the spirit of a European community of values is built. To this end it seems reasonable, on the one hand, to gain a realistic picture of the current attacks on cultural achievements like scientific research, artistic production, truth-oriented communication, non-governmental engagement and much more. And, on the other hand, to develop new alliances and strategies to counter these attacks in solidarity and to strengthen the democratic culture within an open society, including its public institutions.

A joint exchange on future scenarios, options for action and shaping strategies

Programme 2026 – Under Pressure. The Open Society under Attack

The detailed program will be available here from April 13th and will be continuously updated.
We invite you to discuss all these issues with us and would be delighted to welcome you to our Bonn Summit 2026.

DAY 1 | 16 September 2026

DAY 2 | 17 September 2026

DAY 3 | 18 September 2026

To make your stay with us as pleasant and productive as possible, we offer additional spaces:

At our information point in the foyer, you will always find staff members who will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the Bonn Summit, the Bundeskunsthalle, or Bonn.

In our spacious foyer, seating areas invite you to engage in informal discussions and networking.

Our co-working space offers a professional work environment, allowing you to answer emails or conduct video conferences at any time during the conference.

Our professional TV studio in the basement offers you the opportunity to produce short videos in front of a green screen or podcasts on-site.

Advance booking is required to use the studio: ???@bundeskunsthalle.de

In our lounge on the first floor, you can retreat to relax or reflect in peace.

On our rooftop terrace, you can stretch your legs in the fresh air, as well as on the nearby Rhine promenade.

Monday
closed

Tuesday
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Wednesday
10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Thursday to Sunday
and on holidays*
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
*also on Monday

Gastronomy
The opening hours of the GUSTAV restaurant are based on those of the Bundeskunsthalle.

Library
Tuesday – Friday: 10 am – 5 pm
Access is public and free

Salon of the Bundeskunsthalle
Tuesday – Friday & Sonday: 12 am – 5 pm
Access is public and free

Roof
The roof is accessible during opening hours.

Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland GmbH
Museumsmeile Bonn
Helmut-Kohl-Allee 4
53113 Bonn

Google Maps

From Bonn main station
Subway lines 16, 63, 66 towards Bad Godesberg/Königswinter and then five stations to Heussallee/Museumsmeile.

From Siegburg/Bonn station
subway line 66 towards Königswinter to Heussallee/Museumsmeile.

From UN Campus
All lines (RE 5, RB 26, RB 48 and RB 30) approach UN Campus in both directions.

From the Cologne Bonn Airport
Bus shuttle (line SB60) to Bonn main station. From Bonn main station: Subway 16, 63, 66 to Bad Godesberg/Königswinter and then five stations to the Heussallee/Museumsmeile.

Bus
Lines 610, 611 and 634 to UN Campus Bahnhof or to Marie Kahle Allee.

From Cologne
A 555 or 565 motorways to the Bonn North junction, head for Koblenz and take the Poppelsdorf/Bad Godesberg exit, then carry on for around 3 km down Reuterstrasse bearing right into Adenauerallee / Willy Brandt Allee. At the first junction with traffic lights, turn right into Genscherallee and then first left into Emil-Nolde-Strasse.
From south of Bonn: A3 to the Siebengebirge or Bonn Siegburg exit. Follow the A59 and then take the Bonn Zentrum (city centre) exit for the Museumsmeile (Museum Mile).

Parking:
The multi-storey car park in the direct vicinity of the Bundeskunsthalle (Emil-Nolde-Straße 11, 53113 Bonn) has a capacity of 535 spaces. Coach parking is available directly in front of the car park. Coach parking is also available at the Rheinaue Leisure Park.

Disabled parking:
Parking for disabled visitors is available at Helmut-Kohl-Allee No. 2-4 (after the space for taxis) along the access driveway shared by the Bundeskunsthalle and the Kunstmuseum Bonn. There is additional parking for disabled visitors behind the museums on Emil-Nolde-Strasse and in the Museumsmeile car park.

Our aim is to make your visit to the Bundeskunsthalle and the exhibitions as accessible as possible. Find out more about spatial accessibility in terms of barrier-free accessibility.

Accessibility