Hello again!

Following a successful premiere last year, we are once again heading to Düsseldorf: re:publica x New Fall Festival will take place on 9 and 10 October 2026 at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf and the Ehrenhof.

Together with and as part of the New Fall Festival, which has stood for many years for contemporary music, special venues and strong local roots in Düsseldorf, we are creating a meeting point for all those who want to understand, experience and help shape how digital transformation is changing our lives.

At the heart of the two-day programme are central questions around digital self-determination, democratic participation, new public spheres, culture, media and innovation: How are artificial intelligence, platforms and algorithms changing our lives, our work and our democratic public sphere? Who owns the digital infrastructure and who develops it further? How can digital fundamental rights and social agency be strengthened? We examine the role of media, the creator economy, culture and social networks in the digital public sphere and ask how constructive digital spaces can emerge. At the same time, the focus is on opportunities for digital value creation, sustainable innovation and new, future-proof collaborations.

This gives rise to a new event format that understands the digital future not merely as a technical development, but as a shared design challenge: democratic, accessible and open to many perspectives. Re:publica x New Fall Festival is an open space of possibilities in the heart of the city. Free and accessible to all.

At the NRW-Forum and the Ehrenhof, visitors can look forward to a colourful programme of talks, discussion rounds, workshops, live podcasts, artistic interventions, DIY stations and networking formats.  

This is where digital experts and interested citizens, urban society and specialist audiences, politics and culture, start-ups and civil society, young people, creatives, activists and all those curious about the digital future come together.

And that is precisely why this event thrives on participation: through the Call for Participation, anyone can submit their own ideas, perspectives and formats and actively help shape the programme. We are looking for contributions that ask compelling questions, share knowledge, spark debates, open up new perspectives or make practical experiences visible. 

Do you have an idea that shouldn't be missing from the re:publica x New Fall Festival programme? Then get involved! All information about the Call for Participation can be found here.