The SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe - 10 years of light art in the heart of the city

The castle as a canvas: how it all began

The success story began in 2015 with the 300th anniversary of the city of Karlsruhe. For over 100 days, there were several laser shows at the palace during the festival summer - every evening! At the time, it was probably the longest laser show in the world.

But why the castle and not any other building in the city? Karlsruhe is known as a fan-shaped city because of its radial layout. The palace forms the center of this fan, where Margrave Karl Wilhelm founded the city in 1715. Peter Weibel, then director of the Karlsruhe Center for Art and Media (ZKM) and the "father of the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE", thought it would be a great idea if the rays of the light shows also emanated from this central building, which is so important for Karlsruhe. 

From a one-off event to a perennial favorite

The shows were actually only intended for the city's 300th birthday. However, as the enthusiasm for this unusual format was very high, the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE went into the second round in 2016 and once again turned the summer into an unforgettable experience. Equipped with blankets, snacks and drinks, people have been sitting in groups on the lawns and enjoying the shows every summer ever since.

Over time, the projector technology improved and the projections became more and more real and vivid. In addition to the projectors, there are now spotlights that offer artists even more possibilities. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it is now even possible to actively involve the audience in the design of the shows. For the "Particles Ensemble" show in 2024, for example, infrared sensors scanned the audience's movements and transmitted them to the façade.

To this day, the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE are known and loved across the region and take place annually - during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, they even took place entirely in digital space. The light art spectacle is now considered an important showcase for the city of Karlsruhe, which was named Germany's first UNESCO City of Media Arts in 2019. There are now over 50 different shows. Several of them are shown each evening, both new and old. In between, there are advertising blocks from Karlsruhe companies, which are also animated and sometimes almost as spectacular as the shows themselves.

Maxin10sity or "A star is born"

With their laser show "300 Fragments", Maxin10sity impressively presented the past, present and future of Karlsruhe to mark the city's 300th birthday in 2015. The scenes focus on the origins of Karlsruhe, show famous Karlsruhe personalities from the past and present and their inventive spirit. Several times during the projection, the palace collapses into its individual parts and is rebuilt again - all with the appropriate background music, of course. Books fly across the 2,500 m² screen and electricity flashes. The audience was thrilled. Even 10 years later, "300 Fragments" is still one of the favorite shows of SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE visitors.

Maxin10sity was back in 2016 with the new show "LEGACY". This time, the projection focused on the history of cultures from antiquity to the present day. Ever since then, Maxin10sity has been an absolute audience favorite and a must at the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELEN, producing a new show every year!

And 10 years later? 

Even 10 years after the first broadcast, the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE are still THE summer highlight in the fan city. In 2025, the motto is "The Shining Lights and Science", a reference to the 200th anniversary of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. In addition to new, spectacular shows, there will also be familiar ones. In any case, it won't be boring, because even those who have seen a projection several times will discover something new every time.