One day, around 50 information booths, 25 lectures, 44 guided tours, a Children’s Explorer Pass, and countless opportunities to discover science in a playful way – with such a wide range of activities, it can be hard to keep track. We have provided an overview, along with insider tips to help you make the most of OPEN CAMPUS 2026.

The program begins at 1:00 p.m. with information booths in GW2 Building. Here, representatives from various university institutions and organizations will present their work and invite visitors to engage in conversation. Interactive activities, hands-on exhibits, and a scavenger hunt will give visitors the chance to learn more about the university, its teaching, and its research.

Guided tours begin at 1:30 p.m. at the info point in the Glass Hall in the Central Campus Area. Visitors can observe the work in laboratories, and explore the research institutes or the commercial kitchen of the university campus dining hall (Mensa). These free tours give you access to areas that are usually off-limits to the public. Since the number of participants is limited, advance booking is recommended.

Lectures from different disciplines will take place in German in MZH Building. Topics include “AI in Schools” or “A Brief History of Gravity.” These short lectures illuminate scientific topics in an easy-to-understand way. Admission is free, and no registration is required.

At the Children’s Campus, the youngest visitors can try out different activities and do crafts to their heart’s content. There will be face painting, hands-on experiments, outdoor toys, and a balloon artist. In the interactive tent, the little ones can become researchers themselves. Starting at 2:00 p.m., the Kids’ University offers lectures on various topics.

The live performances in Campus Park promise to be vibrant and lively. Starting at 3:30 p.m., you can look forward to a performance by the university choir, the ZeMKI media talks, a poetry slam by Slammer Filet, and band performances. Featured are Saturday Funk Fever, a band that thrills audiences with a mix of funk, soul, and disco classics from the 1970s to the present, and JoschY, a music project that combines modern indie pop with influences from funk, reggaeton, and rock. The program wraps up with an energetic party finale with hip-hop and Latin sounds by DJ Easmo from Bremen NEXT radio.

With so much to choose from, are you still not sure where to start? Read on to find out what university members are especially looking forward to at OPEN CAMPUS. Maybe one or several of their picks will inspire you.

up2date. asked: What are you most looking forward to at OPEN CAMPUS?

Lilli Kalvelage, Public Health student “I am really looking forward to this year’s OPEN CAMPUS! Even though it doesn’t directly affect me, I love the wide range of activities for children. That’s a real highlight every year. Personally, I’m most looking forward to the guided tours and exclusive insights at the university’s various (research) institutes. This year, I’ll be joining the elementary school workshop and the tour of the university campus dining hall (Mensa). I see it as an exciting opportunity to take a look behind the scenes. Later in the evening, I’m going to check out the Bremen Next stage program.”

Lucas Rischkau, Officer for Research Profile and Strategic Projects “I am looking forward to experiencing my first OPEN CAMPUS at the University of Bremen. And I am excited about the many opportunities to gain insights into the daily life of numerous university institutes and to look behind the scenes of day-to-day operations. The variety of lectures and guided tours offer an excellent opportunity to get to know the university in all its facets. At the same time, OPEN CAMPUS clearly shows that science does not thrive in isolation, but through exchange and dialogue with the public.”

Prof. Dr. Maren Petersen, Vice President for Teaching and Studies “I am very much looking forward to OPEN CAMPUS, because this day always reminds me of how vibrant and diverse our university is. I particularly appreciate that prospective students can gain a genuine impression of how teaching, research, and campus community interact – the perfect preview of university life. The diverse program with its guided tours, lectures, live performances, and the Children’s Campus, gives people of all ages the chance to discover science in a playful way. It presents the many facets of learning and working at the University of Bremen and provides prospective and current students, researchers, staff, families, and all visitors with the opportunity to engage in conversation with one another. I am particularly looking forward to these informal and personal interactions at OPEN CAMPUS.”

Wiebke Hahn, Head of Communications, “The Martian Mindset” Cluster of Excellence “I’m looking forward to discovering even more of the University of Bremen’s diversity at OPEN CAMPUS. Lectures on “Satellite Views of Icebergs” are followed by “Transnational Literary Studies,” showing the great scope of research on campus. Another highlight for me is the many guests who are not usually on campus every day. Discussing our new cluster and the possibilities of human presence on Mars with them will certainly be exciting. For those who want to learn more about the Red Planet, I highly recommend the tour at ZARM, which also picks up on cluster topics with the theme “A Research Station on Mars? Not So Easy!”

Zoe Bankole, Media and Communication Studies major with a minor in Art - Media - Aesthetic Education “I’m really looking forward to the diverse stage program. Honestly, if it weren’t for that, I probably wouldn’t have planned to go to OPEN CAMPUS as a fourth-semester student. But I really enjoy live music – especially in the summer. Above all, I am excited to hear the university choir. I haven’t had a chance to do that yet. I am curious to see which faces I’ll recognize from lectures and seminars.”

More Information:

OPEN CAMPUS 2026 website