Program Update May: 36 new events for Festival 2026

Published on May 22, 2026

Since the program went live, 36 more events have joined the lineup of the Nürnberg Digital Festival 2026. The festival, running from 22 June to 2 July, is taking sharper shape — with a clear focus on AI in practice, fresh voices from public administration, industry, and the community, and unusual formats ranging from escape rooms to LEGO® Serious Play® to crisis communications. Here's the overview:

Data Science & AI: 9 slots, one direction

Data Science & AI: The New Core

AI is the dominant theme of this update. The range stretches from an administration workshop at the IHK to a datathon with AI agents — and it's noticeable that practical orientation has taken over from orientation alone.

Referenzfinder: AI without Hallucinations – find reliable sources instead of invented facts | Workshop
Artificial Intelligence and Academic Work – Lecture
AI in Practice in Administration – making everyday work more efficient | Workshop
Generative AI as a Toolbox for Everyday Work – Workshop
Playing AI Right – from hype to strategic reality | Workshop
Tech Day: AI in Companies – from use case to secure implementation | Conference
Prompting That Actually Works – better results with AI | Workshop
Resource Optimization for AI Applications – Workshop
Agentic Datathon – analyzing data with AI agents | Hackathon

Business & Innovation: From LEGO to EUDI

Business & Innovation: Seven Ways to Think Differently

Seven events showing how varied innovation can look — once with building blocks, once with European ID infrastructure, once as an open house at the Klee Center.

Build, Think, Create – new ideas with LEGO Serious Play | Workshop
Shapes of Tomorrow – the future between utopia and visualization | Workshop
Recode Business Operation – Workshop
Digital Identity: Innovation in Digitalization through the EUDI – in-person | Conference
Digital Identity: Innovation in Digitalization through the EUDI – virtual | Conference
Escape Room: Mission Totally Connected – securing the supply chain | Escape Room
Klee Center Open House – Open House

Marketing & Communications: Stories, crises, channels

Marketing & Communications: Between Crisis Comms and Canva

Six slots that look at communications work from several angles: city-hall crisis press, behind the scenes at the radio station, AI-driven video and LinkedIn design.

Blindgänger: Hacker Attacks and Baboons – credible crisis communication for a major city | Talk
Funkhaus Tour – Behind the Scenes | Guided Tour
The Video Production Revolution – how AI makes video scalable | Workshop
Open Coffee Club Nuremberg – Networking
3-2-1: How to Stand Out on LinkedIn with Canva – Workshop
Talentwerk Shows Impact with Quality Seals – winning apprentices: genuine, honest, successful | Talk

Society & Culture: Play, think, take responsibility

Society & Culture: From Fruit Piano to Bias Debate

Six events on how society engages with technology — from a fruit piano for the senses to the workplace bias debate.

Fruit Piano & Spoon Controllers – hands-on sound installation | Interactive
AI Exam: Prompt to Success – exam knowledge instead of exam anxiety in the trades | Workshop
Think with Your Hands – Workshop
Chamber of Crafts Escape Room – Escape Room
Systemically Towards AI – competencies, culture, transformation | Workshop
AI at Work – between bias, responsibility and regulation | Panel

Security & Digital Sovereignty: When it gets serious

Security & Digital Sovereignty: Three Events, No Drama

Three events that look at sovereignty and security without drama — from a real hacking case in an SME to the IndieWebCamp.

When the Shadow Clicks – a real hacking case and how SMEs can protect themselves | Talk
IT Sovereignty & Open Source Software Day II – Conference
IndieWebCamp Nuremberg 2026 – Unconference

Sustainability, Work Culture and UX: The other voices

Sustainability, Work Culture & UX: The Other Voices

Five slots from the smaller clusters that round out the picture: visions for the energy transition, crisis support beyond AI, future skills, the UX meetup.

Lecture Series: Sustainability & Energy Transition – Lecture
Escape Digital: Mission Future – your path through AI, climate & cable chaos | Escape Room
Digital Crisis Support in Everyday Life – when AI no longer helps | Talk
Future Skills: Mental Strength – what employees need now | Workshop
UX Stammtisch Franken – Meetup

With this update, the 2026 program hasn't become any more abstract — it's become more concrete. Anyone planning around the festival from 22 June to 2 July now has 36 more reasons to block the dates. The complete overview of all 240+ events across the ten festival days is available in the Program 2026. And if you don't want to miss anything: subscribe to the newsletter or follow on LinkedIn.