Halloween street festival in the Edelsteinviertel district of Darmstadt with photo spots, a crypt, waffles, punch, mulled wine, a dance floor and music; organized by neighbors from the Edelsteinviertel.

HALLOWEEN PARTY Street Festival at Busenberg 9

Am Busenberg 9

Charango solo set by Patricio Sullivan from Buenos Aires, combining Latin American folk roots with tango and classical music, with voice, loops and percussion.

PATRICIO SULLIVAN Charango Solo Set

Agora-Kultur am Ostbahnhof

Music and literature merge into a unified listening experience: Andreas Kuch improvises at the piano to short texts and audience suggestions, while Esther Bertram shapes the evening through speaking and singing.

DUO LYDHAVN Piano Phantasms with Esther Bertram and Andreas Kuch

Stylish magic, refined humor and magical moments: an evening full of laughter, puzzles and wonder with magician Mlodini.

MLODINI Magic

The singer Elsa Johanna Mohr and guitarist Flávio Nunes present Brazilian classics and original compositions from the album "Em Julho".

Elsa Johanna Mohr & Flávio Nunes Quartet – Brazil Jazz

Ezé 2026 – 10 Years Between Worlds! Danceable, heartfelt, poetic and funny: a jubilee with Germ-Afro vibes in clubs across the country. The Burkinabe musician and Germanist Ezé brings together dynamic musical styles from the diverse African continent with lyrics in German, French and Mòoré. On this tour, Ezé performs with his trio. Local support in Darmstadt: Fofana Jo with his trio as the opening set.

EZÉ "10 Years Between Worlds"

Clothing swap (Kleidertausch) at Agora. Bring well-kept, washed clothing to swap; free admission, cake donations welcome. Also a book and CD swap shelf in the foyer.

KLEIDERTAUSCH at Agora

Agora

Bartók's Vision, Jazz Improvisation, Balkan Fireworks. The archaic character of traditional music, the refinement of classical composition, the energy of rock and the purity of Bartók's thinking shape the Hungarian band Söndörgő.

SÖNDÖRGŐ (Folk, Classical and Jazz from Hungary)

Cabaret, satire and plain talk from HG. Butzko, with human rather than artificial intelligence.

HG. Butzko: "Das wolln wir doch mal sehn" ("Let's just see about that")

Open community bake day at the AGORA wood-fired oven between Haus A and B, Erbacherstr 89. Bring your own dough to bake pizza, bread, cake or anything else; experienced bakers are on hand to help.

Offener Ofenbacktag bei AGORA

Music as a conversation between two – free, open and full of warmth. The transatlantic duo of John Stowell (USA) on guitar and Norbert Dömling (Germany) on double bass creates a sound space that is at once delicate and powerful.

John Stowell & Norbert Dömling – Jazz

A musical and cultural journey through West Africa. Dancers Ibrahima Ndiaye (Senegal) and Koffi-Kégou Afiadegnigban (Togo) present traditional and contemporary dances, accompanied by the Senegalese musical group African Melodie with kora, drums and polyphonic singing.

Bal Poussière: AFRICAIN MELODIE, IBRAHIMA NDIAYE, KOFFI-KÉGOU AFIADEGNIGBAN

"Der blaue Bereich" plays modern jazz with folkloric undertones. Alongside original compositions, the repertoire includes pieces by European and American jazz musicians such as Louis Sclavis and Charles Mingus.

DER BLAUE BEREICH – Jazz

A summer evening of street theatre: The Just for Fun Express pedals through town and country, bringing street theatre directly to the people. Program includes partner acrobatics, trapeze artistry, hand shadow theatre and office comedy.

JUST FOR FUN EXPRESS – Street Theatre

Lecture, reading and discussion by publicist and Middle East expert Johannes Zang on the political and social situation of Palestinian Christians in Palestine and Israel. Admission free – donations welcome. Invitation from the SoliKreis Michaelsgemeinde.

Johannes Zang: Lecture, Reading and Discussion on Christians in Palestine

The Brazilian music duo Couple Coffee – singer Luanda Cozetti and bassist Norton Daiello – blends jazz and bossa nova with Portuguese and Brazilian musical styles such as fado and choro.

COUPLE COFFEE – Portuguese-Brazilian-Jazzy

Two sharp tongues, current topics and punchlines by the assembly line – that is Kabbaratz. When Evelyn Wendler and Peter Hoffmann meet, linguistic brilliance and intellectual twists and turns are guaranteed.

KABBARATZ "The Most Beautiful German Word – (Almost) a Declaration of Love"

The Darmstadt singer-songwriter Mira Cohan performs both her own largely autobiographical songs and carefully selected international classics from jazz, Latin and chanson. She is accompanied by Jeremy Fast on guitar.

MIRA COHAN + JEREMY FAST – Songs

With 20 strings, two voices and plenty of charm, this likable group from the Rhine-Main region stands out. True to the genre, the Gypsy Jazz combo features two guitars, a double bass and a violin. MAINOUCHE performs standards from the 1920s and 1930s, compositions by Django Reinhardt, and an assortment of related songs and styles in a Gypsy jazz style.

MAINOUCHE – Gypsy Jazz

Kongero is a Swedish vocal group made up of three folk singers: Lotta Andersson, Emma Björling and Anna Wikénius. Kongero was founded in 2005 and has performed at folk music festivals as well as a cappella and chamber music festivals in Europe, Asia and America. Their repertoire consists of original songs and melodies arranged by the members themselves; they call their genre Swedish Folk'appella.

KONGERO – Folk'appella from Sweden

Choro, samba and Brazilian jazz with Nelson Latif (cavaquinho), Mariano González (percussion) and Brazilian singer Nana Pastorello on some of the pieces.

NELSON LATIF & MARIANO GONZÁLEZ & NANA PASTORELLO – Choro, Samba and Brazilian Jazz

Public oven baking day at the AGORA oven between Buildings A and B, Erbacherstr. 89. Bring your own dough or simply come and enjoy the bread; experienced AGORA bakers will help with the baking.

Open Oven Baking Day at AGORA

Sol del Sur are the Chileans Patricio Padilla and Rodolfo Lehnebach and the Peruvian Tito Rodríguez. Music from Latin America with self-written songs and improvisations on the folklore of Mexico, Chile and Black Peru, as well as pieces by Latin American singer-songwriters such as Violeta Parra, Pablo Milanés and Victor Jara. Handmade music, unplugged.

PATRICIO PADILLA y SOL DEL SUR

The Darmstadt band "Line Seven" consists of eight experienced musicians who offer audiences a very varied acoustic menu drawing on a wide range of musical styles. The focus is on soul, rock, and rhythm & blues, garnished with a touch of funk and Latin: gripping songs from four decades.

LINE SEVEN

A free comic adaptation after Shakespeare. Sir John Falstaff and his three cronies scrape by in Windsor; when his double-dealing with two citizens' wives is uncovered, the ladies plot a sweet revenge. Solo comedy with Bernd Lafrenz, directed by Abel Aboualiten.

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Jazz and French Songs with Marianne Djaida Henry-Perret. Admission €15, reduced €10. Tickets are available at the new DA shop in the Rathausfoyer and through ztix.

MARIANNE ET LES GARÇONS – Jazz and French Songs

The music of Omid Bahadori and Arne Nickel is marked by the breaking down of cultural barriers. Two outstanding musical personalities have joined forces here, drawing on the full range of their abilities to take the audience on a captivating journey through unique soundscapes.

Omid Bahadori & Arne Nickel – A Fascinating Musical Journey

GiuSte means "the right ones" in Italian. The Duo GiuSte, consisting of Steph Winzen (saxophone) and Giulia Mandruzzato (piano), plays classical music up to the modern era, with works by Piazzolla, Debussy, Darius Milhaud and others.

Duo GiuSte – from Debussy to Piazzolla

Singer-songwriter and storyteller. The new album "FLOW" combines 12 songs with a picture book illustrated by Ukrainian artist Tanya (Tetiana SheWolf). JulaKim and Hector Bliss will join for some of the pieces.

RONJA MALTZAHN – Singer-Songwriter and Storyteller

Documentary film from South Tyrol. Directed by Meike Hollnaicher and Thomas Schäfer. Film in collaboration with Hofgut Oberfeld. Running time 62 minutes, FSK: no age restriction. Admission free – donations welcome.

TIAN – Generation Farmfluencer

The all-women band Navani takes its audience into the colorful world of Brazilian music, with a special focus on works by female composers who are still little known in Germany.

NAVANI – Brazil Sounds in Germany

Documentary film by Robert Schabus, shown in cooperation with Hofgut Oberfeld. Admission free – donations welcome.

Alpenland

The fusion band "Gersprenz Valley" presents jazz-rock pieces from the 1970s and 1980s as well as newly rehearsed original fusion compositions. Admission is free – donations welcome.

GERSPRENZ VALLEY – Jazz-Rock Fusion

For the Hessischer Rundfunk's Day of Music, each member of the band has chosen four favorites from the Tuxedos' repertoire. The program highlights the band's more than 20 years and offers an overview of different styles of jazz, well beyond swing.

The SWINGING TUXEDOS feat. PETRA BASSUS – Our Favorites

Open stage evening at Agora-Kultur am Ostbahnhof, Darmstadt. Each musician or band has 30 minutes to perform, mostly unplugged, followed by an acoustic session. Free admission, donations welcome.

AGORA ABERTA #33 – Der Offene Bühne

Reading and conversation with Renate Heß on the anthology "Der Pitangabaum der Nachbarin" (Edition Noack & Block, 2025), featuring stories from Guinea-Bissau.

RENATE HESS – Stories from Guinea-Bissau

Clothing swap in the hall (large seminar room) at Agora: swap clothing that is in good condition and freshly washed. Admission is free, (cake) donations are welcome. In the foyer there is also a book and CD swap shelf.

Clothing Swap at Agora

Frankfurt singer-songwriter Mane Stelzer brings her mix of folk, blues, jazz and pop to the stage in an intimate, varied performance, joined by Dennis Lapp as a duo.

MANE – Singer-Songwriter – with Dennis Lapp

Stephanie Wagner & Norbert Dömling – Flute 'n' Bass expand their sound palette further than ever with Elektrolyte. The duo presents itself in an electrified, highly flexible lineup with C flute, alto flute, bass flute, electric bass and 6-string fretless bass, effects and live looping, without any pre-production.

FLUTE 'n' BASS – Stephanie Wagner & Norbert Dömling – "Elektrolyte" CD Release

A sociable evening full of fun and movement, with a mix of folk dances (English Ceilidh, Barn Dance, Country Dance). No prior experience or dance partner needed. The folk band Chance to Dance from southern Hesse plays traditional music with accordions, fiddle and double bass.

CHANCE TO DANCE – English Ceilidh

Balkan music, klezmer and more. A colorful mix of traditional and popular Eastern European music, drawing mainly on Romani and Yiddish culture, complemented by Southern European pieces and original compositions.

SCHMACKES – Balkan, Klezmer and More

An East-West session in the interplay of lyrical sound textures and impulsive grooves. Indian ragas meet lively improvisations – a thrilling exchange between two worlds.

DEBASISH GANGULY & CLAUS BOESSER-FERRARI – Sitar and Guitar

Accordion magic, drum codes, Western strings. An energetic world mix with driving grooves and trance-like melodies.

Cathrin Pfeifer & Trezoulé

Screening of "Made in Bangladesh" and discussion with Andreas Wulf (medico international). Held as part of Fashion Revolution Week in memory of the victims of the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh. Following the film, there is an expert discussion.

Fashion Revolution Week – Screening of "Made in Bangladesh" and Discussion

Once again this year, with plenty of improv theater, the Darmstadt ensemble Kopfkino returns to the Agora in a new lineup. Kopfkino is a colorful crew of poets, jugglers, creatives, sprites, gangsters, word acrobats and clowns. Together with ideas from the audience, funny, questioning, secretive and loud scenes come to life. Exactly what will happen that evening, nobody knows yet – pure premiere.

KOPFKINO – Improv Theater

Şuanda (shuanda) is the Turkish expression for 'at the moment / right now,' and thus the motto of Alina Bauer's brand-new trio. Traditional music of Eastern Europe and Asia Minor, rooted in klezmer, with an energetic program drawn from Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Greece and Turkey.

ŞUANDA – Traditional Music of Eastern Europe and Asia Minor

"Voices of the Earth" – A song recital featuring songs from around the world. Traditional songs from Portugal, Spain and Italy meet Yiddish melodies and the rhythms of the Balkans.

CECILIA VINÇON "Voices of the Earth"

On the life and work of Liesl Karlstadt, presented by her great-nephew Andreas Wellano.

Wellano! Are You Still Alive?

Jutta Janzen reads from her book „Marie, das Blüten und Leute aller Art.“ Admission is free – donations welcome.

Reading: Jutta Janzen „Marie, das Blüten und Leute aller Art“

The successful Senegalese group Africain Melodie takes us on a musical journey that touches the soul, with its diverse, polyphonic rhythms and melodies. Immersed in the magical light of crystals, and enriched by a solo from dancer and choreographer Modou Dieng, the concert becomes a unique musical and visual experience. Part of the program is the performance "Thirst" by the Ukrainian dance company JazzBalletKiev.

Bal Poussière: AFRICAN MELODY & MODOU DIENG & JAZZBALLETKIEV

Open stage with musicians: Each musician or band has 30 minutes to present their pieces – preferably unplugged or with subtle amplification. Afterward, an acoustic session. Admission free – donations welcome.

AGORA ABERTA #32 – The Open Stage

The somewhat different morning drinks event for the Darmstadt municipal election. With candidates who cannot be sure whether they will or will not make it. The audience is also asked questions. Entertainingly moderated, somewhere between deadly serious and champagne mood, by Evelyn Wendler and Peter Hoffmann of the Kabarett Kabbaratz.

"Die letzten werden die ersten sein!" BRUNCH-STYLE MORNING DRINKS FOR THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION

Information event and discussion. Through land speculation, farmland, meadows and pastures have become unaffordable for farmers. The Kulturland Cooperative takes agricultural land out of speculation. As an ambassador of the Kulturland Cooperative, Mathias Sommer presents the goals and working methods of the organization and explains ways to participate and provide support. Admission free – donations welcome.

Presentation of the Kulturland Cooperative “Farmers Need Land”

The Thea Florea Jazz Collective is a jazz ensemble made up of virtuosic, highly individual musicians who perform a repertoire of original compositions. Their compositions are personal developments of the work of, among others, Wayne Shorter and Jack DeJohnette.

Thea Florea Jazz Collective

Wiesbaden's first improv theater presents improv theater with music: the audience supplies the prompts, and Bernhard Mohr, Helga Liewald and musician Michael Bibo perform spontaneous scenes.

SUBITO! – The Improv Show with Music

Filmmaker Rolf Teigler from Berlin visits Agora to present several of his films together with Ensemble21. A conversation with the filmmaker follows. Program: Der große Hamoudi (2011), Nachtweyhs Nacht (2010), Opfer (2005), Frühstück ab 8 (2002), Frischfleisch (2000).

Short Films with Strong Themes by Rolf Teigler

The past year will already be history by January 30, 2026. Over its 365 days it delivered many small and large stories, full of cabaret potential. And HG.Butzko has noted them all. And commented on them. And pasteurized and pureed them, but above all always made them pointed. The result is a whirlwind ride through the headlines of the past year and a potpourri of good cheer that you should not miss.

HG.BUTZKO "Klappe zu! – The Satirical Year in Review"

Jutta Glaser & Claus Boesser-Ferrari – A Furious Sonic Journey. Two outstanding musicians, the singer Jutta Glaser and the guitarist Claus Boesser-Ferrari, come together to rediscover the musical conversation, the art of storytelling and spontaneous improvisation. Repertoire spanning jazz, pop, folk and world music.

DAZZ 2026: Jutta Glaser & Claus Boesser-Ferrari

Open stage evening: each musician or band has 30 minutes to present their pieces, mostly unplugged or with subtle amplification, followed by an informal acoustic session. Admission free, donations welcome.

AGORA ABERTA #31

SVM3 is the trio of pianist Svetlana Marinchenko. At DAZZ she performs with Jonathan Boudevin on drums and Natasha Zaychenko on bass. Expect a fusion of different musical currents that can be grouped under the term "contemporary jazz": Russian drama, electronic effects, groove and rock-inflected energy, with a touch of experimental music.

DAZZ 2026: SVM3 – Svetlana Marinchenko Trio

Esquinas de Nuez ("Nut Corners") blends tango and jazz aesthetics with influences from klezmer and Balkan music. With "Viajando – Vom Reisen," the trio invites listeners on a musical journey from Buenos Aires through Mediterranean ports to remote corners of Europe.

DAZZ 2026: Esquinas de Nuez "Viajando – Vom Reisen"

As every year, we are presenting a series of short films “for the shortest day of the year.” The motto of the nationwide Short Film Day in 2025 is “Jetzt!” (“Now!”). The film program for the Agora Short Film Night is set: “Best of Deutscher Jugendfilmpreis 2025.” Eight films from the Deutscher Jugendfilmpreis 2025 will be shown. Recommended age: 12 and up.

Short Films for the “Shortest Day of the Year”

A concert reading of a special kind: a tribute to Ernesto Cardenal with GRUPO SAL DUO, moderated by Lutz Kliche and read by Peter Schmidt.

ERNESTO CARDENAL – a Tribute "Homesick for Paradise"

In cooperation with Hofgut Oberfeld, we present a feature film. It tells the life story of a man who grows up on a farm in Austria. In the mountains he finds happiness in both his career and his personal life, until World War II breaks out and he does not return to his homeland until many years later.

Film in Cooperation with Hofgut Oberfeld

3rd Vegu-Spirit Festival 2025 in Darmstadt. A day for mindfulness, health and plant-based nutrition. Motto: "Be U". Workshops, lectures, a Market of Possibilities, a raffle and a dance party.

Vegu Spirit Festival 2025

Wohnprojekt AGORA

Cabral Lobato and Rafaela de Abreu Mathias are the artists of the Ponte Aérea Duo. Their musical project combines Brazilian musical traditions with jazz and blues and focuses on original compositions.

DAZZ 2025: Ponte Aérea Duo – Brazil Jazz

Author reading in cooperation with the LiteraturInitiative. Tamara Krappmann reads from her second novel „Geiß“ about a dragon with goat eyes. Free admission – donations welcome.

Literature Scene South Hesse: TAMARA KRAPPMANN „Geiß“

Film "WIR ERBEN" by Simon Baumann. Documentary about the farm succession of an organic farming family in France, screened in cooperation with Hofgut Oberfeld.

WIR ERBEN

Born from the collaboration between Italian saxophonist Leonardo Radicchi and the two German musicians Markus Wach and Moritz Weissinger, this piano-less trio explores the relationship between melody and rhythm.

CONFLUENCES Jazz Trio with Leonardo Radicchi, Moritz Weissinger, Markus Wach

Open stage evening at Agora-Kultur am Ostbahnhof in Darmstadt. Performers have 30 minutes each, mostly unplugged or lightly amplified, followed by an informal acoustic session. Free entry, donations welcome.

Agora Open #35 – The Open Stage

Solo tour by Ansa Sauermann with a new program featuring reimagined songs from twelve years, four albums and two EPs.

ANSA SAUERMANN (Solo) – Worauf haben wir gewartet

Darmstadt local color meets crime-novel suspense: Fritz Deppert reads at the AGORA by Ostbahnhof. A selection of texts from his three crime novels featuring the investigator Philipp Buttmei, moderated by Andreas Roß.

FRITZ DEPPERT reads from his Buttmei mysteries

Everyone who feels like singing is invited! Group singing of single- and multi-part songs from various parts of the world (folk, pop, jazz, spiritual), with body and breathing warm-up exercises. No prior experience is required. Admission is free, donations are welcome.

SING ALONG, for Anyone Who Feels Like Singing!

West African concert with traditional dance interludes and images from Burkina Faso. Issouf and Kady Coulibaly of Compagnie Dounya.

Bal Poussière: COMPAGNIE DOUNYA from Burkina Faso

Author reading in cooperation with the LiteraturInitiative. Admission free – donations welcome.

Ludwigsbahnräuber

Darmstadt-born Ulli Jünemann, now living in Mainz, has shaped the German and European jazz scene for more than three decades with a distinctive alto saxophone voice.

ULLI JÜNEMANN QUARTET feat. Jeanfrançois Prins – Jazz

In cooperation with Hofgut Oberfeld, we present an interesting film.

Fine German-Czech short film fare. As every year, we present a series of short films “for the shortest day of the year.” The motto is “In Motion.” The film package for the Agora Short Film Night: “FEINKOŠT 2026: Beneath the Surface.” The Czech-German Short Film Tour 2026 comprises seven short documentaries about people asserting themselves in a faster and more demanding world.

KURZFILMTAG 2026: Short Films “for the Shortest Day of the Year”

Jazz flutist Cathrin Ambach, with Martin Lejeune (guitar), Nikolai Olshansky (double bass) and Holger Nesweda (drums), presents her own compositions and pieces of contemporary jazz.

DAZZ 2027: Cathrin Ambach Quartet

The Sinage Gypsy Trio performs its own compositions as well as works by Django Reinhardt and jazz and pop songs in the style of 1930s gypsy swing.

DAZZ 2027: Sinage Gypsy Trio

The Saxophone Quartet Mainz 04 presents the program "Faces and Phrases," a mix of the familiar and the new: heavy metal, Latin, jazz and classical, groove-driven and full of surprises.

DAZZ 2027: Saxophone Quartet Mainz 04

A satirical year-in-review by cabaret artist HG. Butzko, who comments on and pointedly skewers the events of the past year.

Agora - Kultur am Ostbahnhof

Nov 4, 2026

Literature Scene South Hesse: TAMARA KRAPPMANN „Geiß“

Nov 6, 2026

WIR ERBEN

Nov 8, 2026

CONFLUENCES Jazz Trio with Leonardo Radicchi, Moritz Weissinger, Markus Wach

Nov 13, 2026

Agora Open #35 – The Open Stage

Nov 14, 2026

ANSA SAUERMANN (Solo) – Worauf haben wir gewartet

Oct 31, 2026

HALLOWEEN PARTY Street Festival at Busenberg 9

Oct 29, 2026

PATRICIO SULLIVAN Charango Solo Set

Agora - Kultur am Ostbahnhof