Your update on city life, tips, and upcoming events in Jena.
Jena, March 27, 2026. After nearly two decades, the traditional shop “Manufaktura” in downtown Jena is closing. Economic difficulties caused by the pandemic and a severe health blow force the owner couple to finally give up their life’s work.
Jena, March 27, 2026 – The Kunstsammlung Jena opens a new, provocative exhibition today. The well-known and sometimes controversial German contemporary artist Jonathan Meese dedicates an extensive show to the composer Richard Wagner – with a raw mixture of admiration and radical punk aesthetics.
Unknown perpetrators defaced the shop window of a party office in Kahla with large-scale graffiti during the night to Thursday. Officers from the Landespolizeiinspektion Jena discovered the markings during a routine patrol.
Jena, March 26, 2026. The program for the grand finale of this year’s Kulturarena has been finalized. On August 23, 2026, the Kyiv-based band Luiku will transform the Theatervorplatz into a massive dance floor with an explosive mix of Balkan beats, brass, and accordion sounds.
The Thüringer Ehrenamtsstiftung is once again looking for outstanding individuals, associations, and initiatives committed to the common good. Nominations for the Thüringer Engagement-Preis can be submitted online until the end of April.
On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, author Dorothee Riese will present her current novel at Schillers Gartenhaus in Jena as part of the series “Die Gunst des Augenblicks.”
Jena, March 26, 2026 – A Jena e-sports club is breaking new ground in youth work. Through collaborative computer gaming, social skills and the personality development of children and young people are to be specifically promoted.
Following the frost period in January, Kommunalservice Jena (KSJ) has started repairing extensive road damage across the city, with a primary focus on Camburger Straße and Fürstengraben.
The Higher Regional Court (OLG) Jena has declared the use of automated facial recognition in online exams inadmissible, awarding a student compensation for data protection violations.
On August 4, 2026, Dutch electronic artist LudoWic will perform at Trafo in Jena as part of the Kulturarena festival, featuring the rare Trautonium instrument.