FAQ

The Triennial of Photography Hamburg is an internationally renowned photography festival that takes place every three years in collaboration with the city’s major museums, exhibition venues, and cultural institutions. The festival was initiated in 1999 by the German collector and photographer F.C. Gundlach. Since then, it has developed into one of the most important photography events in Germany.   

Each edition is dedicated to a distinct curatorial concept developed by rotating artistic directors. The exhibitions address highly topical themes and are complemented by an extensive supporting program featuring international and interdisciplinary symposia, artist talks, panels, lectures, and portfolio reviews.   

The artistic director of the 9th Hamburg Photography Triennial 2026 is Prof. Dr. Mark Sealy. The 8th Triennial in 2022 was under the artistic direction of Koyo Kouoh, while the 7th Triennial in 2018 was directed by Krzysztof Candrowicz.   

The theme of the 9th Triennial of Photography Hamburg 2026 is: Alliance, Infinity, Love – in the Face of the Other. Under the artistic direction of Mark Sealy, the 9th Triennial explores the significance of photography in our time and reveals that the medium can do more than observe: photography connects, challenges, and brings social issues to light. 

More about the curatorial concept can be found here.  

As part of the 9th Triennial of Photography Hamburg 2026, eleven exhibitions will be presented at eight renowned museums and exhibition venues throughout the city. Alliance, Infinity, Love – in the Face of the Other provides the thematic framework for all eleven exhibitions and invites visitors to experience photography as a space of responsibility, justice, and humanity.

In this context, Alliance refers to the power of connection through the recognition of difference. Infinity speaks to the boundless possibilities of being human, the infinite capacity for acts of kindness, and aims to foster a community that is limitless in its inclusivity. Love is understood as a conscious act of connection, as an active force – and becomes the driving force for change in photography. The exhibitions are clustered around these concepts.

Further details on the exhibitions can be found here.

The Opening Days of the 9th Triennial of Photography Hamburg 2026 will take place from June 4 to 14, 2026. With an opening ceremony, performances, artist talks, guided tours, screenings, and many other opportunities for inspiration and encounters, the first ten days of the festival form an interdisciplinary kick-off phase that connects artistic practice with social issues and theoretical reflection.

With the Triennial Expanded, the 9th Triennial of Photography Hamburg 2026 is once again committed to raising the profile of Hamburg’s independent photography scene and connecting regional and international players. As part of a call for submissions in the summer of 2025, Hamburg-based artists, curators, collectives, and project spaces were invited to engage with the theme Alliance, Infinity, Love – in the Face of the Other. A jury selected the 15 projects to be funded by the 9th Triennial, which will be presented at various locations in Hamburg during the Opening Days from June 4 to 14, 2026.   

More information on the individual projects is available here.

You can find an overview of all events of the 9th Triennial (June 5 to September 22, 2026) in the calendar. 

Fotosommer is an open platform that highlights exhibitions and events related to photography in Hamburg alongside the 9th Triennial. Participants in Hamburg’s independent photography and art scene can independently register their projects for the period from June 5 to September 22 using an online form. This creates an overview of photographic activities in the city that goes beyond the official Triennale programme to showcase the diversity of the local scene.

Exhibitions or events that you would like to include in the Fotosommer can be registered using these forms. The entry will be published once it has been reviewed by the Triennial team. Processing takes 2–3 working days.  

Unfortunately, we cannot consider unsolicited requests to participate. The exhibiting artists were selected by invitation.

You can add self-organized exhibitions and events to the Fotosommer.

The 9th Triennial of Photography Hamburg 2026 will take place from June 5 to September 22, 2026.

The Opening Days are scheduled for June 4–14, 2026. 

The detailed program can be found here.   

The exhibitions at the eight participating institutions may have different dates than the festival. You can find the dates for the individual exhibitions here.   

The opening hours of the eleven institutional exhibitions vary; they can be found on the respective institutions’ websites.

All event times for the 9th Triennial, the Triennial Expanded, and the Fotosommer can be found in the calendar.

The 9th Triennale will take place from June 5 to September 22, 2026, in museums, exhibition venues, and art institutions, as well as galleries, independent project spaces, and art spaces throughout Hamburg. All locations are listed on the Triennial Map, which can be found here digitally and printed at the festival centre.   

The festival centre, including the info point, is located in the outdoor area in front of the Deichtorhallen. This area serves as a venue and a space for people to come together, relax and reflect.

The eleven institutional exhibitions of the 9th Triennial will be on view at the Deichtorhallen Hamburg with the Hall for Contemporary Art, the PHOXXI – Temporary House of Photography, the F.C Gundlach Collection and the Falckenberg Collection; the Bucerius Kunst Forum; the Hamburger Kunsthalle; the Kunsthaus Hamburg; the Kunstverein Hamburg; the MARKK – Museum am Rothenbaum. World Cultures and Arts; the Museum of Work as well as the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg.

The projects of the Triennial Expanded will be presented during the Opening Days of the 9th Triennial, from June 4 to 14, 2026. The Triennale Expanded will take place at the following locations: Festival Center at the Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Frappant Gallery, FRISE Artists’ House, Galerie Gruppe Motto, Q.E.D. (FKA Galerie Melike Bilir), Galerie Oel-Früh, Galerie Rondel, HFBK Boutique & Satellit Pop-Up Space, Gleishalle Oberhafen, Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof; Vitrinen Gleis ¾, Levantehaus Gallery, M.Bassy e.V., Millerntorwache, Teehaus Große Wallanlagen (Planten un Blomen), The Space //.

The info point for the 9th Triennial is located at the festival centre in front of the Deichtorhallen Hamburg. 

Our partner hotel, Hotel PIERDREI, is within walking distance of the festival center.  You can find additional options on the Hamburg Tourismus website.

Information on the accessibility of the venues can be found on their respective websites.  

Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Halle für aktuelle Kunst  

PHOXXI. Haus der Photographie Temporär,   

Sammlung Falckenberg,   

Bucerius Kunstforum,  

Hamburger Kunsthalle  

Kunsthaus Hamburg  

Kunstverein in Hamburg  

MARKK – Museum am Rothenbaum. Kulturen und Künste der Welt   

Museum der Arbeit  

Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe   

The 9th Triennale will take place from June 5 to September 22, 2026, in museums, exhibition venues, and art institutions, as well as galleries, independent project spaces, and art spaces throughout Hamburg. All locations are listed on the Triennial Map, which can be found on the website and is available at the info point on the festival center as well as at the ticket offices of the participating institutions.

Directions to the festival center

We recommend using public transportation. The closest stops to the festival center at the Deichtorhallen are Steinstraße (U-Bahn) and Meßberg (U-Bahn), as well as the main train station (Hauptbahnhof), which serves U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines and buses. It is about an 800-meter walk from the main train station.   

You can find current schedule information at the Hamburger Verkehrsbund (hvv).  

By car, you can reach the festival center via Deichtorplatz, heading toward HafenCity. The Deichtorhallen have a paid parking lot; access is via the Oberbaumbrücke.  

Getting to other exhibitions

The individual venues along the Kunstmeile are within walking distance of the festival center. The Museum der Arbeit can be reached via the Barmbek stop (U-Bahn and S-Bahn). The MARKK – Museum am Rothenbaum. Cultures and Arts of the World can be reached via the Hallerstraße stop (U-Bahn and bus), Dammtor (S-Bahn), Böttgerstraße (bus), and Museum am Rothenbaum (bus).  

The three guiding terms (Alliance, Infinity, Love) form the common thread running through all eleven exhibitions and invite visitors to go beyond simply viewing photography and become active participants in a shared cultural experience. There is no set route for visiting the exhibitions.    

From June 4 to 6, 2026, all eleven exhibitions at the city’s eight participating museums and exhibition venues will open as part of a three-day Opening Parcours. On June 4, the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Kunsthaus, the Kunstverein in Hamburg, and the Deichtorhallen will open. On June 5, the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, the Museum der Arbeit, the Kunsthaus Hamburg, and the Sammlung Falkenberg will open. On June 6, the MARRK – Museum am Rothenbaum. Cultures and Arts of the World and the Bucerius Kunst Forum will open. 

During the Opening Days from June 4 to 14, 2026, the Triennial Ticket grants one-time admission to each of the eleven exhibitions of the 9th Triennial of Photography 2026.  

The Triennial Ticket can be purchased during the Opening Days from June 4 to 14, 2026, at the participating museums and art institutions of the 9th Triennial. Participating venues include the Deichtorhallen Hamburg, PHOXXI. Haus der Photographie Temporär, Sammlung Falckenberg, Bucerius Kunstforum, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Kunsthaus Hamburg, Kunstverein in Hamburg, MARKK – Museum am Rothenbaum. Cultures and Arts of the World, Museum der Arbeit, and Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe.

During the Opening Days from June 4 to 14, we recommend the Triennial Ticket, which grants access to all eleven exhibitions of the 9th Triennale. However, it is also possible to visit individual exhibitions separately. Tickets can be purchased at the box offices of the respective venues.  

Starting June 15, individual tickets for the exhibitions must be purchased at the respective museums. The Kunstmeilen-Pass grants access to all Kunstmeile institutions.  

The Triennial Ticket, available during the Opening Days from June 4 to 14, 2026, costs €35 (regular price) and €25 (reduced price). With the Hamburg Card, regular admission is €28 and reduced admission is €18. Admission is free for children and young people under 18. 

Reduced admission is available to students, apprentices, and volunteers up to age 27, as well as people with severe disabilities, the unemployed, recipients of social assistance, and seniors.  

Holding a Hamburg Card entitles you to an additional discount.  

Admission is free for children and young people under 18.

The Triennial Ticket, which is valid during the Opening Days from June 4 to 14, is a single-entry ticket.

For group inquiries regarding the Opening Days, please contact ; inquiries for later dates must be directed to the respective venues.

Yes, with a Hamburg Card, the Triennial Ticket costs the €28 regularly and €18 reduced.