Mainz leuchtet – Das Late Light Festival kicked off with an exhilarating start on Jockel-Fuchs-Platz on Thursday evening. Mayor Nino Haase, the Managing Directors of mainzplus Citymarketing, Katja Mailahn and Marc André Glöckner, and Prof. Dr. Susanne Weissman, President of Mainz University of Applied Sciences, officially launched the festival together, now in its third incarnation.
From September 25 to 27, 2025, Mainz city center will once again be transformed into an impressive mile of lights, with daily installations from 8 pm to 11 pm between the Rheingoldhalle and Schillerplatz.
The artistic light and video projections come from the Time-Based Media degree program at Mainz University of Applied Sciences. Professors Tjark Ihmels, Daniel Seideneder, Pascal Kulcsár, Benjamin Hohnheiser, and Olaf Hirschberg are responsible for the concept and execution.
“Mainz leuchtet – Das Late Light Festival has become one of our strongest cultural flagships in a very short period of time,” emphasized Mayor Haase. “The partnership between the city, the university, and the creative scene is unique in Germany, and the results are literally a sight to behold.”
Prof. Dr. Susanne Weissman is delighted with the third edition of the Late Light Festival: “As a university, we are extremely proud of Mainz leuchtet, a project that is quite literally a shining example of the creativity and commitment of our students and teaching staff and also of the partnership with the city of Mainz and mainzplus Citymarketing. The festival brings people together, inspiring and revitalizing the city in a unique way. As a university, we are delighted to be able to contribute to the attractiveness of our city with this project.”
Katja Mailahn and Marc André Glöckner were also pleased: “The special atmosphere when the city center lights up is what makes the festival so appealing. It revitalizes Mainz, brings people together, and shows how creative and diverse our city is.”
New locations that will be part of the festival for the first time in 2025, including the Old Cathedral of St. John and Leo Link jewelry store in Ludwigsstraße, are particularly noteworthy. This year, the installations will play at a total of twelve prominent locations in the heart of the city.
An accompanying program with city tours, activities, and the “Long Night” on Saturday, during which many stores will remain open until 10 pm, rounds off the festival. Parallel to the Mile of Lights, an exhibition in the LUX Pavilion of Mainz University of Applied Sciences will provide a look behind the scenes of the project.
Prof. Olaf Hirschberg emphasized the relevance of the students’ work: “The installations impressively demonstrate the creative potential of our students, and how universities can provide impetus for our cities.”
For more information, visit www.mainz-leuchtet.de
