The Blue Night Art Competition is an open call as part of the annual cultural festival The Blue Night in Nuremberg’s historic city centre. Artists are invited to create site‑specific, temporary art projects for public spaces, courtyards, and special locations that can accommodate large visitor flows. Selected projects will be presented over two nights (23–24 April 2027) to an audience of around 10,000 visitors. The competition is open to individuals and collectives across all artistic disciplines, including installations, light art, performance, media art, and interactive or participatory formats. Purely painting or sculpture exhibitions are excluded.
Applicants must submit a short concept (max. 2 pages) and a detailed cost breakdown covering materials, personnel, technical equipment, transport, accommodation, and performance rights. A CV and contact details are required. Applications are submitted digitally to blaue.nacht@stadt.nuernberg.de by 31 July 2026.
Selected artists receive a flat fee of €1,500 (plus VAT) covering concept development, preparation, installation, de‑installation, and attendance during the preview and the festival. In addition, up to €4,500 (incl. VAT) for material and project costs will be reimbursed upon submission of receipts. An advance of up to €750 is available upon request. The competition will select up to ten projects in autumn 2026 for realization in 2027.
The organisers provide curated realization in public space, organisational and technical support, and access to a variety of venues across the city, including courtyards, squares, and historic buildings. Artists must be present at their project on both festival days. The project must be continuously accessible for 4–5 hours on Friday and Saturday. Travel, accommodation, and transport costs are reimbursable within the material budget, but no separate travel support or housing is offered.