A free, open-access two-day festival at IPAI SPACES in Heilbronn's Zukunftspark Wohlgelegen, 25–26 July 2026. Organised by the non-profit IPAI Foundation, the KI FESTIVAL combines public AI keynotes, interactive exhibits, workshops, art installations, and outdoor activities targeting citizens of all generations, not exclusively professionals. No registration required.
KI FESTIVAL is an annual public AI festival organised by the IPAI Foundation gGmbH, a non-profit entity that is part of the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) in Heilbronn. Unlike most events in the developer-AI circuit, KI FESTIVAL is explicitly free to attend and requires no registration, with a stated goal of making AI accessible to the general public, including families, students, and senior citizens, alongside professionals and researchers. The festival is held at IPAI SPACES within the Zukunftspark Wohlgelegen campus in Heilbronn. The address is Im Zukunftspark 11/13, 74076 Heilbronn. The 2026 edition is at minimum the second edition, with 2025 highlights referenced on the organiser's website.
Day 1 (25 July) runs 11:00–21:00 with the official opening ceremony at 12:00. Day 2 (26 July) runs 11:00–18:00. The organiser reports 50+ speakers, 20+ workshops, 50+ use cases from practice, and a target of 15,000+ visitors (all self-reported). Confirmed programme elements for 2026 include keynotes from Eva Gengler (feminist AI and algorithmic bias), Tobias Rees (co-founder of Stella Matutina, CEO of Limn AI, philosophy and technology), and Dr. Vinzent Hankel (AI in oncology radiotherapy). Workshops include sessions on vibe coding, responsible AI and deepfake response, and building embodied agents on humanoid robot hardware (AgiBot X2 Ultra). Art installations include "Mother Earth Ai" (open-source AI voiced by indigenous knowledge and environmental data) and "Embodied AI and Creativity" (a collaborative drawing robot arm from TU Berlin). Outdoor activities include beach volleyball and live music. Foodtrucks are on site. A children's programme with workshops and creative activities is explicitly part of the offer.
KI FESTIVAL is one of very few free, public-access AI events in continental Europe at this scale. It is not part of the professional B2B circuit and does not compete directly with events such as GITEX Europe (Berlin, June) or Web Summit Porto (November). Its July timing places it in the summer holiday period for much of Germany. The Heilbronn location, approximately one hour from Stuttgart, means the primary catchment is Baden-Württemberg and the broader southwest German region, though the event draws visitors from further afield. The IPAI campus in Heilbronn is described by the organiser as "Europe's unique real-world laboratory for the future."
No advance registration is required. Entry is free.
The 2026 programme covers:
It is primarily a public event. The IPAI Foundation explicitly frames it as a "barrier-free educational offering for the general public," distinct from "classic tech trade fairs." The audience includes families, students, and senior citizens alongside professionals. While keynotes feature academics and industry researchers, and workshops cover technical topics, the event is designed to be accessible to people without a tech background.
No. The organiser states explicitly: "Eintritt frei - keine Anmeldung erforderlich" (free entry, no registration required). Attendees can arrive at IPAI SPACES during opening hours without a ticket or pre-registration.
IPAI SPACES is the physical campus of the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) in Heilbronn, located at Im Zukunftspark 11/13, 74076 Heilbronn. The Zukunftspark Wohlgelegen is a broader technology and innovation campus on the site of the former German Federal Horticultural Show (BUGA 2019) grounds along the Neckar river. The organiser references a "Neckar-Beach" area as part of the outdoor festival space. Shuttle services from various Heilbronn locations are provided during the event. Public parking is available in the surrounding area, including a nearby multi-storey car park. Cycling and public transport are recommended by the organiser.
The IPAI Foundation gGmbH is a non-profit company (gemeinnützige GmbH) based in Heilbronn. It is part of the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) ecosystem, which the organiser describes as the "Global Home of Human AI." The Foundation's stated focus areas are "AI Science and Transformation" and "AI Engagement and Literacy." The KI FESTIVAL is its flagship public engagement event. Key team members listed on the website include Constanze Zawadzky (Head of AI Engagement and Literacy), Alexandra von der Decken (Lead Programme Management), Nadja Baumann (Programme Management), Fabian Grau (Event Management), Janina Schmitz (Event Management), and Patrick Pickhan (Press and Social Media). Contact for press: press@ipai-foundation.ai. Contact for events: events@ip.ai. Festival contact: ki-festival@ipai-foundation.ai.
A free-admission public AI festival on a dedicated AI campus in Heilbronn, blending interactive exhibits, workshops, and keynotes for a broad audience including families and students, sitting outside the professional B2B circuit.
No registration is required. Entry is free. Attendees can arrive at IPAI SPACES during festival opening hours. No ticket purchase or online sign-up is required. Calendar save links for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook Calendar are available at ipai-foundation.ai/ki-festival.
The organiser recommends cycling or public transport. A shuttle service from various Heilbronn locations operates during the festival (specific times and departure points to be published on the website ahead of the event). Public parking is available near the Zukunftspark Wohlgelegen, including a multi-storey car park. Exhibitor reserved parking zones are separate from general visitor areas.
The festival is primarily outdoors but is prepared for rain. Exhibitor tents are described as rain-resistant. In the event of extreme weather, the organiser states that a safety plan is in place and attendees will be informed. Detailed protocols are not published in advance.
The organiser confirms that accessibility is a priority and states that detailed information on accessible routes, assistance services, and specific provisions will be published on the website ahead of the event.
| Official website | https://ipai-foundation.ai/ki-festival |
| Programme (partial, 2026) | https://ipai-foundation.ai/ki-festival |
| Register | Not required |
| Save to calendar | https://ipai-foundation.ai/ki-festival (calendar links provided) |
| IPAI Foundation | https://ipai-foundation.ai/ |
| Press contact | press@ipai-foundation.ai |