After half a year as European Capital of Culture, the City of Chemnitz, the Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH and its many partners have drawn an exceptionally positive balance. Chemnitz 2025 has attracted the much-hoped-for attention of not only the people of Chemnitz, but also visitors from the region, Germany, Europe and the rest of the world. Visitor numbers have risen significantly in the city, the region, and the museums and cultural institutions. There has also been a noticeable increase in gastronomy, conferences and congresses as well as in public transport. The entire Capital of Culture region is benefiting from this increased interest, as reflected in the number of overnight stays. The motto of the European Capital of Culture, 'C the Unseen', could not be more fitting. For six months, a city and a region have become visible, attracting cultural tourists. Many of these tourists are visiting Chemnitz and the region for the first time. Their general verdict? They enjoy being here.

Events with record participation
Since the opening event on 18 January with around 80,000 guests, well over 1,000 events have already taken place as part of the Capital of Culture programme. Some formats reached a particularly large audience: for example, KOSMOS Chemnitz, a festival for culture and democracy, ended with a record 115,000 visitors. The Hat Festival in May attracted 105,000 visitors, twice as many as last year. Over 8,000 runners took part in the European Capital of Culture Marathon, and thousands of visitors and fans lined the route. At the opening of the PURPLE PATH art and sculpture trail in April, thousands of interested people were out and about in the 38 partner municipalities of the Capital of Culture region. The installation ‘The Universe in a Pearl’ by Rebecca Horn in the Hospital Church in Lößnitz has so far attracted 8,300 visitors and the ‘Entanglements’ exhibition in the revitalised Kulturbahnhof in Flöha 10,000. At the #3000Garages Festival on Whitsun weekend, over 7,000 people celebrated on the meadow of a large Chemnitz garage yard. At the Tango Festival, 6,000 tango fans danced and around 10,000 people have so far taken part in the hands-on activities at the region's maker hubs. The Capital of Culture's visitor and information centre has moved into the Hartmannfabrik, a renovated factory building and part of the 30 intervention areas of Chemnitz 2025. Up to 500 guests visit the centre every day.

Participation of people from Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region
A distinctive facet of Chemnitz 2025 is that the over 200 projects featured in the programme are being brought to life by around 900 protagonists from Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region, along with European and international collaborators. Additionally, 120 project ideas from individuals, associations, and initiatives were approved under the 'EUJA!' funding programme, which was specially set up for the Capital of Culture year. The local commitment is also evident in the significant participation in the Chemnitz 2025 volunteering programme. Since its inception in 2023, over 1,000 volunteers have registered, completing approximately 6,000 assignments to date.

The goal formulated in the application to get as many people as possible to take part is working. For example, 1600 amateur singers took part in a large musical at the Kulturkirche Chemnitz 2025. Around 2,500 people from Chemnitz actively participated in the realisation of the KOSMOS festival. Since May 2024, around 100 people over the age of 60 have been meeting weekly for dance workshops and a growing group of young people are constantly planning and realising their own projects with a large youth festival as the finale in October. 160 garage users have had their portraits taken by a photographer and the pictures can be seen in an exhibition. In April alone, around 600 people from Chemnitz planted around 400 apple trees in several community activities; the next planting festival will take place in autumn. Hundreds more are taking part in artistic projects with their stories, taking part in the countless hands-on events or realising their own micro-projects.

Cultural institutions show strong growth
The museums in Chemnitz are reporting consistently high visitor numbers:

The Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz recorded around 61,205 visitors in the period from January to May 2025 (2024: 29,507). The exhibitions on the architects Frei Otto and Kengo Kuma, the "European Realities" exhibition on realism movements of the 1920s and 30s and the newly opened Karl Schmidt-Rottluff House, one of the 30 intervention areas in the Chemnitz 2025 infrastructure programme, were particularly popular.
The Natural History Museum Chemnitz welcomed 10,668 visitors in the same period (2024: 8,370) and was particularly popular due to the ‘Fossil of the Year 2025’ exhibition and the presentation of the shark nursery.
By 9 June 2025, the Industrial Museum had welcomed a total of 49,775 visitors, an increase of 66.6% compared to the previous year. The special exhibition "Tales of Transformation" on the transformation of former European industrial cities planned for Chemnitz 2025 will run until 16 November.
The number of guided tours on offer has at least tripled in almost all facilities, and many dates are already fully booked months in advance. Villa Esche, as part of the Henry van de Velde Route, is one of the frontrunners with 327 guided tours in the first half of the year alone.

Overnight stays on the rise
As reported by the Chemnitz Zwickau Region Tourism Association, tourism demand in Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture Region increased in the first half of 2025. Overnight stay statistics have shown an increase since March in particular: Chemnitz recorded 9.8% more overnight stays in March 2025 than in the previous year, while growth in Zwickau was 7.5% (more up-to-date figures are not yet available). Many hotels in Chemnitz report almost full occupancy, particularly around major events such as the opening, Europe Week, Hat Festival or KOSMOS. Some hotels are reporting an increase in reservations of around 20 %. Numerous advance bookings have already been made for the coming months into the autumn.

Tourist information in high demand
From January to May, the Chemnitz Tourist Information Centre recorded around 450 guided tours with over 10,000 guests - more than three times as many as in the previous year (178 guided tours with 2,924 guests). In addition, around 400 enquiries are received every day. The number of tour enquiries from individual travellers, groups and event organisers has also risen significantly. In the first half of the year, over 200 group enquiries were processed for around 3,500 guests. Many guests stay in the city for an average of three to four days, visiting museums, Capital of Culture events and taking advantage of guided tours or city tours. The response has been positive: enquiries are already being received for 2026.

Location gains appeal as a venue for conferences and conventions
Chemnitz is increasingly establishing itself as an attractive venue for national and international conferences. In the first half of 2025, the C³ Chemnitz event centres already registered 31,000 guests at conferences and congresses (comparative period in 2024: 8,700). Examples:

I²MTC: With over 400 participants from more than 40 countries; after Kuala Lumpur and Glasgow, the trade fair for measurement technology took place in Germany for the first time
Annual conference of the German Museums Association with around 1,000 participants
Conference of the Cultural Foundation of the German Federal States, the German Federal Cultural Foundation, the Bundesverband der Fördervereine deutscher Museen and other specialist events

Significant increase in traffic volume and tourist demand
The regional transport association Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen has significantly expanded its services in the first half of 2025:

Around 900 additional buses and 560 additional trains on a total of 12 lines
Special services for major events, including night trains (Stockholm), regional railway lines and cable car extensions
The transport association expects at least 1 million additional passengers by the end of June

Tour guides report high demand and positive response
In the first half of the year, the Verein der Gästeführer Chemnitz e. V. (Chemnitz Guides' Association) recorded a significant increase in sales, in some cases with a doubling of guided tours compared to the previous year. The number of enquiries has risen noticeably - both from private guests and small groups as well as from participants in congresses and events. Many of these groups use their stay specifically to experience the Capital of Culture year. Themed tours and individually tailored programmes are particularly popular. The feedback from guests, who come from Saxony, Germany and abroad, is consistently positive - both in terms of the quality of the tours and the atmosphere in the city. In order to meet the high demand for city tours, Chemnitz 2025 volunteers have been offering city walks in German and English every Saturday since April. Over 100 guests take part each week.

International delegations
The number of international events organised by the Lord Mayor's Department increased significantly in the first half of 2025 compared to previous years. The Department for European and International Relations regularly organises around 100 events per year - this level was already reached by the middle of the year. Chemnitz was also able to welcome Alar Karis from Estonia, the first acting president since reunification. The number of official delegations from partner and friendly cities - usually around ten per year - has also already been reached. In the first half of the year, the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH welcomed around 30 delegation groups with a total of around 1,500 trade visitors from over 30 countries in Europe and around the world, including all EU member states and other countries such as Armenia, the UK, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Norway, Turkey, Switzerland and South Africa. The exchange between the European Capitals of Culture is also active. Delegations from a total of 60 former or future Capitals of Culture were guests in Chemnitz and the region, including at the opening and the "40 Years of European Capitals of Culture" conference. In addition, various artist residencies have already taken place with well over 100 European participants.

Conclusion
The interim assessment at the halfway point of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 shows: The city and the 38 municipalities in the Capital of Culture region are experiencing an upswing, which is reflected in the areas of culture, tourism, business and infrastructure. Visitors come with great curiosity and openness and are enthusiastic about the diverse range of offers in the city and region. The people of Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture Region are proud to show what is unseen by many.

At the same time, work is being done to take the Capital of Culture effect into the future. The PURPLE PATH art and sculpture trail, which connects Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region with the works of contemporary artists, will develop into a permanent tourist attraction in the coming years. In addition, new creative tourism offerings will be created with the Makerhubs, for example.
One highlight for 2026 has already been decided: in exactly one year's time, the international festival Theater der Welt Chemnitz 2026, which is hosted by a different city in Germany every three years, will start on 18 June.

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