Digitale Welten Festival 2026: SWIPE RIGHTS
Adults broke the internet. Now they want to ban it. Join in and shape the internet of tomorrow!
Currently, there is widespread debate around banning or restricting social media for young people. Countries like Australia and the UK have already introduced strict age limits and similar platform restrictions are being discussed in Germany. A major flaw in these discussions is that they almost exclusively happen about young people, rather than with them.
The Digitale Welten Festival 2026 shifts this dynamic. Instead of adults dictating digital spaces, the festival gives young participants the tools and platform to actively shape the internet of tomorrow.
All team projects, prototypes, and installations created during the event will be presented in a public exhibition for friends, family and the broader community.
Young people looking to build and experiment during the autumn break (October 13–16, 2026) are invited to participate.
Creative Hackathon
(Oct 13–15, 2026)
Location: Crespo Haus, Weißfrauenstraße 1–3, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Schedule (10:00–18:00):
- Tue, Oct 13: Arrival, brainstorming, artistic approaches, team formation
- Wed, Oct 14: Group work, prototyping, software/hardware development
- Thu, Oct 15: Hacking, final sprint, project demo, exhibition planning
Program & Venues
Public Exhibition
Location: display, Berliner Str. 60, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Opening Night (Fri, Oct 16):
18:00 – Open Doors
18:15 – Opening Speeches, certificate presentation, interactive showcases
Exhibition Run:
October 17 – November 1, 2026 (opening hours TBA)
Young people have a right to digital self-determination and the creative possibilities of the web. At the same time, issues like endless scrolling, toxic content and algorithm-driven feed fatigue affect everyone.
The festival poses a central question: What happens when young people design their own protocols for a fair, safe and open internet?
Digitale Welten 2026 is a festival for everyone who wants to be online, but prefers not to play by the rules set by tech platforms, policy-makers and adults.
In collaboration with
Funded by
Supported by
