When can MusicWorlds be visited?

Visitation is possible on October 27, 2026, starting at 10 AM. The exhibition is regularly open from Tuesday to Sunday.

What is the admission fee for MusicWorlds?

The regular admission for adults is 9 Euros. Discounts, family tickets, and other pricing tiers are available.

Is there an audio guide?

Yes, the exhibition features audio texts and sound examples that complement the tour through MusicWorlds.

Are guided tours and workshops offered?

Yes, the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums offer guided tours and museum educational workshops for school classes and other groups.

How can the exhibition be reached by public transport?

Tram lines 1, 3, 4, and 5 from Mannheim Central Station lead to Paradeplatz. From there, the museum is reachable by lines 2 or 6 to Rathaus or on foot.

Are there parking facilities?

There is an underground garage located under the Museum of World Cultures in D5.

Discover MusicWorlds: Sonorous World Cultures Meet Fascinating Museum Experiences

Name: MusicWorlds
Start: 2026-10-27T10:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-10-27T17:00:00+01:00
Location: Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Museum Weltkulturen D5

MusicWorlds: A Sonorous Journey Through the Cultures of the World

Music has accompanied people for millennia – as an expression of community, religious ritual, communication, and movement. The atmospheric exhibition MusicWorlds at the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums opens a sensual approach to this universal human phenomenon and combines cultural-historical examination of works with immediate listening experiences.

Instruments as Testimonies of Cultural Identity

Pre-Columbian whistle vessels, colorful fire dance masks from Papua New Guinea, and extraordinary musical instruments from Africa, India, the Far East, and Pre-Columbia guide visitors through different eras and regions. Each object refers to its own concept of sound and tells stories of social relationships, religious beliefs, and forms of cultural transmission.

Four Themes, a Global Phenomenon

The curation organizes the presentation into the themes of communication, community, movement, and transformation. This places not only the instrument as a material object at the center but, above all, its use: music appears as a signal, as a ritual act, as a community-building force, and as an expression of personal as well as collective identity.

Listen, Compare, Understand

An audio guide with listening texts and sound examples makes the exhibition an interactive art experience. Music from Africa, India, the Far East, and Pre-Columbia relates to similar sound experiences from rock, pop, and classical music. These comparisons promote cultural education and sharpen the perception of timbres, rhythms, and musical structures beyond familiar listening habits.

The Analog Sound Studio of the 1980s

A special highlight is the fully analog sound studio of musician and composer Sigi Schwab. The historical studio technology adds a media historical dimension to the exhibition and shows how musical ideas were recorded, edited, and produced. A stimulating dialogue arises between traditional sound culture and modern studio technology amidst whistle vessels, masks, and instruments.

Exhibition and Museum Educational Mediation

The Reiss-Engelhorn Museums connect the presentation with cultural education offerings. Guided tours and workshops address themes such as music and religion, music as a means of communication, and the comparison of various music cultures. Age-appropriate formats are available for school classes, including an interactive tour followed by a music workshop.

Conclusion: Music as an Aesthetic Experience

MusicWorlds invites visitors to expand their familiar notions of music and discover the sound world of other societies with open ears. The combination of historical objects, atmospheric staging, audio guide, and museum educational mediation makes the visit an aesthetic experience for culture enthusiasts, families, and school classes. Anyone wishing to experience music as a global language should definitely visit this exhibition in Mannheim live.