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Heidelberg sounds: public pianos invite you to play!
In Heidelberg, public pianos invite people to play to promote creative encounters and musical participation.
Heidelberg sounds: public pianos invite you to play!
Today a very special sound can be heard in Heidelberg as the city welcomes public pianos again. The pianos are now available at four squares—Friedrich-Ebert-Platz, Theaterplatz, Kleine Plöck and Neckarlauer. Until August 30, 2025, music enthusiasts can let their creativity run wild every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. This campaign is intended not only to bring citizens together, but also to create musical encounters and make culture accessible to everyone, as heidelberg.de reports.
The inauguration of the piano at Friedrich-Ebert-Platz took place on June 26, 2025. The opening musical acts, pianist Joannis Schadeck and singer-songwriter Nico Brocki, ensured that the sounds left an impression right from the start. Joannis Schadeck, who is part of the newly founded Heidelberg music network and specializes in jazz, funk and film music, is significantly involved in the initiation of the pianos.
A project with tradition
The public pianos are not only a local but also an international art project. They are part of the “Play Me, I’m Yours” initiative, which was launched by British artist Luke Jerram in 2008. Since then, over 40 cities around the world, from Amsterdam to Cyprus, have taken up this inspiring initiative. Koblenz also already has experience with street pianos, and the response from locals and guests is consistently positive, as blick-aktuell.de notes. PD Dr. Margit Theis-Scholz, Head of Culture and Education, emphasizes the importance of these pianos for cultural and musical participation.
The pianos in Heidelberg were donated by the Musik-Lutz company from Mannheim. To ensure a good night's sleep, the pianos are covered with weatherproof tarpaulins from 10 p.m. and their lids are closed. This shows that the aim is to ensure reliable use of pianos, so that they serve not only as art objects, but as welcoming musical instruments for everyone.
Cultural participation and interaction
The “Mittendrinnenstadt”, a municipal program to strengthen the city center, is supporting this initiative with a budget of 5.5 million euros until 2025. The sponsors of the project consist of the kiosk team of “Art. 5 GG Bacareto”, the Tegut supermarket and the Neckarorte e.V. association. V. Visible rules are posted on the pianos to ensure everyone has the opportunity to contribute. In bad weather, the pianos are not uncovered in the morning to protect them.
One or two spontaneous concerts will certainly delight humanity in Heidelberg in the next few weeks. It will be a very special highlight when future musicians, like mathematics and physics student Nico Brocki, play their own pieces on these pianos. After all, for many people, playing the piano not only has an aesthetic but also an emotional value that brings people closer together.
If you would like to find out more about the project and the pianos, you can find further information at vielmehr.heidelberg.de. Enjoy the musical sounds and be part of this unique initiative in Heidelberg!