The European Central Bank will open public areas of the Grossmarkthalle in Frankfurt’s Ostend district on Saturday, 25 April 2026 as part of the city’s Night of the Museums.
Visitors will be able to join one of two guided tours focusing either on contemporary art from the ECB’s collection or on the site’s architecture and permanent artworks, the ECB announced on Tuesday.
The contemporary art tour will take place in the conference centre, described as a “house-in-house” structure inside the historic hall, and will include Thomas Bayrle’s site-specific installation "Frankfurters, 1980."
The architecture tour will cover parts of the ground floor of the Grossmarkthalle and will include site-specific works by Giuseppe Penone and OKO, while the ECB’s high-rise towers will not be accessible during the event.
Visitors will also be able to explore the ground floor of the Grossmarkthalle independently, including the ECB Visitor Centre, which provides information about the institution’s role and tasks.
Music, talks and registration details
The programme will also include live music by the ECB staff jazz band, a public talk with Dr Konrad Elsässer — a descendant of the hall’s architect Martin Elsaesser and chair of the Martin Elsaesser Foundation — and interactive quizzes on art and the ECB’s work.
Public access during the event will be limited to the Grossmarkthalle and associated public areas, and registration will be required from 7 to 21 April.
The Grossmarkthalle was designed by Martin Elsaesser and completed in 1928, and it now houses the ECB’s Visitor Centre, conference areas and event spaces.
