When a giant bird flaps its wings, a fire-breathing steel flower blossoms, and fighting robot machines roll into the arena, it’s Maker Faire time again. On August 15 and 16, the Hannover Congress Centrum (HCC) will open its doors for the 13th time to Germany’s largest do-it-yourself technology festival. One of the few Maker Faires to hit at the height of summer, Maker Faire Hannover produced in patnership with the publisher Heise takes advantage of the (generally) excellent weather and diverse crowds in Germany’s green hub for global industrial trade fairs. Its a giant playground for anyone who likes to build, hack, experiment, tinker, or simply ask, “What happens if I try this?”
“Maker Faire thrives on people who turn unusual ideas into impressive projects,” says Daniel Rohlfing, Head of Events and Sales at Maker Faire Deutschland. “Whether it’s art, robotics, or high tech—here, technology becomes an experience, and everyone can take part.”
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About one-third of this year’s exhibitors are appearing in Hannover for the first time. That means fresh ideas, unfamiliar machines, unexpected projects, and plenty of opportunities to discover something you didn’t even know you wanted to build. Of course, there will also be plenty of familiar faces, but its that mix of returning makers and newcomers is part of what makes the Faire work so well. You might start out looking for a homemade robot and, ten minutes later, find yourself staring at a pneumatic sculpture or climbing into a portable escape room.There’s no itinerary–you just follow the interesting noise. In all, more than 200 exhibitors will once again present everything currently exciting the maker community: robotics, open source, AI, electronics, upcycling, wood, metal, textiles, cosplay, science, art, and countless hands-on activities for visitors of all ages. It’s precisely this mixture of festival, science fair, and family event that has made the event unique for years.
A Few 2026 Makers & Projects: And More Here
Buzzbird: Not Just For Looking At
One of the highlights is “BuzzBird.” This several-meter-tall mechanical bird flaps its wings and interacts with visitors. Designed by Berlin-based artist and product designer Eitan Rieger, BuzzBird explores the connection between human movement and mechanical flight. spectacular metal structure in the shape of a bird with a five-meter wingspan. This artwork was specially developed for Maker Faire Hannover 2026 and invites visitors to interact with it. See more inprocess photos and learn about its inspiration HERE.
Flower Power: Recycling Gets A Makeover
Making its debut is “FlowerPower”: the monumental steel flower made from car hoods, built exclusively for Maker Faire Hannover just like BuzzBird, also responds to the audience and culminates in a spectacular fire finale. By New Zealand artist Bibi Jordan, what makes Flower Power so special is its combination of sustainability and spectacle : it’s a spectacular recycling project that encourages direct interaction with visitors. The installation watches its visitors with cameras and responds to their movements. The more activity there is around the sculpture, the farther it opens its petals. And when enough people gather, the big performance begins: flames shoot up from the flower. Hydraulics, image processing, and fire—this is a combination that just makes sense.
Voltronics
One of the loudest and brightest highlights of this year’s Maker Faire Hannover: The “Voltronics” show brings real excitement to the festival grounds and transforms a physical phenomenon into an impressive stage experience. Two 2.2-meter-high Tesla coils form the heart of the performance. They generate enormous electrical discharges that shoot through the air as lightning bolts up to three meters long. What’s special about it: The lightning bolts are precisely synchronized with the music and accompanied by elaborate laser animations.
Five More Fascinating Projects Coming To Hannover
C2H6O: Cocktail Machine!
Compact, precise, and fast – this machine uses an innovative mixing mechanism to prepare cocktails from up to 13 ingredients. Built using 3D-printed components, an ESP32 microcontroller, standard electronics, and a custom mixing mechanism. A companion technical lecture titled “Vom Cocktail zum Prototypen: Konzeptentwicklung einer Cocktailmaschine” (From Cocktail to Prototype: Concept Development of a Cocktail Machine) is scheduled for Saturday. MORE ON THIS PROJECT. Check out the changes to three different prototypes HERE.
Plastic Reuse! Bottle Caps to Robots
Its unsurprising that in a country as environmentally activated as Germany, the maker community would be focused on reuse. In one project a pneumatic machine turns bottle caps into mini-Makeys! That’s Make: magazine editor, Daniel Bachfeld, showing it off.
And another version for 3DP and filament waste.
Marine Tech: A Hydrophone and a Wave Simulator
Small piezoelectric speakers from birthday cards can do more than just produce sound. By using these transducers in reverse, you can build inexpensive hydrophones for underwater use with just a few electronic components. A complete replica system that requires only a few components and can be sampled via a sound card on a computer. In addition to the circuit diagram, the detailed calculations for the transistor circuit are also freely available as documentation. The total cost for assembly is less than €10.
The shape of coastal protection structures and the vegetation in the foreland of the dike are important factors that determine how strongly and how far waves penetrate inland, causing erosion or endangering property and lives. In a portable wave pool, a 3D-printed wave generator can simultaneously unleash a water wave onto two different shoreline scenarios. Create your own planting schemes using Lego bricks, build walls, design breakwaters, and directly compare the coastal protection concepts within these dike and shoreline structures.
Tetsuji KATSUDA’s Music Train
Music Train is a media art piece that visualizes the composition of music. When you play the electronic piano, model trains move. The 12 rails correspond to the seven notes of Do(C), Re(D), Mi(E), Fa(F), Sol(G), La(A), Si(B) and the five sharp & flat notes in between. When you play Do(C), the train on the Do(C) track moves forward, and when you play Re(D), the train on the Re(D) track moves forward.If you stop playing for a while, the train will automatically return to the starting line. You can use this system to play a game like horse racing. Before you start playing, line up the trains at the starting point. Predict which train will be in the lead after the song is finished. The position of the trains represents the frequency of each note of Do(C), Re(D), Mi(E) in the song. Generally, Do(C) and Sol(G) appear more frequently in songs in C major, but as shown in the video above, Sol(G) appears most frequently in Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. In this way, Music Train makes it possible to visualize the composition of music in a particular song.
A mobile VR pinball machine: Classic pinball meets virtual reality
“Flipper to go” is a mobile VR pinball machine that combines classic pinball action with immersive virtual reality. Visitors can experience firsthand what a pinball machine feels like when it’s no longer confined to a heavy cabinet, but instead becomes a compact, portable VR experience playable anywhere. Experience how physical gameplay, digital effects, and spatial representation come together – ideal for pinball enthusiasts, those curious about VR, or anyone who simply wants to try something new.
Maker Escape Advent Calendar!
Who doesn’t love the concept of an advent calendar — little boxes filled with something secret and fun. This year, developed jointly with kit maker Franzis, the big (or little) reveal the doors conceal not just chocolate, but electronics to assemble. In recent iterations like their “Printember” event, the Heise Make-Adventskalender releases a free, high-quality 3D-printable model file every day from December 1st to the 24th. Anyone who has always wanted to know how to build their own Makey should definitely stop by. Each year the Make.de team share the calendar throughout December–they’ll share this year’s concept at MF Hannover.
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