Hörspielwiese Köln

In the first six years of the festival, guests performed live radio plays around 20 times. These included new adaptations of classics, such as Orson Welles' radio drama "The War of the Worlds". The festival's own children's radio drama workshop was also represented: within just a few days, it developed and rehearsed a live radio play and then presented it to the audience.

The festival has awarded the prize since 2019. Ten short radio plays, each no longer than five minutes, are nominated. A jury then selects the three best pieces, which receive €750, €500 and €250. The festival has published the 2026 shortlist on its website.

The idea emerged in 2018 at the Hörspielforum NRW, a working conference run by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW for radio drama makers, podcasters and related professions, which took place annually until 2023. From 2018 to 2021, "Land in Sicht" and the Verein für Literaturvermittlung organised the festival, which was then held in Leo-Amann-Park. The first edition lasted two days. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance was limited and admission was controlled for the first time in 2020; the festival also ran as a hybrid event with an online livestream. Since 2022, the non-profit association Hörspielwiese Köln e.V. has been the organiser, and the festival moved to the Stadtgarten, Cologne's oldest park.

The festival is supported by funders as well as cooperation and media partners. Donations help cover costs incurred outside the funded project periods. On the website, you can browse past programmes and listen to the winning pieces from previous competitions; photos and trailers of selected ARD radio plays and radio drama series are also available.