
While the star-studded finale grabs all the limelight, the Mannheim festival actually runs for a full week with workshops, film screenings, exhibitions, concerts and club nights happening in the lead up. This year's theme is "the visualisation of music" featuring a big programme of music documentaries and film screenings, a discussion panel on music videos and a photo exhibition of Time Warp artists at Mannheim University. The film programme also includes Cinemix, a screening of the silent film Berlin – The Symphony of the Metropolis soundtracked live by three Berlin producers.
Free workshops and seminars on music production will be held in the Time Warp lab in the Popakademie and Musikpark Mannheim with deep house maverick Larry Heard presenting a production and DJ workshop in conjunction with the Red Bull Music Academy. He also spins at Zimmer nightclub.
So what about that finale, then? The festival culminates on the Saturday with a five-stage, lasertastic bonanza featuring a who's who of mostly-German names in deep/tech house (Âme, Tiefschwarz), techno (Carl Cox, Sven Väth, Richie Hawtin, Luciano, Ricardo Villalobos) electro (Karotte, Alter Ego, Turntable Rocker), and dance rock (Digitalism, Boys Noize) alongside artists from fledgling Mannheim imprints Oslo and Cecille such as Johnny D, Nick Curly and Federico Molinari. Oh, and there's also an eight hour set from Laurent Garnier, too. Add to that truckloads of ice cold Jaegermeister and Red Bull and the big question is: do Easyjet fly to Mannheim?

