Big & Growing New Work Festival returns to Munich in November

The Big & Growing New Work Festival returns to Munich on Nov. 17, 2026, for the first time since 2022, bringing a volunteer-run, community-led format back to its founding city. The one-day event will cap attendance at about 60 people and focus on hands-on sessions, open labs and practical discussions about the future of work.

Why it matters: - Big & Growing is returning to Munich, where the New Work festival began in 2019, signaling renewed demand for a community-led format focused on how work is changing. - The event is organized entirely by volunteers and is not designed to generate profit, which sets it apart from commercial conference models. - The Munich edition is capped at about 60 participants, so the format prioritizes direct interaction over scale.

What happened: - Big & Growing New Work Festival will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, in Munich for the first time since 2022. - The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Ruby Leo Workspaces, Seidlstraße 5, Munich. - Tickets cost 169 euros and include food and drinks. - The Munich chapter is led by Romy Möller, a coach for leadership and organizational development and a former teacher.

The details: - Big & Growing started in Munich in 2019 as an in-person event with 1,500 attendees. - In 2020, then-Bavarian Digital Minister Judith Gerlach opened the festival, which featured speakers including Max Wittrock, Zarah Bruhn, Christian Kroll, Anna Kopp and Lena Marbacher. - The festival now has chapters in cities including Leipzig, Hamburg and Stuttgart. - Each chapter is organized independently by volunteer chapter leads, who set the program and direction themselves. - Ticket revenue covers venues and catering rather than profit. - Dr. Tina Ruseva founded the initiative in 2019 and donated the festival to the Bundesverband New Work e.V. in 2024. - The festival’s public manifesto is available here. - The Munich ticket page is available here.

Between the lines: - The festival’s structure suggests a deliberate shift away from keynote-heavy events and toward participatory learning. - The program design puts attendees in the role of contributors, which is meant to surface practical experience from inside organizations. - Möller said the event is intended to show that work can be shaped by appreciation, purpose and human potential rather than exhaustion. - Möller also said the day is built around exchange and interaction, not passive listening.

What's next: - The Munich edition will center on six morning deep-dive workshops and six afternoon Open Space Labs. - Workshop topics will include AI and knowledge work, transformation, the impact of space, and longevity in organizations. - Afternoon labs will focus on Future Leadership, healthy organizations, technology, belonging, societal impact and new learning. - The day will close with the panel “Reality Meets Perspective,” followed by Wine & Connect. - Organizers expect the small participant group to keep the format interactive and adaptable.

The bottom line: - Big & Growing is bringing its volunteer-driven New Work model back to Munich with a small, highly interactive event aimed at people who want to shape how work evolves.