Empty Bag | Program & Cinema

The Empty Bag at Bertoldstraße 9 is one of the most distinctive cultural venues in Regensburg. The building is located on the eastern edge of the old town, is a listed building from the 16th and 17th centuries, and today combines several uses into a coherent overall picture: Municipal Gallery, Film Gallery, Jazz Club, and event spaces. The previous restaurant operation ended in 2025, but the place remains a vibrant meeting point for culture, concerts, and films. Therefore, those looking for the Empty Bag will find not just a single offering, but a whole house full of programs, exhibitions, and stage moments. The special strength lies precisely in this mix: art historical substance, contemporary use, and a location that is right in the middle of Regensburg's old town while still retaining its own character. ([jazzclub-regensburg.de](https://www.jazzclub-regensburg.de/jazzclub/leerer-beutel/das-restaurant))

For visitors, the Empty Bag is primarily a place of diversity. During the day, exhibitions and the Municipal Gallery are the focus, while in the evenings cinema, jazz, and events shape the picture. The Film Gallery shows sophisticated arthouse cinema, the Jazz Club hosts concerts and sessions in the historic hall, and the city uses the spaces for cultural formats and special events. This multiple use makes the building highly relevant for search queries like program, cinema, exhibition, concerts, and gallery. At the same time, it explains why the Empty Bag has been perceived as a cultural address in Regensburg for decades: It is not a static museum space, but a place where history and the present continuously meet. ([filmgalerie.de](https://www.filmgalerie.de/unterseite/6121/Unser_Kino?utm_source=openai))

Program, Cinema, and Current Events at the Empty Bag

Those searching for the program at the Empty Bag will quickly land at the Film Gallery and the Jazz Club. The Film Gallery describes its offering as cinema beyond the mainstream and shows films not based on commercial success, but on artistic, social, or film historical relevance. The official page features a complete program with current films, thematic series, festivals, special events, and ticket booking. The orientation is deliberately diverse: current productions from around the world, premieres, original versions with German subtitles, and series with a clear profile. This is complemented by film series like Films for Future, Bergkino, Kult & Kanon, or Cinekids, which give the house a recognizable cinematic signature. For people specifically searching for empty bag regensburg cinema or empty bag cinema regensburg program, this mix is the decisive added value. ([filmgalerie.de](https://www.filmgalerie.de/programm?utm_source=openai))

The architectural and organizational development of the cinema is also important for today's user experience. The Film Gallery was opened in 1981 in the former municipal grain warehouse, the cinema hall has 85 seats and is located on the first floor of the fully accessible building. The cinema foyer with a kiosk and seating was extensively renovated in the summer of 2025, as was the hall. This is relevant for visitors because it directly shapes the impression of the house: The cinema feels personal, well-maintained, and at the same time embedded in a historic ensemble. Additionally, the Film Gallery is available for private celebrations and screenings, further emphasizing the versatility of the building. In practice, this means: Those planning a cinema evening at the Empty Bag will find not an anonymous multiplex, but a culturally curated arthouse cinema with a clear program idea, its own history, and a manageable, intimate hall size. ([filmgalerie.de](https://www.filmgalerie.de/unterseite/6121/Unser_Kino?utm_source=openai))

In 2026, the program remains visibly vibrant. The Film Gallery continuously publishes new dates, and the city of Regensburg also points to events at the Empty Bag, including special cinema dates, discussions, and culture-related formats. At the same time, the Empty Bag continues to be used by organizers as a place for cultural encounters. This shows: The search term empty bag regensburg today does not just aim at a single opening time, but at a place where something can happen almost daily. This is exactly where the strength of the program lies: It is not limited to a genre but connects film, discussion, art, and live experience. Therefore, anyone wanting to get a current impression should always check the respective program pages of the Film Gallery, Jazz Club, and the city of Regensburg, as the dates are continuously updated there. ([filmgalerie.de](https://www.filmgalerie.de/programm?utm_source=openai))

Municipal Gallery and Exhibitions at the Empty Bag

The Municipal Gallery is the heart of institutional art use at the Empty Bag. The city of Regensburg describes the building as a former grain storage facility, which was handed over as a municipal gallery building after extensive renovation in 1980. Today, the gallery mainly showcases art from the 20th and 21st centuries, with a clear emphasis on artists from East Bavaria. The collections and changing exhibitions reflect painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, installation, photography, and film art. Among others, the official texts mention Josef Achmann, Kurt von Unruh, Xaver Fuhr, Otto Baumann, as well as the artist group SPUR with Lothar Fischer, Heimrad Prem, Helmut Sturm, Hans-Peter Zimmer, and Erwin Eisch. For search queries like empty bag regensburg exhibition or empty bag regensburg gallery, this is the crucial information: This is not about a random exhibition house, but about a clearly positioned municipal gallery with regional roots and contemporary aspirations. ([tourismus.regensburg.de](https://tourismus.regensburg.de/erleben-entdecken/kunst-kultur/galerie-leerer-beutel?utm_source=openai))

Organizationally, the gallery is also easily accessible for visitors. The opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays from 10 am to 4 pm; these times also apply on Easter Monday and Whit Monday. It is closed on January 1st, Shrove Tuesday, Good Friday, May 1st, November 1st, as well as on December 24th, 25th, and 31st. Admission is free. Group tours are available by arrangement, and the gallery also offers a painting workshop with educational access for children and families. The official tourism site highlights this mix of free access, group offerings, and educational mediation. This makes the gallery relevant not only for art enthusiasts but also for families, school classes, and travelers looking for a quiet cultural stop in Regensburg. Additionally, the gallery regularly presents new exhibitions, and the city published its brochure with exhibitions and program content for the year 2025. Particularly important for the search intent from the autocomplete keywords is: The gallery is not a peripheral aspect but a central part of the current identity of the Empty Bag. ([tourismus.regensburg.de](https://tourismus.regensburg.de/erleben-entdecken/kunst-kultur/galerie-leerer-beutel?utm_source=openai))

The spatial dimension is also remarkable. The Jazz Club describes the three exhibition halls on the first and second floors with a total area of over 1100 square meters. This explains why not only smaller presentations but also larger exhibition projects can be realized at the Empty Bag. For the year 2025, the city mentions, among other things, the Great East Bavarian Art Exhibition and the International Festival of Photographic Images with the German Photobook Prize as programmatic highlights. This connection of the regional scene, supra-regional events, and long tradition makes the Empty Bag an important art venue in Regensburg. So, if you are looking for an Empty Bag exhibition date, you will find here not just an address but a vibrant exhibition system with a strong connection to the East Bavarian art landscape and an open, freely accessible character. ([jazzclub-regensburg.de](https://www.jazzclub-regensburg.de/jazzclub/leerer-beutel/das-restaurant))

Jazz Club and Concerts in the Historic Fest Hall

The Jazz Club at the Empty Bag is one of the most influential cultural engines of the house. On the official Jazz Club page, the Empty Bag is described as one of the most important cultural addresses in Regensburg, located in the eastern old town, with a history dating back to the late Middle Ages. The historic fest hall serves as a multifunctional event space and also as the concert hall of the Jazz Club. For search queries like empty bag regensburg concerts or empty bag regensburg jazz, this is exactly the right entry point, as regular concerts, sessions, and special formats are combined here with a clear thematic focus on jazz and related styles. The city lists the Empty Bag in the event directory with 180 seats for the fest hall, and the Jazz Club itself uses the stage as a fixed venue for its program. ([jazzclub-regensburg.de](https://www.jazzclub-regensburg.de/jazzclub/leerer-beutel/das-restaurant))

The current program situation shows that the Jazz Club remains active and present in 2026. The program page features concerts with different lineups, including high-profile duos, trio and quartet formats, as well as sessions at the Empty Bag. The official website provides a program preview, monthly programs, and ticket sales. Additionally, the Technical Rider provides specific data for the stage and technology: The multipurpose room is equipped with modern sound systems, there is a Yamaha C3 grand piano, a Nord Stage 4, a drum set, several monitors, and a clearly defined stage geometry. This is of interest to musicians as well as event planners, as it reflects the professionalism of the space. The stage between the columns is about 5 meters wide, behind the columns around 7.50 meters, with a depth of 3.70 meters and a height of 0.40 meters. The Empty Bag is thus not only atmospheric but also technically a robust concert venue. ([jazzclub-regensburg.de](https://www.jazzclub-regensburg.de/programm/programmvorschau/detail/steffi-denk-flexible-friends-5?utm_source=openai))

The content spectrum ranges from classic jazz to modern fusion to genre-open projects. The official Jazz Club communication even states that the Empty Bag is one of the largest jazz clubs in Germany, and the program selection confirms this claim through breadth and continuity. Concerts like Steffi Denk & Flexible Friends or Shuteen Erdenebaatar & Nils Kugelmann show that the venue is used for both more popular formats and demanding younger jazz developments. This mix makes the concert search for Empty Bag concerts so attractive: You do not get an interchangeable live program, but a place with musical identity, good technology, and a stage designed for both intimate evenings and larger concert moments. The historic ambiance contributes to this, as the hall combines heavy walls, visible beams, and cultural history with contemporary concert practice. ([jazzclub-regensburg.de](https://www.jazzclub-regensburg.de/jazzclub/leerer-beutel/das-restaurant))

Rooms, Capacity, and the Former Restaurant

The Empty Bag is more than just a single hall. The municipal event overview lists, in addition to the fest hall, a conference room and the restaurant as usable areas. The fest hall is listed with 180 seats, the conference room with 30 seats, and the Film Gallery has 85 seats. Thus, the Empty Bag is a house with a clear multi-space structure that can be used for cultural formats as well as for conferences, celebrations, and smaller closed events. The official event location page describes the historic fest hall as ideal for weddings and other large events, while the conference room is suitable for meetings, smaller family celebrations, or corporate formats. The rooms benefit from oak beams, thick walls, and massive columns, which is exactly the historic ambiance that many seekers expect behind the keyword empty bag restaurant or empty bag regensburg today. ([regensburg.de](https://www.regensburg.de/fm/121/Veranstaltungsorte-Regensburg.pdf))

It is important to note the current classification: The classic restaurant operation ended in 2025. The Jazz Club press explicitly stated in the autumn of 2025 that the restaurant was closed and that the hall was taken over by the Jazz Club after the restaurant's closure. Today, the Empty Bag primarily stands for gallery, cinema, jazz, and events. ([jazzclub-regensburg.de](https://www.jazzclub-regensburg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Downloads/Pressemitteilungen/Presse_2025/regensburg-stadt-und-land-24-09-2025_.pdf))

This new orientation makes the Empty Bag interesting for organizers, groups, and cultural travelers. The building is large enough for different uses but not so large that it feels anonymous. The combination of a 180-seat fest hall, a 30-seat conference room, an 85-seat cinema, and several gallery rooms creates an unusually dense usage structure. In practice, this means: A visit can start with an exhibition, film, concert, or conference and change depending on the time of day. Therefore, those interested in empty bag regensburg restaurant should distinguish between historical gastronomy reference and current cultural function. For SEO and real visitor information, this differentiation is important because it accurately reflects the development of the house and explains why the Empty Bag continues to be in high demand despite the end of the restaurant. ([regensburg.de](https://www.regensburg.de/fm/121/Veranstaltungsorte-Regensburg.pdf))

Directions and Parking in Regensburg's Old Town

The Empty Bag is located at Bertoldstraße 9 in 93047 Regensburg, in the eastern old town and within walking distance of several well-known sights. The Jazz Club explicitly states that the Cathedral, Stone Bridge, Porta Pretoria, and the Museum of Bavarian History are about a five-minute walk away. For visitors, this is a great advantage as an appointment at the Empty Bag can be easily combined with a stroll through the old town. Those linking the search for empty bag regensburg directions or empty bag regensburg today with practical information receive the most important orientation: central, close to the old town, and very well integrated into a city tour. At the same time, the location is part of the special charm, as the Empty Bag is located in the middle of a densely built historic environment and thus acts as a quiet cultural anchor in the urban fabric. ([jazzclub-regensburg.de](https://www.jazzclub-regensburg.de/jazzclub/leerer-beutel/das-restaurant))

When it comes to parking, one should keep the city of Regensburg in mind, as there is a parking space concept for the old town that strengthens pedestrian, cycling, and public transport while maintaining accessibility. The city describes the city center as still well accessible with an attractive parking offer, and on the official parking page, the Wöhrdstraße parking lot is a specific example: open 24 hours, up to 3 hours of short-term parking, during the day Monday to Friday from 9 am to 7 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm €0.50 per 30 minutes, free on Sundays and nights. For visitors to the Empty Bag, this means in practice: Those coming by car should check the old town parking situation in advance and preferably not wait until right in front of the door to look for a free spot. The city information is the most reliable source for this. ([regensburg.de](https://www.regensburg.de/leben/verkehr-u-mobilitaet/parken?utm_source=openai))

Additionally, it is helpful that Bertoldstraße itself has been redesigned in recent years. The city states that access traffic and parking for residents are still permitted, and parking spaces have been freely arranged in the street area. For visitors, this is not a guarantee of a free parking space, but a hint that the street is integrated into the city's traffic and stay concept. Therefore, those who want to solve the access issue for a location like the Empty Bag really well should ideally combine public parking options, walking paths through the old town, and possibly public transport. This combination fits the character of the house: central, historical, urban, and strongly oriented towards culture-oriented visitors. ([regensburg.de](https://www.regensburg.de/rathaus/aemteruebersicht/planungs-u-baureferat/tiefbauamt/abgeschlossene-massnahmen/2020-neugestaltung-der-trothengasse-und-bertoldstrasse?utm_source=openai))

History, Architecture, and Special Features of the Empty Bag

The history of the Empty Bag is closely linked to the development of the city of Regensburg. The current cultural site originated as a municipal grain storage facility in 1597/98 and was enlarged by an extension in 1606/07. The name migrated from a smaller storage building to the new structure. As early as the 1960s, there were initial ideas to use the historic building culturally; an architectural competition in 1975/76 ultimately led to a renovation that was completed in 1980. Since then, the Empty Bag has served as a gallery building and cultural center. This sequence is central to understanding the house because it explains why the place appears so independent today: It is neither a new building nor a museum in the classical sense, but a carefully repurposed historic storage house with a new cultural function. ([jazzclub-regensburg.de](https://www.jazzclub-regensburg.de/jazzclub/leerer-beutel/das-restaurant))

Architecturally, the Empty Bag impresses with its dimensions. The Jazz Club states that the building is 54 meters long, 21 meters wide, and seven stories high, three of which are in solid masonry and four in the traditional tie beam roof structure. Visible wooden beams, stone structures, and the historic spatial feeling shape the atmosphere and make it clear why the house is so attractive for concert, exhibition, and event audiences. This substance is the reason why the Empty Bag is perceived not only as an event venue but also as a listed building. Its current uses are closely linked to this structure: exhibition halls, cinema hall, historic fest hall, and complementary rooms work so well precisely because the building itself has a strong architectural identity. For search terms like empty bag regensburg gallery or empty bag regensburg exhibition, this aspect is often the actual deciding factor, as many interested parties are looking not only for content but also for atmosphere. ([jazzclub-regensburg.de](https://www.jazzclub-regensburg.de/jazzclub/leerer-beutel/das-restaurant))

The uniqueness of the Empty Bag ultimately lies in its consistent mix of historical shell and contemporary use. The house brings together regional art, sophisticated cinema, and jazz music under one roof while remaining a place of urban memory. The gallery showcases East Bavarian art in an international and regional tension, the Film Gallery has been working for decades on an independent cinema culture, and the Jazz Club uses the hall as a stage for a program with its own profile. This is why the Empty Bag is more than just an address for Regensburg: It is a cultural house with recognition value, where history is not preserved but practically developed further. Those searching for Empty Bag program, Empty Bag cinema, Empty Bag exhibition, or Empty Bag concerts are essentially looking for exactly this interplay of place, content, and atmosphere. ([jazzclub-regensburg.de](https://www.jazzclub-regensburg.de/jazzclub/leerer-beutel/das-restaurant))

Sources:

• Jazzclub Regensburg - Empty Bag
• Film Gallery at the Empty Bag - Our Cinema
• City of Regensburg - Municipal Gallery at the Empty Bag
• City of Regensburg - Cultural Venue and Municipal Gallery at the Empty Bag
• City of Regensburg - Parking Lot Wöhrdstraße
• Jazzclub Regensburg - Press Release on the Empty Bag, 24.09.2025