August 17-21, 2026
at the University of Cologne

We are excited to announce a conference that will bring together the world’s top researchers in the field of massive star formation and evolution, with a focus on the latest advances in simulations and observations. This meeting will provide a unique opportunity to explore the latest discoveries and advancements in our understanding of the habitats of massive stars across cosmic time.

Massive stars shape the evolution of galaxies through their intense radiation, feedback and ultimate deaths, yet their habitats and impact vary widely across cosmic time. Understanding the life cycle of baryonic matter, the chemical enrichment of the Universe and the regulation of star formation requires two major steps: first, bridging the large dynamic range in scale from sub-parsec dense clumps where stars are born up to hundreds of kiloparsecs in the circumgalactic medium that is affected by their feedback, and second, comparing environments that range from quiescent, nearby spiral galaxies to turbulent, high-redshift starbusts. This symposium aims to unite experts in observations, theory, simulations, laboratory astrophysics and instrumentation to identify the key physical and chemical processes governing the formation and impact of massive stars in their diverse cosmic habitats. The main questions to be addressed will focus on how universal the massive star formation process is across these diverse environments, how efficient stellar feedback is in dispersing different media, and whether the processes and structures observed locally are universal across the Universe. 

The program will cover the habitats of massive stars in our Galaxy and at high redshift, discussing the physics and chemistry of star formation and stellar feedback.

Preliminary dates:

Beginn of the symposium: Monday, 9am
End of the symposium: Friday 6pm

Welcome Evening: (17.8.26)
The conference will start with a welcome event combined with a first poster session. There will be snacks and wine.

Diversity lunch session: (tbd)
A dedicated lunch session focusing on diversity and inclusion will be held during the symposium. The LOC welcomes suggestions for discussion topics or proposals for short contributed talks. Please submit your ideas directly to loc-msf2026@ph1.uni-koeln.de.

Conference Dinner (20.8.26):

We are pleased to announce that during the conference dinner taking place at Herbrand’s (Ehrenfeld) on Thursday evening, Jürgen Stutzki will deliver a talk detailing the developments and history of the CCAT project.

Social Event (20.8.26):

We have booked English tours of the Old town in Cologne. In small groups you will ! be  taken on a journey through time: from Roman Colonia to medieval Cologne with its churches, guilds and merchants, through the times of war destruction and reconstruction to modern urban development and today’s Cologne.

The conference will take place on the campus of the University of Cologne.

Main building/ Hauptgebäude (Gebäude 100), Aula
Albertus-Magnus-Platz 1
50931 Köln

The venue can best be reached by tram #9 (Stop “Universität”) or by train to station “Köln Süd” (not barrier-free). Parking is difficult and should be arranged at your hotel.

The conference rooms can be reached barrier-free with an Euro-key.

Lunch is not organized by the conference, but there are many options around the University campus.

The Kölner Studentenwerk runs a number of canteens at which conference attendees can benefit from the ‘Guest’ rates by showing their conference name tag.

The bistro closest to the conference venue ist the Uni E-Raum which is only one floor below the Aula. A larger variety of warm dishes is served at the Mensa (Zülpicher Straße 70). They also offer vegan and vegetarian options, and the daily menu and food options for each of their locations can be viewed on their website https://www.kstw.de/speiseplan/. Food is served between 11:30 am and 2:30 pm.

The surrounding areas along Zülpicher Straße offer a variety of food options and invite you to spend some time in a typical Cologne bar, enjoying the University nightlife.

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To plan your visit in Cologne, we recommend this page: https://www.cologne-tourism.com/arts-culture/sights

The maximum space for poster presentations is A0 portrait format (width: 841 mm, height: 1189 mm). Poster spaces will be available for accepted abstracts only.

Early Bird Deadline extended until April 15!

Please note that registration is mandatory to participate in the conference.
The following link leads you to the registration page of our partner Converia. This link is also valid for uploading your abstract. Details about the registration conditions can be found further below.

Registration for Habitats of massive stars 2026

Important dates:
Registration for on-site participation will open 2026
Registration for online participation will open 2026

• Deadline for submission of abstracts: April 15, 2026
• Deadline for early bird registration: April 1, 2026 April 15, 2026
• Deadline for regular registrations is June 30, 2026.

The following services are included in the basic registration fee: 

1. Coffee breaks with snacks throughout the conference
2. Welcome reception with scientific talks and drinks
3. Excursion
4. Science dinner on Thursday (August 20, 2026)

Please indicate your participation for points 2 to 4 and add your food preferences during the registration process.

Conference Fees

	early bird	regular
Regular participants	€ 300	€ 360
online participation	€ 120	€ 120
Invited Speakers, Invited Guests, and Accredited Journalists	free	free

Please note: Only credit card payment is possible.

Cancellation Policy

Your conference fee will be partially refunded (50%) if you cancel your registration until June 30, 2026.
Cancellation with full refund (excl. a handling fee of 10€) will be possible until 1 week after the announcement of the SOC only for registered participants, for whom the SOC selected neither a submitted talk abstract nor a submitted poster abstract.

Hotels close to the venue (shorter distances at the top):
All can be reached by public transport

Apartmenthotel Sleepy Inn
Uni Center, Luxemburger Str. 124-136
50939 Köln

Stayery Köln Sülz
Weißhausstr. 23a
50674 Cologne

Black Sheep Hostel
Barbarossaplatz 1
50674 Cologne

Nuno Hotel
Barbarossapl. 4A
50674 Cologne

Hotel Esplanade
Hohenstaufenring 56
50674 Cologne

IBIS Köln Centrum
Neue Weyerstrasse 4
50676 Cologne

Maison Marsil
Marsilstein 25-27
50676 Cologne

Motel 1 Neumarkt
Cäcilienstraße 32
50667 Cologne

Youth Hostels in Cologne:

Youth hostel DJH Cologne Deutz
Siegesstr. 5
50679 Cologne
https://www.jugendherberge.de/jugendherbergen/koeln-deutz/

Youth hostel DJH Cologne Riehl
An der Schanz 14
50735 Cologne
https://www.jugendherberge.de/jugendherbergen/koeln-riehl/

Abstract submission will be available upon registration. It will be possible to ask for a poster presentation or a contributed talk (15 min). Decisions on the acceptance of contributed talks will be made by the scientific organizing committee. If not accepted as a contributed talk, contributions will be converted into a poster presentation. Early career researchers are particularly encouraged to submit contributions as talks. 

The CRC 1601 as the organizer of this Symposium is committed to conduct the meeting to be productive and enjoyable for everyone. The organizers will not tolerate harassment of participants in any way. By attending this Symposium you agree to:

• Behave professionally. Exclusionary or offensive comments or jokes related to personal attributes are not appropriate.
• Personal attributes covered by this policy include but are not limited to (alphabetically): age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, lactation, nationality, physical appearance, political affiliation, pregnancy, race, religion, sexual orientation, and status as a caregiver (including as a parent).
• Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to, sustained disruption of talks or other events, unwelcome physical contact, sexual attention or innuendo, intimidation, stalking and recording of an individual without consent. Consent for photography may be assumed only when the subject is giving a talk during the Symposium or during the official shooting of the conference photo.
• Communicate appropriately. Aim for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual language and imagery are not acceptable.
• Be kind. Do not insult or put down other meeting participants.

All participants are empowered to request that undesirable behavior be stopped. Participants asked to stop any behavior inconsistent with this Meeting CoC are expected to comply immediately. The Symposium will have two designated Meeting Contact People with the authority to take action up to and including requiring an attendee to leave a meeting. In addition to the Meeting Contact People, any participant who wishes to discuss a violation of the Meeting CoC can speak, in confidence, to the Chair of CRC 1601.

This is a hybrid meeting – Refrain from sharing any pictures or recording from this meeting without explicit written consent.

The Code of Conduct applies in all conference spaces.

Meeting Contact Persons: 

The LOC may be contacted at any time. You will recognise them from their badges during the conference.