Traditionally, a play premiered in last year's competition opens Heidelberger Stückemarkt. The play set to open the 42nd festival edition was not known at the time of publication. Nominated texts were presented in a reading at Heidelberger Stückemarkt 2024. One of them was awarded the Writers’ Prize funded by Manfred Lautenschläger-Stiftung and endowed with EUR 10,000. On the 2024 jury were director Bernadette Sonnenbichler, cultural journalist Cornelia Fiedler, dramaturge Elvin İlhan, playwright Emre Akal as well the Artistic Director of the Stückemarkt Jürgen Popig.

Here come the nominated plays and authors: »Die ersten hundert Tage« (The First One Hundred Days) by Lars Werner, »brennendes haus« (burning house) by Anaïs Clerc, »2x241 Titel doppelt so gut wie Martin Kippenberger« (2x241 Titles Twice as Good as Martin Kippenberger) by Kollektiv Frankfurter Hauptschule, »Ghostbike« by Julie Guigonis, »DRUCK!« (PRESSURE!) by Arad Dabiri and »Kind aus Seide« (Silk Child) by Leonie Ziem.