10 Best Festivals in Germany

Germany’s most iconic Volkfest, Oktoberfest attracts millions of people to the city to enjoy Bavarian beer and food, live bands, and parades. This 3-week-long festivity kicks off with a vibrant parade of carriages, floats, and people in traditional costumes, before congregating at the Theresienwiese fairground. You can find hundreds of large tents with gallons of beers provided by renowned Munich breweries, with traditional Bavarian music blaring out of massive speakers throughout the day. Fairground rides such as Ferris wheels, miniature trains, and merry-go-rounds offer hours of fun for visitors too young to drink.

Hamburg’s Reeperbahn Festival gives music fans a chance to enjoy a variety of genres and up-and-coming artists from across the world. Over the course of 4 days in September, there are over 350 music concerts, art exhibitions, conferences, and film screenings held in and around St. Pauli district. Venues range from underground clubs and bars to grand buildings such as Imperial Theatre, Schulmuseum and St. Pauli Cathedral.

Karneval in Cologne feels like a massive costume party that lasts for about 6 days in the month of February, from Thursday to Tuesday. The 1st day kicks off with a lively street parade in the morning, with crowds dressed up in wacky costumes and loud music blaring from just about every pub and brewery in the city. Expect lots of traditional music, dance and live performances during the day, followed with more parties and street shows well into the night.

Cannstatter Volksfest kicks off with a spectacular street parade, with horse-drawn brewery wagons, locals dressed in traditional costumes, and marching bands. Similar to Oktoberfest, this family-friendly festival lasts for about 3 weeks, starting from late-September. Arguably one of Stuttgart’s most popular festivals, its many fairground attractions include haunted houses, roller coasters, and Ferris wheels of various shapes and sizes. You can also find a variety of food stalls and beer tents at Cannstatter Volksfest, where you can enjoy delicious local fare, German beers, and wines throughout your visit.

Every 1st and 3rd weekend of September, Wurstmarkt sees over 500,000 people celebrating 2 of Germany’s most popular exports – wine and wurst (sausage). This folk festival dates back to the 12th century, when farmers and wineries of Bad Dürkheim sold their produce for pilgrims heading up to Michaelskapelle (St. Michael’s Chapel). Today, it’s a fair-like event with hundreds of food stalls, carnival rides, fireworks displays, and wine halls. One of the best spots to celebrate Wurstmarkt is at Durkheimer Riesenfass, which is a gigantic wine barrel with an onsite restaurant.

A festival for dedicated cinephiles, Berlinale showcases over 400 films of various genres and lengths. One of the largest international film festivals in the world, it has been held in Berlin since 1978. More than 10,000 professionals from 115 countries gather at European Film Market (EFM) for a variety of programmes, workshops, and premieres over the course of 10 days. You may even be able to catch sight of your favourite celebrities at Berlinale. Tickets to watch a film cost about €12 – a steal compared to other film festivals such as Sundance and Cannes.

If you’re in Berlin during wintertime, you can find not 1, but more than 20 Weihnachtsmarkts (Christmas markets) set up in historical buildings and city squares. About a month before Christmas, crowds of locals and tourists brave the cold to enjoy a variety of activities and seasonal specialities at these vibrant markets. You can find plenty of quaint wooden stalls selling winter clothing, trees, decorations, handicrafts, toys, and nativity figures. Charlottenburg Castle, KulturBrauerei, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, and Gendarmenmarkt have some of the largest Christmas markets in Berlin.

Rhein in Flammen (Rhine in Flames) is a series of spectacular firework displays and ship parades on the banks of Rhine. The festival takes place from May to September every year, with about 75 illuminated ships sailing down the Rhine. In the evening, expect spectacular fireworks displays and spectators enjoying the view from dry land. Rhein in Flammen in May sees music concerts, food and wine events being hosted at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress and the Deutsches Eck.

Beethovenfest attracts fans of classical music to the town of Bonn with talented orchestras, classical dances, workshops, and food fairs. This event dates back to 1845 to celebrate the music of renowned composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. The first 3 weeks of September sees about 60 concerts at more than 20 venues throughout the composer’s birthplace. Some of the most popular places to enjoy Beethovenfest include Beethovenhaus, Stadtmuseum Siegburg, and St. Evergislus Cathedral.

Festival-Mediaval in Selb features folk music, fire shows, and theatres dedicated to medieval times in Germany. The 4-day event takes place at Goldberg State Park in September, drawing crowds dressed up in traditional costumes. Tents are available at the festival grounds if you plan on staying for more than 1 day. The festival also hosts numerous workshops on traditions from the Middle Age, Renaissance, and early Baroque periods. From fencing and archery to bagpiping and belly-dancing, there’s something for everyone at Festival-Mediaval.