Music festivals in Germany
Every summer, German music festivals attract millions of visitors from all around the world. No matter what genre you prefer, there will certainly be a fitting option for you among the many festivals on offer.
To make your summer even more exciting, we looked at some of the upcoming festivals in Germany, ranging from rock to pop and electronic music.
If you prefer a more classic setting, scroll down to find out about many events, honouring the legacy of some of the grandest German composers.
Rock am Ring (7–9 June 2019) is Germany’s biggest rock festival and takes place at the famous Nürburgring race track. Each year, over 80,000 people come together to join the big party. This summer, legendary rock bands like Slipknot and Tool will appear on stage as well as indie-rock stars such as The 1975 and Bastille.
If you’re looking for musical diversity, the Hurricane Festival(21–23 June 2019) in Scheeßel, Lower Saxony is your go-to German festival. With 70,000 visitors it’s one of the biggest and most well-known festivals in Germany. This year, the crowd will dance to the hits of Macklemore, Foo Fighters, Mumford & Sons and many, many more.
Its so-called “little sister”, Southside Festival (21–23 June 2019) has the same line-up and takes place in the very south of Germany on the Neuhausen ob Eck Airfield.
A similar variety of bands awaits you at the Highfield Festival (16–18 August 2018) in the Saxonian town of Großpösna close to Leipzig. 35.000 visitors can choose between rock and punk bands, rappers and DJs. Announced for this year, amongst many others, are Thirty Seconds to Mars and Steve Aoki. You can also take a dip in the beautiful Strömthaler Lake nearby.
The Helene Beach Festival (25–28 July 2019) in Frankfurt/Oder in Brandenburg is located on the lakeside of Helenesee which was voted Germany’s most popular lake in 2016. More than 150 artists get 25.000 electronic, hip hop and pop enthusiasts dancing.
Fans of electronic music will love Parookaville (19–21 July 2019), which takes place on a former military airport next to the small town of Weeze, in North Rhine-Westphalia. The festival, which launched in 2015, has grown to become the largest German festival of the genre, attracting up to 80.000 people. Visitors receive a pass to stay at Parookaville City — a “town” exclusively set up for the festival with restaurants, stores, a pool and even a tattoo studio and a post office. This year, world-famous DJs like Steve Aoki and Martin Solveig are announced to play their sets.
Nature One (2–4 August 2019) with its 350 DJs and live acts hosts about 65.000 people each year. Visitors can choose from four main stages and 19 club floors. It is set up on a former NATO missile base near Kastellaun in Rhineland-Palatinate. This year, you can join to celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of the biggest European festivals for electronic dance music.
For three days (9–11 August 2019), 40,000 lovers of electronic music attend SonneMondSterne and dance to the sets of some of the world’s most famous DJs. This year, Calvin Harris is announced to be the very exclusive headliner. It is located just next to the towns of Gera and Jena in Thuringia.
Wacken Open Air Festival (1- 3 August 2019) in Schleswig-Holstein attracts fans of heavy metal and rock music from all over the world. Since 1990, the infamous gathering has been a huge success, hosting up to 90,000 visitors every year. This year, fans come to the small village up north to celebrate the festival’s 30th anniversary.
In case you missed Wacken or cannot get enough of metal music, Summer Breeze (14–17 August 2019) will be your go-to place. 40,000 visitors are expected in Dinkelsbühl to see heavy metal legends like Avantasia and Parkway Drive playing live on stage.
Berlin’s Lollapalooza Festival (7–8 September 2019) is a great place to end your German festival summer in style. More than 70 bands cover a variety of genres. This year, about 85,000 people will sing along to the songs of Swedish House Mafia, Kings of Leon, Billie Eilish, Rita Ora and many more. Set in and around the famous Olympiastadion in Berlin, there will be a vineyard, a play area for kids and synchronised swimming shows in the pools of the stadium.
Lovers of classical music will enjoy the famous Bayreuth Festival (25 July -28 August 2019). Pieces by German composer Richard Wagner, such as “Tristan and Isolde” or “Lohengrin”, are performed at the festival hall of Bayreuth, Bavaria. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is only one of the many prominent guests. But be aware — not everyone is fortunate enough to get a ticket. Some even have to wait for years.
The Beethovenfest Bonn (6–29 September 2019) dates back to 1845 when a three-day reminiscence was held in honour of the 75th anniversary of the composer’s birth. It was attended by a variety of high-ranking intellectuals as well as social and political figures, including with an international audience including King Frederick William IV of Prussia, Queen Victoria of Great Britain, the explorer Alexander von Humboldt and the composer Hector Berlioz. Today, the Festival attracts approximately 2000 artists, performing in 25 different locations, such as concert halls, churches, and museums as well as the former parliament buildings, historical industrial sights, modern office buildings or castles.
