German Top Events

The main highlight in Bingen is the annual "Rhine in Flames" firework spectacular, which lights up the night skies on both sides of the river and attracts large numbers of spectators to this picturesque setting in the Rhine Valley.

Every autumn for two to four weeks Bonn stages the International Beethoven Festival. Devoted to the outstanding musical works of Ludwig van Beethoven, born here in 1770, the event enthrals visitors from all over the world.

Every Easter this festival, comprising two operas and several symphonic concerts by high-calibre ensembles, captivates an international audience in the opera house on Berlin's Unter den Linden.

Held in September, the Berlin Marathon is the biggest running event in Germany, with more than 50,000 participants from all over the world. The marathon is as much an experience for the spectators cheering from the side of the road as it is for the runners themselves.

The Berlinale international film festival has blossomed to become the most acclaimed events in the city's cultural calendar. Every year this huge two-week event attracts over 16,000 visitors from all over the world to Berlin.

The stallion parade has brought the small medieval town of Celle a widespread reputation. On two weekends in September the Lower Saxony State Stud is the venue for THE equestrian spectacle in the Südheide area.

The number one motorsport event in the world makes an annual stop at Hockenheimring, attracting thousands of visitors. Out of all the racing series, Formula 1 is the most demanding, both in terms of the constructors' financial muscle and technological capabilities, and the drivers' racing skills.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the second of four towns which host the ski jumping world championships known as the Four Hills Tournament. The venue for the event, which traditionally takes place on New Years Day, is the Olympic Ski Stadium.

The Greifswald Bach Festival takes place in June and is the cultural highlight of the year, attracting visitors from all across Germany. Concerts and lectures focusing on Germany's most famous musician are supported by the Pomeranian Protestant Church.

Held every June, the Handel Festival is the highlight of Halle's cultural calendar, attracting visitors from all over the world. As billed, the spotlight falls on Baroque music written by the great composer, from operas to oratorios. 

Not only is Rostock's Hanse Sail the largest maritime event in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, it is also a huge public festival with an eclectic mix of entertainment and cultural attractions. 

Built in 1189, Hamburg Port celebrates its birthday at the beginning of May. What started out as a small fair, has since become the largest port festival in the world. Around one million people flock to the event every year.

Every year the HEW Cyclassics Cup puts Hamburg into a cycling frenzy, with the finest cyclists in the world pitting their wits against each other in the recently redesigned 251km cycle route in and around Hamburg.

Iffezheim International Racecourse, one of the finest racecourses in Europe, stages international horseracing three times a year, at the "Spring Festival", the "Great Festival Week" and the "Sales & Racing Festival". Go as you are or don a fabulous hat, it doesn't really matter; Baden-Baden's International Horse Races are extra-special events that everyone can enjoy.

Bad Segeberg is home to the Karl May Festival. Every year, hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the open-air stage on Kalkberg hill to experience the Wild West close up.

Kiel, the regional capital of Schleswig-Holstein, is the venue for the Kiel Week regatta, the greatest sailing event in the world and the biggest summer festival in northern Europe.

The Sachsenring racetrack is one of the most challenging Grand Prix circuits, and every summer it is the venue for the one of the hottest races of the season. The track holds a magical appeal for all motorsport fans, and the only way to do proper justice to the MotoGP is to experience it live.

Held in the summer, Munich Opera Festival has been enthralling music lovers from all over the world since 1875. Audiences are treated to an eclectic repertoire of operas, including several premières, as well as a number of other musical offerings.

Held every year, the Museum Embankment Festival is one of the top events in Frankfurt's festival calendar. Concentrated around the Eiserner Steg footbridge, the festivities stretch for eight kilometres on both side of the River Main, and if you think it's just about museums, get ready for a big surprise ...

Late-night opening for museums, a concept popular in a number of other cities, takes place twice a year in Berlin. More than 110 institutions take part in the event, ranging from museums and archives to memorial sites.

There simply aren't enough superlatives to describe Munich's world-famous Oktoberfest. Held on the Wies’n fairground from the middle of September to the beginning of October, the festival is opened with the traditional cry of "O'zapft is" (the barrel is tapped).

You will come across the famous tale of the Pied Piper everywhere in Hamlyn and a special telling of the story can be found in the Pied Piper open-air plays. In 1284 the piper was cheated out of money and in revenge lured the children of Hamlyn away from the town never to be seen again.

From the middle reaches of the river Werra near Hörschel to the upper reaches of the river Saale near Blankenstein, the Rennsteig trail runs across the peaks of the Thuringian Forest and the Thuringian Slate Mountains as far as the northern Franconian Forest.

The festival started as a series of 19 concerts and over the course of time has grown to more than 100. Attracting several hundred visitors every year, the festival prides itself on the quality of its music – whether it is classical music from a range of eras, jazz or cabaret.

The international Rheinsberg Palace Chamber Opera festival takes place every year against the picturesque backdrop of the palace, where audiences are captivated by the voices of young singers from around the world.

When 2,000 red Bengal lights bathe the famous sights of the Rhine and the riverside promenades between Bonn and Linz in a festive glow on the first Saturday in May, the illusion of the "Rhine in Flames" is created.

The Rhineland-Palatinate Summer of Culture is organised by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate with over 1,600 events taking place across the region. The diverse program of events features all kinds of performances ranging from dance and film to major festivals.

Every year in July and August the Bayreuth Festival attracts visitors from around the world with its exceptional productions of Richard Wagner's operas. Wagner's celebrated works, including the "The Ring of the Nibelung" as well as "Tristan and Iseult", are performed in alternation at the festival theatre, which was built especially for the event.

Germany's biggest rock festival is also one of the biggest in Europe. Every year, thousands of young people and adults flock to the Nürburgring for the event. Artists such as INXS and Alanis Morissette have appeared here, and old favourites such as Green Day and The Prodigy also pop up at the Nürburgring fairly regularly.

This festival began with the idea of combining the industrial heritage of the Ruhr region with an arts festival. This unique mix produced the RuhrTriennale, a cultural event which has become famous throughout Germany and beyond.

The Saar Spectacular is Germany's largest event on the theme of water and water sports. A varied programme awash with competitions, promotions and attractions guarantees a whole host of fun and entertainment.

Every year thousands of people flock to Schleswig-Holstein to hear classical music performances played across a variety of different venues, in what ranks as one of the highest-calibre classical music events in Europe.

Held for over 50 years now, the Schwetzingen Festival takes place every spring in the palace gardens, which are magnificent at this time of year with the flowers in full bloom.

The renowned Splash! festival held on the shores of Oberrabenstein reservoir in Chemnitz has grooved its way to the title of Europe's most popular hip-hop and reggae festival.

In terms of size, the Stuttgart Beer Festival is second-only to the Oktoberfest in Munich. It takes place at the end of September every year in the area around the 24 metre high fruit column and originated in 1818 as a harvest festival following a famine.

Thanks to the Störtebeker festival, the Ralswiek open-air theatre by the Jasmund lagoons is one of the most successful theatres of its kind in Germany. Every summer Ralswiek goes into a state of emergency as the most notorious of the Victual Brothers, Klaus Störtebeker, takes over this peaceful town with his band of pirates.

On the night before the first of May witches swoop through Wernigerode up to Mount Brocken, where they convene with the devil. Superstitious nonsense you might think, but you could be in for a surprise ... Every 30 April thousands of people from all over Germany head to this famous mountain, also known as the Blocksberg, to celebrate Walpurgis Night.

Weimar Arts Festival is the highpoint of the Goethe town's cultural calendar. First and foremost a music festival, it also provides a stage for all kinds of other artists to parade their talents.

These English-style landscaped gardens provide the perfect setting for this banquet of classical music, which is also accompanied by a host of culinary delights. The concerts are best enjoyed with a fine meal on a gondola on Lake Wörlitz.