It’s almost that time of the year again: it won’t be long before the 2026 festival season in Germany is in full swing. Reason enough to take a closer look at the major festivals in all corners of the country.
Festivals 2026 in Munich and Surrounding Area
Tollwood Festival 2026
To be fair, Tollwood isn’t a festival with a specific time frame, camping, and the like. But it’s still worth taking a look at the program. That’s because the summer festival in Olympiapark Süd attracts top-class acts to Munich for dozens of concerts over the course of a whole month. In 2026, the lineup will range from veterans such as Deep Purple and Rick Astley to German-speaking artists such as Bosse and Wincent Weiss to crowd favorites such as Fat Freddy’s Drop and the Dropkick Murphys. Bring on the summer!
Tollwood Summer Festival: June 19–July 19, 2026, Olympiapark Süd, Munich
Superbloom Festival 2026
The Superbloom is Munich’s official, inner-city weekend festival. The venue for this musical extravaganza is the Olympic Park and the Olympic Stadium and it has attracted a good 50,000 yearly visitors so far. As befits a major festival, the music mix is broad: in 2025, Post Malone, Hozier, and Tiësto were among the headliners who came to the Isar. Neither the line-up nor the date have been confirmed for this year yet.
Superbloom: Date pending, Olympiapark & Olympiastadion Munich
Festivals in Berlin and the Surrounding Area in 2026
Lollapalooza Berlin 2026
In 2026, Berlin will host the eleventh Lollapalooza in Germany. The offshoot of the world-famous US festival can, of course, only take place in the German capital and has been shining with outstanding artists since its first edition. The headliner is none other than the eternal sunglass testimonial Pitbull, pop fans can look forward to Lewis Capaldi and Liliy Allen, and the local music scene will be represented by Zartmann and Vicky, among others.
Lollapalooza Berlin: July 18+19, 2026, Olympic Stadium & Olympic Park, Berlin
Fusion 2026
No longer an insider tip, Fusion is still one of the most alternative festivals in Germany. Located in the immediate vicinity of Lake Müritz, the festival grounds are easily accessible from Berlin. Fusion focuses not only on music, but also on a holistic, communal festival experience under the motto “holiday communism,” with theater performances and art exhibitions. Only vegetarian and vegan food is served. The opportunity to purchase personalized tickets is raffled off. And the lineup? Traditionally, it is announced shortly before the festival begins.
Fusion: June 24–28, 2026, Müritz Airpark, Lärz
Festivals in Leipzig and the Surrounding Area in 2026
Splash! 2026
Germany’s largest hip-hop festival couldn’t have chosen a more impressive location. Where else can you party among discarded lignite excavators? The Ferropolis Industrial Museum in Gräfenhainichen, Saxony, is the venue for the Splash! Festival every year. In 2026, german rap idol Ikkimel, Bonn’s rap pope SSIO, and OG Keemo, among others, will be on stage.
Splash! Festival: July 2–4, 2026, Ferropolis, Gräfenhainichen
Full Force 2026
There’s no question that the impressive backdrop of Ferropolis, the city of iron, is perfect for a full-blown metal festival. And with Full Force, that’s exactly what happens here every year. Metal in metal, so to speak. Unfortunately, last year the festival was canceled by the organizers. But in 2026, the “most metal place on earth” is set to rock again as usual.
Full Force Festival: Date not yet confirmed.
Festivals in Hamburg and the Surrounding Area in 2026
Wacken Open Air 2026
It is THE metal festival par excellence: Wacken Open Air in the town of the same name in Schleswig-Holstein in the far north of Germany. Once a year, all the metalheads in Germany (and beyond) come together here to shake their manes to metal riffs. The festival has become a cult event even beyond the scene and sells out in record time every time. The highlight is always the performance of the Wacken Firefighters, the band of the Wacken volunteer fire department. In 2026, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, and In Flames, among others, will be on stage.
Wacken Open Air: July 29–August 1, 2026, Wacken
Hurricane 2026
Hurricane (and its sister festival Southside) are something like the darlings of the German alternative and indie festival scene: there is almost no one who doesn’t find something they like in the musical mix of the lineup, yet at the same time, the booking is not arbitrary or purely mainstream. With this mix, the festivals have played their way into the top league over the years, with around 80,000 visitors now coming to the small town of Scheeßel in Lower Saxony. This year, they can look forward to Twenty One Pilots, Billy Talent, and The Offspring, among others.
Hurricane: June 19–21, 2026, Eichenring, Scheeßel
Reeperbahn Festival 2026
The Reeperbahn Festival, held on the street of the same name in Hamburg St. Pauli, is the jack of all trades among festivals. Music is the focus here too, but not only in the form of the many open-air and club concerts. The festival also attracts a large professional audience, as well as musicians, cultural figures, and many others. In addition to concerts, the program includes panel discussions, workshops, and plenty of networking opportunities. But that doesn’t mean you can’t just come for the concerts. However, no acts have been announced yet.
Reeperbahn Festival: September 16–19, 2026, St. Pauli, Hamburg
Deichbrand 2026
It doesn’t get much further north than this: as the name suggests, Deichbrand takes place close to the North Sea near Cuxhaven. The line-up is just as stormy, with a wild wave ride from indie (Giant Rooks) to hip-hop (Sido) to punk (Rise Against). With up to 60,000 visitors, Deichbrand definitely plays in the big leagues. And best of all, there’s always the chance to cool off in the North Sea.
Deichbrand: July 16–19, 2026, Wurster North Sea Coast
Festivals in Cologne and the Surrounding Area in 2026
Rock am Ring 2026
It is the grande dame of German festivals: Rock am Ring. It is named after the “Green Hell,” the Formula 1 racing track Nürburgring in the Eifel region. The festival took place for the first time in 1985 and is still considered one of the most important music events in Germany. Headliners include Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Electric Callboy, Iron Maiden, Sabaton, and Papa Roach. It’s still “Rock” am Ring, even though the genre mix has expanded over the years. Notoriously sold out early.
Rock am Ring: June 5–7, 2026, Nürburgring, Nürburg
Summerjam 2026
Reggae may not be the “biggest” genre in Germany, but the community is definitely one of the most active and vibrant. And with Summerjam, one of the biggest reggae festivals in Europe takes place in the middle of Cologne year after year. And has been doing so since 1986. The venue is an island in the middle of Lake Fühlinger See, with two stages and a sound system tent providing music for around 30,000 visitors. This year, the 40th anniversary will feature Bonez MC, OG Keemo, Dexta Daps, Burning Spear, and others.
Summerjam: July 3–5, 2026, Lake Fühlinger See, Cologne
Parookaville 2026
Parookaville took place for the first time in 2015 in Weeze in the Lower Rhine region, delighting electronic music fans from near and far. The festival has since grown into one of the largest in Europe, attracting 225,000 visitors to the airport grounds in 2024. No wonder: a visit to the festival is an experience that goes beyond the music. Not least thanks to the breathtaking and brightly colored installations and stage sets, the light shows, and the hours of partying. This year, big names such as Armin van Buuren, Charlotte de Witte, and 2 Engel & Charlie will be performing.
Parookaville: July 17–19, 2026, Airport, Weeze
Festivals in Stuttgart and the Surrounding Area in 2026
Southside 2026
The southern German counterpart to Hurricane: Southside in Neuhausen ob Eck, very close to Lake Constance, has almost the same line-up as its partner festival in Scheeßel. Three days of indie and alternative fun and good vibes. The only difference: the sun tends to shine more in the south.
Southside: June 19–21, 2026, Neuhausen ob Eck
Glücksgefühle 2026
A newcomer to the festival scene, but not a small one, is the Glücksgefühle Festival in Hockenheim. The first edition in 2023 attracted 130,000 visitors, and by 2024 the number had already risen to 200,000. This is hardly surprising when you consider that none other than Cologne football legend Lukas Podolski launched Glücksgefühle. Accordingly, the line-up boasts big names such as David Guetta, Boris Brejcha, and Ski Aggu. The actual festival runs for two days, but the campsite is open for all fans of canned beer and flunkyball one day before and after the festival.
Glücksgefühle: September 3–6, 2026, Hockenheimring, Hockenheim
Festivals in Nuremberg and the Surrounding Area in 2026
Taubertal Festival 2026
Once a year, the otherwise tranquil Taubertal valley in Franconia becomes a hotbed of excitement, and 2026 will mark the 30th anniversary of this event! The Taubertal Festival is an absolute crowd favorite in a unique setting; a visit to the medieval gem of Rothenburg should be on the agenda. That is, if you can tear yourself away from the first-class lineup, which includes Biffy Clyro, Feine Sahne Fischfilet, and the Donots.
Taubertal Festival: August 6–9, 2026, Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rock im Park 2026
In the heart of Nuremberg, the sister festival Rock im Park takes place parallel to Rock am Ring. The eponymous park is the Volkspark Dutzendteich, which provides space for a good 70,000 music fans to mosh, party, and dance for three days. The only downside: to get a real Franconian lager, you unfortunately have to leave the festival grounds.
Rock im Park: June 5–7, 2026, Volkspark Dutzendteich