Planning to visit Germany? Whether you’re drawn by traditional festivals, public holidays, or music events, Germany offers something exciting almost every week of the year. Here’s your ultimate, month-by-month guide to Germany’s top festivals and holidays for 2025 and early 2026, perfect for crafting the ideal travel itinerary.
German Festivals
April 2025
- April 3 – Good Friday (Karfreitag) – Public holiday; closures
- April 5 & 6 – Easter Sunday and Monday (Ostern) – Public holidays; closures
- April 11–May 4 – Thuringian Bach Weeks, Erfurt (Classical music festival)
- April 18–May 3 – Spring Festival, Nürnberg (Rides, costumes in Luitpoldhain park)
- April 25–May 11 – Frühlingsfest (Spring Festival), Munich (The “little sister” of Oktoberfest)
May 2025
- May 1 – May Day (Labor Day) – Maypole dancing, Berlin street festivals; closures
- May 3 – Rhine in Flames, Bonn (Fireworks along the Rhine)
- May 9–11 – Hafengeburtstag, Hamburg (Maritime festival celebrating the port’s birthday)
- May 11–18 – International Dixieland Festival, Dresden (Jazz festival)
- May 16–17 – Die Blaue Nacht, Nürnberg (Nighttime art and projection events)
- May 17–24 – Green Sauce Festival, Frankfurt (Culinary street festival)
- May 17–June 14 – Dresden Music Festival (Classical music performances)
- May 21–30 – Fressgass’ Fest, Frankfurt (Food and culture)
- May 23–June 22 – Mozartfest, Würzburg (Celebration of Mozart’s music)
- May 28–June 8 (likely) – Weindorf Wine Festival, Würzburg
- May 29 – Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) – Public holiday; closures
June 2025
- June 6–7 – Elbjazz Festival, Hamburg
- June 6–8 – Rock am Ring, Nürburg (Major rock music festival)
- June 6–9 – Karneval der Kulturen, Berlin (Multicultural street parade)
- June 6–9 – Meistertrunk Show, Rothenburg (Medieval performance and market)
- June 6–15 – Handel Festival, Halle (Baroque music)
- June 8 & 9 – Pentecost (Pfingsten) & Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag) – Closures; rural traditions
- June 10–12 (likely) – Melt Festival, Gräfenhainichen (Electronic & indie music)
- June 12–22 – Bach Festival, Leipzig
- June 13–15 – Luther’s Wedding, Wittenberg (Historical re-enactment)
- June 13–15 – Bunter Sommer Neustadt, Dresden (Community block party)
- June 19 – Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) – Flower carpets and processions; closures
- June 19–July 20 – Tollwood Summer Festival, Munich
- June 20–22 – Traumzeit Music Festival, Duisburg
- June 21–29 – Kieler Woche, Kiel (World’s largest sailing event)
- June 24–July 5 – St. Katharina Open Air, Nürnberg
- June 25–29 – Fusion Festival, Neustrelitz (Counterculture music and arts)
- June 26–29 – Oberlindenhock, Freiburg
- June 27–29 – Elbhangfest, Dresden
July 2025
- July 3–8 – Freiburg Wine Festival
- July 4–6 – Cologne Pride Street Festival
- July 4–20 – Kiliani Volksfest, Würzburg
- July 5 – Rhine in Flames, Bingen / Rüdesheim
- Early July – Classic Open Air, Berlin (Concerts on Gendarmenmarkt)
- Weekends July 11–27 – Kaltenberg Knights’ Tournament, near Munich
- July 18–27 – Kinderzeche, Dinkelsbühl (Historic parade and festivities)
- July 25–August 10 (likely) – Sommerwerft, Frankfurt (Theater and performance art)
- July 26 – Christopher Street Day (Berlin Pride)
August 2025
- July 27 & August 9 – Klassik Open Air, Nürnberg
- August 1–3 – Bardentreffen, Nürnberg (World music festival)
- August 9 – Rhine in Flames, Koblenz
- August 13–17 – Weindorf Wine Festival, Rothenburg ob der Tauber
- August 15 – Assumption Day (Mariä Himmelfahrt) – Closures in Bavaria & Saarland
- August 21–25 – Sandkerwa Folk Festival, Bamberg
- August 21–25 (likely) – Wine Festival, Cochem
- August 22–23 – Potsdamer Schössernacht (Palaces lit up with fireworks)
- August 23 (likely) – Long Night of Museums, Berlin
- August 29–31 – Museumsuferfest, Frankfurt
- August 29–September 7 – Berlin Beer Week
- August 29–September 14 – Nürnberg Fall Folk Festival
September 2025
- September 3–12 – Rheingau Wine Festival, Frankfurt
- September 5–7 – Reichsstadt Festival, Rothenburg ob der Tauber
- September 11–24 – International Literature Festival, Berlin
- September 12–14 – Medieval Festival, Selb
- September 12–16 & 19–22 – Wurstmarkt, Bad Dürkheim (World’s biggest wine fest)
- September 12–October 25 (likely) – Berliner Oktoberfest (Fridays & Saturdays)
- September 13 – Rhine in Flames, Oberwesel
- September 20 – Rhine in Flames, St. Goar
- September 20–October 5 – Oktoberfest, Munich
- September 25–October 4 – Filmfest Hamburg
- September 26–October 12 – Cannstatter Volksfest, Stuttgart
- September 26–October 13 – Wine Harvest Festival, Neustadt an der Weinstraße
October 2025
- October 3 – German Unity Day – National holiday; closures
- October 8–15 – Berlin Festival of Lights
- October 10–12 (likely) – Onion Market Festival, Weimar
- October 15–19 – Frankfurter Buchmesse (World’s largest book fair)
- Weekends October 17–November 2 – Frankenstein Halloween, Königstein Castle
- October 30–November 2 – Jazzfest, Berlin
- October 31 – Reformation Day, Wittenberg; closures in some Protestant regions
November 2025
- November 1 – All Saints’ Day (Allerheiligen) – Closures in Bavaria and western states
- November 6 – Leonhardifahrt, Bad Tölz (Bavarian religious parade)
- November 9 – Kristallnacht Remembrance / Berlin Wall Anniversary
- November 11 – Martinstag and Start of Karneval Season, Cologne
- Mid-November–mid-January – Christmas Garden (Light displays in various cities)
- November 22 – Repentance Day – Closures in Saxony
- November 22–December 31 (likely) – Tollwood Winter Festival, Munich
December 2025
- All December – Christmas Markets in major cities (Nürnberg, Munich, Berlin, etc.)
- December 6 – Nikolaustag (St. Nicholas Day)
- December 24 – Christmas Eve – Early closures
- December 25 – Christmas Day – Public holiday; closures
- December 26 – Boxing Day – Public holiday; closures
- December 31 – New Year’s Eve (Silvester) – Major fireworks, especially in Berlin
January 2026
- January 1 – New Year’s Day – Closures
- January 6 – Epiphany – Closures in southern Germany
- January 23–February 1 (likely) – CTM Festival, Berlin (Electronic & experimental music)
February 2026
- February 1–8 – Hot-Air Balloon Festival, Lake Tegern
- February–March – Fasching/Karneval Season (Especially in Cologne and Bavaria)
- February 12–22 (likely) – Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival)