June Festivals in Germany

Ramadan

There are over 4 million Muslims in Germany and Ramadan is the largest festival of the year.

In the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, this is a time of fasting, purification of the soul, and prayer. This is also a time of charity.

Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual intimacy. Negative behaviors like swearing, lying or engaging in anger from Imsak (just before sunrise) until Maghrib (sunset) is also discouraged. 

When: April 23 - May 23, 2020
Where: Everywhere in Germany

Handel Festival

Halle, the birthplace of composer Georg Friedrich Handel, pays tribute to the German composer by hosting the annual Handel Festival. Come to hear international musicians interpret Handel’s works, from his early chamber music and Italian cantatas to the Messiah.

When: June 6, 2020

Where: This year's Handel Festival will be celebrated via livestream.

Rock am Ring Music Festival

Editor's note: This year's Rock am Ring Music Festival has been cancelled. See below for 2021 dates.

More than 150,000 rock music fans gather each summer at the race track of the Nürburgring. This is Germany's biggest open air music festival.

In a picturesque setting of green hills and enormous white tent tops, the star-studded lineup of international rock bands keep the fans dancing for all three days.

When: June 11 - 13, 2021
Where: Nürburgring, Nürburg

Karneval der Kulturen

Editor's note: This year's Karneval der Kulturen has been cancelled.

Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures) is multicultural Berlin's own version of Karneval. More than 1.5 million visitors flock to Kreuzberg to revel in the international spirit of Germany’s capital.

A four-day open-air festival with exotic food and drink, concerts, performances, and parties, the fest culminates in a parade of floats filled with the diverse communities that make up the city.
Where: Kreuzberg, Berlin

Bach Festival in Leipzig

Editor's note: This year's Rock am Ring Music Festival has been cancelled. See below for 2021 dates.

This world-class music festival in Leipzig commemorates the life and work of the city's most famous resident, Johann Sebastian Bach.

To celebrate his influence even today, centuries after his death, renowned artists from all over the world perform Bach's classical masterpieces in historical venues like the Thomaskirche (Thomas Church) where Bach worked as a cantor for 27 years.

When: June 11 - 20, 2021
Where: Leipzig

Kiel's Sailing Week

Editor's note: This year's Kiel Week has been postponed to September 2020.

"Kiel Week" (Kieler Woche) - billed as the largest sailing event in the world - attracts 5,000 sailors, 2,000 ships, and more than three million visitors every year. Kiel Week is also one of the largest tall ship conventions in Germany and one of the largest Volksfeste in Germany.

The event dates back to 1882 and offers regattas, historic ship parades, and a cultural program that transforms the city center of Kiel into the largest summer festival stage in Northern Europe.

When: September 5 - 13, 2020
Where: Kiel

Munich Opera Festival

Editor's note: This year's Munich Opera Festival has been cancelled.

Celebrated every summer since 1876, the Munich Opera Festival at the Nationaltheater offers an excellent program of opera and ballet performances throughout June and July. Highlights include the free open-air concerts “Opera For All”.

If you can't get enough opera, it is proceeded by festivals in Bayreuth and Salzburg.
Where: Munich

Fête de la Musique

Editor's note: This year's Fête de la Musique has been cancelled.

This French festival is most popular in Berlin, but you can find live music on this date throughout Germany. This city-wide music festival has over 80 open-air stages with everything from reggae to jazz to electronic.

Free concerts start in the early afternoon and last long into the summer night. The largest is held at the much loved Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg.
Where: Berlin and other German cities

Spargel Festivals

Spargelzeit (white asparagus season) is an obsession in Germany. The "King of Vegetables" appears on every menu, grocery store and German's palate. For true devotees, buying it in the stores is not enough. Spargel-lovers must go to the source.

The states of Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony are two of the most important asparagus growing regions, with the city of Beelitz claiming the north-eastern title.

Note that the price goes down as the market is slowly flooded until the last official harvest day for German asparagus, St. John's Day on June 24th.

When:  March - June 24
Where: Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony and the city of Beelitz

Elbhangfest

Editor's note: This year's Elbhangfest has been postponed to September 2020.

Elbhangfest takes place along the Elbe with three main stages in the villages of Loschwitz, Wachwitz and Pillnitz. Over 200 events take place in a seven kilometer stretch with local crafts, guided tours and food and drink. If you arrive on opening day, attend the parade.

When: September 18 - 20, 2020
Where: Dresden