This is how hot the festival summer gets in Germany – the best open airs

Live music, top stars, great stage shows, celebrating with friends and all in the open air. No matter whether young or old, for many people music festivals are one of the highlights of the summer. That’s also the reason why many are already sold out, like the Wacken Open Air on the first weekend in August in Schleswig-Holstein, one of the largest heavy metal festivals in the world. But the good news is: there are still tickets available for many other major festivals. We present a selection of the top ten events. Chronologically and across the republic as well as across the musical genres.

Green Day at Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, Nürburgring and Nuremberg

From June 7th to 9th, 2024, rock music fans can look forward to Germany’s largest twin festival. It takes place at the same time: Rock am Ring at the Nürburgring in the Eifel and Rock im Park at the Zeppelin Field in Nuremberg. The line-up reads like a who’s who of the superstars of the current music scene.

The US punk rockers Green Day, Die Ärzte, the international shooting stars Måneskin, the metal legends Avenged Sevenfold and the Australian metalcore stars Parkway Drive will perform, among others. Anyone who likes it a little harder will be amazed by the Japanese high-flyers Babymetal, who only play with the Rocks nationwide. But punk rockers and hip-hoppers aren’t neglected either, with veterans like Dropkick Murphys and Machine Head taking part, as well as German rapper Trettmann, the Antilopen Gang and Danger Dan.

James Blunt at the Autostadt Summer Festival, Wolfsburg

From June 21st to August 4th, 2024, the motto in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, is “Beats, Bands and Beach”. For the second time, the Autostadt is hosting a cross-genre festival with 29 music acts – the best in rock, pop, R&B, jazz, hip hop and gothic metal.

Top stars will perform on the two outdoor stages in the park landscape over a period of six weeks. These include James Blunt, Silbermond, the veteran beard rockers ZZ Top, pop singer Alvaro Soler, Jan Delay, Katie Melua, Status Quo and jazz guitarist Al di Meola. In addition to the concerts, there is also action for the whole family – from climbing towers to SpikeBall to SUP yoga.

Bob Marley’s son at Summerjam, Cologne

From July 5th to 7th, 2024, the Frühlinger See in the north of Cologne is the place to be for all reggae fans. Because Europe’s largest reggae festival is taking place there again – under the motto “Lost in good vibes”. These vibrations not only spread the idyllic scenery around the bathing lake, but also the big names in reggae, ragga, dancehall and hip hop -Scene.

These include Nigerian Afrobeat musician Burna Boy, Sido, dancehall legend Beenie Man, Busy Signal, Rin and Ky-Mani Marley, son of legend Bob Marley. That’s not all, the line-up also includes Marsimoto, Grammy winner Julian Marley, Skillibeng, Majan, Jamaican singer Lila Iké, L’Entourloop, Jizzle and Jah Lil. The game is played on two stages, where you can also dance like in the dancehall arena. Afterwards, festival guests can relax in the chill-out area, go to the bazaar or take part in workshops.

Carnival Queen from Rio at the international Samba Festival, Coburg

From July 12th to 14th, 2024, the former residential city of Coburg will be transformed into the samba capital of Europe. For the 30th time, there will be a three-day state of emergency in “Little Rio” in Upper Franconia. At the largest international samba festival outside of Brazil, people dance, drum and sing as much as they can.

Around 3,000 artists will heat up the expected 200,000 visitors with colorful feathers, glittering costumes, swinging hips and hot samba rhythms. The cast of samba dancers shows how real the Brazilian flair becomes. Highnesses such as the reigning Carnival Queen of Rio de Janeiro, Gabriella Mendes, and its first princess, Bruna Menezes, are there. There is hardly more grace and grace.

Anastacia at the Tent Music Festival, Freiburg

From July 17th to August 4th, 2024 you can celebrate and enjoy in the Black Forest. The 40th edition of the Tent Music Festival (ZMF) with its characteristic red, pyramid-shaped tent roofs takes place on the grounds of the Mundenhof in Freiburg. A mix of music, cabaret, dance, comedy and circus performances takes place under these and outdoors.

Big names perform at the concerts: from Tokio Hotel, Mando Diao, Kelvin Jones to rock and pop icon Anastacia. But the smaller show acts also include well-known bands and artists such as Voodoo Jürgens, the indie-pop band Jeremias from Hanover, the folk rockers Versengold, reisen, the newcomers from Chemnitz and the art-pop band Giant Rooks.

Nina Chuba at Das Fest, Karlsruhe

From July 18th to 21st, 2024, one of Germany’s most important pop artists will be performing at the Günther Klotz facility in Karlsruhe: Nina Chuba, known for her hit “Wildberry Lillet”, will appear as the main female act at the largest Family and music festival in southern Germany.

The line-up of the festival, which has been taking place since 1985, also includes the Australian songwriter Tones And I, who had to cancel last year, Moop Mama x Alice, Paula Carolina, the indie and electro poppers Kytes, Gringo Mayer & Die Kegelband and the Baden State Orchestra. The latter traditionally organizes the classical morning on Sunday.

Sting at the Königswinkel Open Airs, Füssen

From July 19th to August 2nd, 2024, the otherwise quiet Forggensee near Füssen in the Allgäu will make waves. The Neuschwanstein Festival Hall on its banks, where musicals such as Ludwig², Zeppelin or The Magic Flute are normally performed, is mutating into a rock stage for megastars.

And these are none other than Sting, the good mood guarantors from PUR, the Berlin country cowboys The Boss Hoss, the pop singer Andrea Berg and the Irish-German singer-songwriter Michael Patrick Kelly. The special thing about the open-air concerts is the romantic backdrop: in the background is Neuschwanstein Castle, the Allgäu Alps and the intoxicating turquoise green of Lake Forggensee, Bavaria’s largest reservoir.

Placebo and Andrea Berg at the Open R Festival, Uelzen

From August 16th to August 18th, 2024, the heath in Uelzen, Lower Saxony, trembles. The Open R Festival has been taking place in the Almased Arena since 2008 – with top acts from various genres. On the first day, the British band Placebo, Mando Diao & Guano Apes, the German crossover pioneers H-Blockx, Deine Cousine and AfroDiziac rock on the huge open-air stage.

On Saturday there will be “Neue Tones” with the Fantastischen Vier, with rappers Clueso, Montez, Luna, Mael & Jonas and the opening band Benjrose. And on Sunday it’s called: Schlager summer night with Andrea Berg and DJ Ötzi & special guest. Families are expressly welcome in Uelzen, as there is child care and the city youth group has a number of attractions.

Neelix at the Echelon Festival, Bad Aibling

From August 16th to August 18th, 2024, the world will turn upside down again around the huge, white listening balls on the site of the former US barracks in Mietraching near Bad Aibling. Where there was once a secret service listening system, 40,000 people come together to celebrate the largest electronic festival in southern Germany. At the electrifying Echelon Festival, around 100 musicians and artists perform on a total of five outdoor and indoor stages.

They serve the genres of electro, house and techno, with lots of top national and international DJs playing. From the German remixer duo Aka Aka, Neelix, Timmy Trumpet, Deborah De Luca, the Cosmic Boys to the French producer and performer Shlømo to DJ Xenia. The Echelon is for ages 18 and up. It impresses with its unique setting with the gigantic listening balls and the unobstructed view of the Bavarian foothills of the Alps, which rise into the sky just a few kilometers away.

Star DJ Robin Schulz at the NDR 2 Festival, Papenburg

From September 6th to September 7th, 2024, the cruise ships will take a back seat on the site at the Meyer Werft in Papenburg in Emsland. The NDR 2 Papenburg Festival is being celebrated for the 21st time against the unique backdrop of one of the world’s leading shipyards – with a colorful bouquet of the hottest music acts.

In addition, greats from the national and international music scene such as Marius Müller-Westernhagen, Ronan Keating, rapper Clueso, Silbermond, star DJ Robin Schulz, Ray Dalton and Jan Delay, the German hip-hop, reggae, soul and funk Musician. The huge party is moderated by Elke and Jens from NDR 2 Morgen. If you want to experience the maritime flair of the open air from the air, you can jump on the Ferris wheel. A unique atmosphere arises, especially in the evenings when the large luxury liners are illuminated.