Events and festivals in Brandenburg on the weekend of September 19-20, 2026: the Neustadt stallion parade marks its 100th anniversary, while nine more festivities span the state from the Prignitz to the Lusatia region.
One weekend, many traditions. On September 19 and 20, 2026, Brandenburg fills with festivities from the Prignitz to the Lusatia region. In Neustadt, the stallion parade marks its centenary; elsewhere, nine more festivities share the rest of the state.
The Neustadt stallion parade
The Neustadt stallion parade ranks among the oldest and most splendid horse shows in Germany, held at the Brandenburg state stud in Neustadt (Dosse). In its anniversary year 2026, the show marks its 100th anniversary. A century of horse breeding and show tradition stands behind this one stud farm.
Three September Saturdays carry the 2026 anniversary programme: the 12th, the 19th and the 26th of September. On 19.09.2026, the middle of the three dates, the stud opens its stands once again. Fanfare riders alongside show jumping and dressage displays shape the picture on the show ground.
For more than four hours, visitors follow the programme from the stands. Around 15,000 people gather on each of the three dates. Neustadt (Dosse) sits, for one weekend, at the centre of the state of Brandenburg.
On the second of the three anniversary dates, attention turns back to the stud. Between fanfare calls and hoofbeats, the parade links tradition with sporting precision. The combination of sport, music and history makes the anniversary one of the most elaborate dates of the weekend.
The rest of the weekend
Lübben marks a big first. Between Schlossinsel and Lindenstraße, the Spreewald harbour turns from September 18 to 20 into a maritime festival ground for the 1st Lübben Harbour Festival, with a stage programme, regional traders, a traditional boat procession and a canoe parade, with the new festival replacing the 46th Spreewaldfest, cancelled for lack of funds. Prenzlau, meanwhile, turns medieval. At the lakeside park, the Great Medieval Festival turns the spa grounds from September 18 to 20 into a medieval marketplace, with groups of knights, craftspeople and jesters roaming the Hanseatic town on Lake Unteruckersee for three days, alongside a camp, mock combat and a programme on the open-air stage. Ogrosen gets its own event too. The Oberspreewald-Lausitz district holds there the 3rd district harvest festival on September 19 and 20, a harvest thanksgiving fair rotating among the district's municipalities, with open farms, hands-on agriculture, regional specialities and a packed stage programme.
For ten days, the south turns to puppets. The 27th International Puppet Theatre Festival Elbe-Elster turns the Elbe-Elster district, until September 27, into a stage for marionette, shadow, object and performance theatre, with more than 20 national and international companies across more than 40 venues between Doberlug-Kirchhain, Finsterwalde, Bad Liebenwerda and Herzberg. At Hoppegarten, flat racing takes over. The Renntag der Wirtschaft invites on 19.9.26 to seven flat races, including the qualifying heat for the FEGENTRI amateur riders' world championship, alongside a family fair with face painting, a bouncy castle and pony rides, gates open at 1pm and the first race at 2:30pm. More than 80 exhibitors head to Brandenburg an der Havel. At the Archaeological State Museum, the Paulikloster, the Brandenburg regional market turns the halls on September 19 and 20 into a showcase for regional produce: cheese, sausages, fruit and vegetables, herbs, fish, baked goods, chocolate, drinks, soaps, cosmetics, jewellery and fashion. Templin, too, has cause to celebrate. On its historic market square, the crafts and pottery market marks its tenth anniversary on September 19 and 20, with ceramic artists and master potters from across Germany showing everyday pottery, garden ceramics, decorative pieces and one-off artworks, open daily from 10am to 5pm.
Perleberg looks to the sky. On its outskirts, up to three dozen hot-air balloons rise into the Prignitz sky by day at the PAirleberg balloon festival from September 18 to 20, with the balloon glow on Friday and Saturday evening as its highlight, when the envelopes light up rhythmically to music. Potsdam, in turn, thinks of the children. On Luisenplatz, World Children's Day turns the square on September 20, from 1pm to 8pm, into a playground with carousels, bouncy castles, interactive games, craft activities and free entertainment for children and families, organised by ALD-Event in cooperation with the city of Potsdam.
Entry stays free.