Name: ANNOTOPIA Fantasy Festival Lüdinghausen 2026
Start: 2026-08-21T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-08-23T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Burg Vischering, Lüdinghausen

ANNOTOPIA Lüdinghausen

About ANNOTOPIA Lüdinghausen

From August 21st to 23rd, 2026, the medieval Vischering Castle in Lüdinghausen will transform for the eighth time into the ANNOTOPIA Fantasy Festival. Three days of medieval, fantasy, cosplay, and European crafts in one of the most beautiful castle settings in the Münsterland region. Merchants and craftspeople from all over Europe, live music, historical camp life, show fights, and a unique cosplay audience make ANNOTOPIA one of North Rhine-Westphalia's most important fantasy festivals.

Dates 21 Aug — 23 Aug 2026

Venue Lüdinghausen (05558)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

ANNOTOPIA Lüdinghausen — edition 2026

Tickets →

The 8th edition of the ANNOTOPIA Fantasy Festival runs from August 21st to 23rd, 2026, at Vischering Castle in Lüdinghausen. Friday 6 PM–12 AM, Saturday 11 AM–12 AM, Sunday 11 AM–7 PM. Featuring a medieval market, European crafts, cosplay, live music, and show fights — one of North Rhine-Westphalia's most important fantasy festivals.

2026 Program — Three Days of Fantasy at the Moated Castle

The 8th edition of ANNOTOPIA Lüdinghausen follows the proven concept: a medieval-fantasy-themed festival at the historic Vischering Castle. Program components:

Opening Hours

Friday, August 21st, 2026 — 6:00 PM to Midnight
Saturday, August 22nd, 2026 — 11:00 AM to Midnight
Sunday, August 23rd, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Market

Merchants and craftspeople from all over Europe present leather goods, jewelry, weapons, textiles, woodwork, pottery, and medieval supplies.

Live Program

Live music (medieval folk, pagan rock, fantasy bands) on several stages
Show fights in full armor
Historical camp life of various reenactment groups
Craft demonstrations of historical techniques
Cosplay meetups for the creative fantasy and cosplay scene

Highlights ANNOTOPIA Lüdinghausen 2026

8th edition at the medieval Vischering Castle
Merchants and craftspeople from all over Europe
Show fights and reenactment camps
Significant cosplay meetup for the NRW scene

Programme ANNOTOPIA Lüdinghausen 2026

Friday, August 21st, 2026

6:00 PM — Festival opening with a special evening atmosphere
Market opening, first live music sets
12:00 AM — Market closes

Saturday, August 22nd, 2026

11:00 AM — Market and festival operations
All day: Market with European merchants, craft demonstrations, show fights
Live music on several stages
Cosplay meetups and reenactment camp life
Evening: Main concerts and festival atmosphere until midnight
12:00 AM — Festival closes

Sunday, August 23rd, 2026

11:00 AM — Family Sunday
During the day: Market, program, stages as on Saturday, family-oriented focus
7:00 PM — Festival closes

Full artist and stage program for 2026 will be published by the organizer ANNOTOPIA at annotopia.eu.

Prices ANNOTOPIA Lüdinghausen 2026

Tickets via Reservix and AD-Ticket. Day tickets, weekend passes, and season passes available via the official shop. Prices typically: Day ticket approx. €18–€25, Weekend Pass approx. €35–€45.

Practical information

Practical information — ANNOTOPIA Lüdinghausen

Getting There

Vischering Castle, Berenbrock 1, 59349 Lüdinghausen. By car via the A1 (exit Münster-Süd) and L835 to Lüdinghausen, then follow signs. Lüdinghausen train station with bus connections to the castle. Parking facilities will be signposted at the festival grounds.

Tickets

Advance sales for 2026 via Reservix and AD-Ticket. Day tickets, weekend passes, and season passes available in the official online shop.

Tip

Friday evening from 6 PM is an atmospheric highlight — the castle at sunset and torchlight gives the festival its mystical medieval character. Cosplayers are explicitly welcome.

ANNOTOPIA — Fantasy and Medieval at Vischering Castle

The ANNOTOPIA Festival is one of the largest fantasy and medieval events in western Münsterland. The venue is Vischering Castle, one of Westphalia's best-preserved moated castles, right on the outskirts of Lüdinghausen. In 2026, the 8th edition runs from Friday, August 21st to Sunday, August 23rd, 2026, gathering merchants and craftspeople from all over Europe, fantasy cosplayers, medieval reenactors, and an enthusiastic audience.

Opening Hours 2026 — Three Days of Festival

The festival runs with staggered opening hours:

Friday, August 21st, 2026 — 6:00 PM to Midnight (Evening opening with a special atmosphere after sunset)
Saturday, August 22nd, 2026 — 11:00 AM to Midnight (Full festival program day)
Sunday, August 23rd, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM (Family Sunday and closing)

Program — European Medieval Crafts and Fantasy

The program combines market scene, live music, and reenactment:

Medieval Market with merchants and craftspeople from all over Europe — leather goods, jewelry, weapons, textiles, woodwork, pottery
Craft Demonstrations of traditional techniques
Live Music on several stages — medieval folk, pagan rock, fantasy bands
Historical Camp Life of various medieval groups
Show Fights in full armor
Cosplay Meetups — Lüdinghausen-ANNOTOPIA has a particularly creative cosplay scene
Culinary Stalls with mead, beer, historically inspired food

Vischering Castle — Perfect Festival Setting

Vischering Castle is one of Westphalia's most significant moated castles and offers an ideal backdrop: double moats, medieval walls, inner courtyard, castle meadow. Lüdinghausen is also known as the Three-Castle Town, as three castles (Vischering, Wolfsberg, Lüdinghausen) are located within the city limits — a density unique in the Münsterland and giving ANNOTOPIA its special atmosphere.

Lüdinghausen — Three-Castle Town in Münsterland

Lüdinghausen is a town of around 27,000 inhabitants in the Coesfeld district in North Rhine-Westphalia, located in western Münsterland. With its dense castle substance, medieval town center, and picturesque location in the Münsterland Park, the town is one of the most attractive small-to-medium-sized towns in the region. ANNOTOPIA fits perfectly into this substance, making Lüdinghausen the capital of West Germany's fantasy and medieval audience once a year.