Aukrug Open Air

Aukrug — a dispersed settlement with open-air tradition

Aukrug is a municipality with around 4,000 inhabitants in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, within the Aukrug Nature Park. The dispersed settlement with its districts Innien, Bargfeld, Böken, Bünzen, and Homfeld is rather untypical as an open-air location — but that's precisely what makes the Aukrug Open Air so appealing: rural idyll, a swimming pool as the festival grounds, regional bands from Northern Germany, and an audience that meets year after year.

Ascension Day as Festival Day

The festival has taken place annually since 2006 on Ascension Day at the Aukrug swimming pool (Homfelder Straße 8). A regularity that has now become deeply ingrained: anyone from Aukrug, the Nature Park, from Itzehoe, Neumünster, or the Steinburg district plans Ascension Day firmly for the Aukrug Open Air.

The Format

Four to six bands over an entire day, regional North German acts mixed with newcomers and established cover bands. Moderate admission prices, bratwurst and beer at reasonable prices, festival grounds on the sunbathing lawn of the swimming pool.

2026 — The 20th Edition

In 2026, the festival celebrates its 20th anniversary. The stage will feature Die Mension, Behind The Eightball, Möwe und die Ölmützen, Inge und Heinz, and Larrikins. A lineup that encapsulates the festival's mix: regional covers, original songs, folk, and rock — mainstream-free, but honest.