Bad Homburg Lantern Festival

Magic Lights Since 1935

When the sun sets over Bad Homburg on the last weekend of August, the magic of lights begins: Thousands of handmade lanterns bathe the Louisenstraße, the Ritter-von-Marx-Brücke, and the Heuchelbach in warm, multi-colored light. The Bad Homburg Lantern Festival, since its first edition in 1935, is not only the largest but also the oldest Volksfest in the entire Taunus region – and with over 500,000 visitors each year, one of the most attended city festivals in Hesse.

Four Days, One City in a Sea of Lights

For four days, the entire city center of the spa town transforms into a continuous festival mile. From the Kurhaus via Waisenhausplatz to Marktplatz and the old town, stages, amusement rides, and food stalls line up. Rock and pop bands play live on each of the main stages from 7 PM, and in the narrow alleys of the old town – especially on the historic Weed – the celebration takes place under the open sky and under bridge arches.

The Lantern Queen – Representative of the City

A special feature of the Lantern Festival is the Lantern Queen: Every year, the festival committee chooses a young woman from Bad Homburg to represent the festival and the city externally. In 2026, Johanna I. holds this title. The Queen leads the two large parades that march through the city center on Saturday and Sunday with decorated floats, music groups, and associations.

The Motto Changes Every Year

Each edition of the Lantern Festival is under its own motto, which is reflected in the floats, the lighting, and the program items. The motto for 2026 is 'The Little Lantern in Series Fever' – a tongue-in-cheek homage to the cult series that have shaped the spirit of entire generations. The festival booklet with the detailed program and all bands will be published shortly before the festival begins.

Spectacular Firework Display to Conclude

The grand finale is the large firework display in Jubiläumspark on Monday evening. Thousands of visitors gather around the park and on the surrounding hills to experience the final light show over the skyline of the spa town – a fitting end to a festival that shows the entire Bad Homburg in a unique, luminous light every year.

Organization and Association

The organizer is the Verein zur Gestaltung und Förderung des Bad Homburger Laternenfestes e.V. (Association for the Design and Promotion of the Bad Homburg Lantern Festival), which organizes the festival together with Kur- und Kongreß-GmbH Bad Homburg. Stall space allocation for showmen and market vendors is handled by Kur- und Kongreß-GmbH ([email protected]).