Bad Homburger Sommer

Four Decades of Open-Air in the Kurpark

The Bad Homburger Sommer celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026: since 1986, the largest spa town in Hesse has transformed the historic Kurpark into an open summer stage every year at the beginning of July. From July 10 to August 1, 2026, the anniversary edition runs with approximately 50 events over three weeks – concerts, theatre, open-air cinema, summer cabaret, flea market, and classical picnics.

Summer Stage at the Kaiser-Wilhelms-Bad

The centerpiece is the Summer Stage in front of the Kaiser-Wilhelms-Bad, presented by Taunus Sparkasse Bad Homburg. The Kaiser-Wilhelms-Bad is a 19th-century neoclassical spa building in the expansive Kurpark, which is considered one of Germany's most beautiful spa parks. Against this backdrop, classical, pop, and rock concerts as well as summer theatre productions take place.

Opening with Simply Red Tribute

Symbolic opening in 2026: A tribute show to Simply Red, whose global hit "Holding Back the Years" was released in 1986 – the same year the Bad Homburger Sommer also premiered. The anniversary year thus connects the festival's own start with an iconic pop moment of the 1980s.

Four Venues in the City

The program is deliberately spread across several locations:

• Kurpark – Summer Stage, classical picnics, flea market
• City Center – Concerts and cabaret on the market square and in the pedestrian zone
• Kleiner Tannenwald – Open-air cinema under the stars, intimate concerts
• City Districts – Decentralized concerts and cultural evenings

Classical Picnic

A popular format is the Classical Picnic: visitors bring their picnic blankets and baskets to enjoy open-air classical music concerts in the Kurpark against the historic backdrop. The format embodies the fusion of high culture and spa town lifestyle that characterizes the festival.

Double Anniversary

2026 is also special because two anniversaries coincide: 40 years of Bad Homburger Sommer (since 1986) AND simultaneously the 40th edition, as a COVID-related break in 2020 led to a count that was shifted by one year.