Name: Bandlift Festival Gerstetten 2026
Start: 2026-07-16T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-07-19T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Segelflugplatz Gerstetten · Festwiese

Bandlift Festival

About Bandlift Festival

From July 16 to 19, 2026, the Gerstetten airfield will transform into a festival meadow: The Bandlift Festival, organized by Musikverein Harmonie Gerstetten e.V., is Ostwürttemberg's largest free and open-air youth festival, attracting around 3,000 visitors to the heath landscape of the Ostalb. Four days of programming with a choir night on Thursday, band night on Friday, beer mile + band night on Saturday, and a youth day of brass music on Sunday — free admission.

Dates 16 Jul — 19 Jul 2026

Venue Gerstetten (08135)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Bandlift Festival — edition 2026

The Bandlift Festival 2026 runs from July 16 to 19 at the Gerstetten airfield. Four days of free and open-air programming: choir night on Thursday, band night on Friday, beer mile + band night on Saturday, and open-air church service and youth day of brass music on Sunday. Organizer: Musikverein Harmonie Gerstetten e.V. Free admission, around 3,000 visitors expected. The lineup will be announced soon on bandlift.de.

Four Days of Festival at Gerstetten Airfield

From Thursday, July 16 to Sunday, July 19, 2026, the Bandlift Festival opens its new edition. The venue is the spacious Gerstetten airfield in the Ostalb heath landscape — a unique festival location with views over the fields and meadows of the Swabian Jura.

The festival combines traditional club music (choir night and youth day of brass music) with contemporary festival culture (two band nights with newcomer bands and indie acts) and a beer mile with regional breweries on Saturday. Admission is free for all four days. The lineup will be announced in advance on bandlift.de.

Highlights Bandlift Festival 2026

Four days Free & Open Air — free admission
Ostwürttemberg's largest youth festival (~3,000 visitors)
Choir night, band night, beer mile + band night, and youth brass music day
Gerstetten airfield in the Heidealb landscape
Organized by Musikverein Harmonie Gerstetten e.V.

Programme Bandlift Festival 2026

Thursday, July 16, 2026 — Choir Night

Regional choirs and vocal projects on the main stage
Festival opening in the evening

Friday, July 17, 2026 — Band Night

Newcomer bands and established acts on the main stage
Program until late at night

Saturday, July 18, 2026 — Beer Mile + Band Night

Beer Mile with regional breweries and culinary offerings
Second major band night with live music

Sunday, July 19, 2026 — Open-Air Church Service and Youth Day of Brass Music

Open-air church service to conclude the festival
Youth Day of Brass Music — young brass orchestras from Baden-Württemberg in a marathon program

The full lineup will be published on bandlift.de and on social media channels.

Prices Bandlift Festival 2026

Free admission to the entire festival. Food and drinks at the festival stands and the beer mile at usual prices.

Practical information

Practical information — Bandlift Festival

Getting There

Gerstetten is located on the A 7 motorway (exit Heidenheim or Niederstotzingen). The nearest train station is Heidenheim, from where you can take bus line to Gerstetten. Follow the signs from the center of Gerstetten to the airfield. Ample festival parking is available on site.

Festival Days 2026

Thursday, July 16, 2026: Choir Night. Friday, July 17, 2026: Band Night. Saturday, July 18, 2026: Beer Mile + Band Night. Sunday, July 19, 2026: Open-Air Church Service and Youth Day of Brass Music.

Admission

Free admission to the entire festival (Free & Open Air). Expected attendance: around 3,000. Camping on site is possible (details on the festival website).

Four Days Free & Open Air at the Airfield

Since 2015, the Bandlift Festival has been the musical highlight of the summer in Gerstetten and is considered the largest free and open-air youth festival in Ostwürttemberg. From July 16 to 19, 2026, four festival days will take place on the spacious festival meadow at the Gerstetten airfield, in the middle of the Ostalb heath landscape. Admission is free, and around 3,000 visitors are expected. The festival is organized by Musikverein Harmonie Gerstetten e.V., which offers young bands from the region and beyond a professional stage with Bandlift.

Four Festival Days, Four Concepts

Each day has its own format: Thursday is Choir Night — regional choirs take the stage and open the festival with vocal programs. Friday becomes Band Night: newcomer bands and established indie acts play the main stage late into the night. Saturday combines the Beer Mile (regional breweries, culinary delights, cozy beer bench atmosphere) with the second Band Night. Sunday concludes the festival with an open-air church service and the Youth Day of Brass Music — young brass orchestras from Baden-Württemberg present themselves in a marathon program.

Heidealb, Airfield, and Festival Meadow

Gerstetten is located on the Swabian Jura between Heidenheim and Ulm and belongs to the district of Heidenheim. The Gerstetten airfield offers spacious meadows with views over the Heidealb — an extraordinary festival location far from urban hustle and bustle. Camping is generally possible on the grounds, and the festival meadow becomes a festival city for an extended weekend.

Musikverein Harmonie Gerstetten as Organizer

Musikverein Harmonie Gerstetten e.V. has been organizing Bandlift since its first edition in 2015 and has developed it into a cultural engine for the region. The festival combines brass music tradition (Sunday Youth Day) with the promotion of young rock, pop, and indie bands (Friday/Saturday Band Night), thus bridging classical club music and contemporary festival culture. Applications for band participation for 2026 are now closed — the lineup will be announced on bandlift.de and on social media.