Bensberg Castle Town Festival

Bensberg — A District with Castle Tradition

Bensberg, with around 25,000 inhabitants, is the second-largest district of Bergisch Gladbach (Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, Cologne administrative district). Its landmarks are the New Bensberg Castle — a Baroque palace complex, now a Grand Hotel — and the Old Bensberg Castle, which today houses the Albertus Magnus High School. Both buildings shape the cityscape and make Bensberg one of the historically richest districts in the Bergisches Land region. The Schloßstraße, as the central pedestrian zone, connects the castle complex with the town hall and the market square area and is the natural venue for the town festival.

XDREAM-Events and IBH — Dual Sponsorship

The Castle Town Festival is organized by the event company XDREAM-Events from the Bergisches Land region, which also organizes the Spring Festival and Autumn Festival in Bensberg. The content partner is the IG Bensberger Handel (IBH) — the trade association of Bensberg's local businesses, responsible for the Sunday shopping and the show program. This division — event professionals for logistics and stall management, trade association for programming and city center revitalization — is standard for many festivals in North Rhine-Westphalia and has been successfully implemented in Bensberg for years.

2026 Program — Two Days in the Pedestrian Zone

The 2026 Castle Town Festival will take place on Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14, each with different focuses:

Market Stalls

Open Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Exhibitors from the Bergisches Land and beyond will present arts and crafts, gourmet products (wine, cheese, sausage), jewelry, and home accessories. Food stalls will offer specialties ranging from Bergisch Sauerbraten to modern street food variations, and drink stands will serve beer, wine, and summer drinks.

Show Program with Professional Magicians

The hallmark of the Castle Town Festival is the show program with professional magicians, specially commissioned by the IBH for the event. On various stages along Schloßstraße, stage magicians and walking acts will showcase their skills — from card tricks and mentalism to grand stage illusions. Family-friendly magic is the focus, complemented by walking acts (stilt walkers, mimes, living statues).

Children's Program

For children, carousels, slides, bouncy castles, and craft activities will be set up — from a chain carousel for the little ones to larger rides for the older ones. This makes the Castle Town Festival a classic family event in the Bergisch Gladbach event calendar.

Sunday Shopping — Bensberg Shops Participate

On Sunday, June 14, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., the IBH shops will participate in Sunday shopping — fashion stores, bookstores, cafés, and specialty shops on Schloßstraße and in the side streets. Shops are open as usual until 6 p.m. on Saturday. Thus, the festival combines a classic town festival experience with a relaxed shopping weekend.

Castle Atmosphere as a Backdrop

What distinguishes the Castle Town Festival from comparable town festivals is its location in one of the most historically dense city center areas of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis. The New Bensberg Castle (today a Grand Hotel) is visible from Schloßstraße, and the Old Castle forms the upper end of the pedestrian zone. This castle backdrop gives the festival its special atmosphere — not an anonymous marketplace, but a festival mile with a Baroque background.

Getting to Bensberg

By car via the A 4 (exit Bergisch Gladbach-Bensberg) or the A 3 (exit Bensberg) — parking available in the parking garages at Bensberg station and at the town hall, limited during festival times. By public transport: Bensberg is the terminus of KVB line 1 (tram from Cologne city center), the Bensberg stop is directly on Schloßstraße — ideal for visitors from Cologne.