Blieskastel Old Town Festival

The Big Summer Festival of the Bliesgau Capital

Blieskastel — the small baroque residence in the south of Saarland — celebrates one of the most beautiful city festivals in the Saarpfalz region every year in mid-June. The Blieskastel Old Town Festival utilizes the unique historical backdrop of the city center: the Paradeplatz with its Marian column, the former Reichsgrafenhaus, the narrow streets of the upper town, the Schlossberg area, and the enclosed Tivoli courtyard. Live music across genres plays on several stages for two days, an art mile exhibits works by regional artists, and over 30 stalls plus numerous courtyard restaurants provide culinary catering.

Tradition Since the Early 1980s

The Old Town Festival has over forty years of history in Blieskastel. What began as a small community festival is now the highlight of the city's event calendar, alongside the Assumption pilgrimage festival. The 45th edition in 2026 continues the tradition that has made the entire city center a festival ground every year since the 1980s.

The Stages and Musical Program

The musical concept is cross-genre: the main stage on the Paradeplatz features cover bands and top regional acts (in recent years, including Seven, Why Not, Kai Sonnhalter, Ayer's Rock); the youth DJ stage of the Grüne Jugend is in the Tivoli courtyard; and the Late-Shift stage with local DJs for the late hours is in the Hof Physio Hurth. In addition, there are smaller stages for singer/songwriters, jazz combos, and folk programs — creating a sonic mosaic that wanders through the alleys.

Art Mile and Family Program

The Art Mile is a hallmark of the festival: artists from the Bliesgau and Saarpfalz regions exhibit their works, often with live demonstrations — potters on the wheel, watercolorists at the easel, sculptors working with wood and stone. For children, the city organizes face painting, bouncy castles, a soap bubble workshop, and magician Tonga on Saturday. The Autohaus Deckert Cup offers a sporty and unusual twist: a human foosball tournament that has gained a following on the Paradeplatz.

Bliesgau Culinary Delights

Over 30 vendor stalls offer regional specialties: Bliesgau cheese from the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, honey and mead, meadow orchard juices, apple wines, Bliesgau bread, Flammkuchen, Schwenker (grilled meat skewers), Lyoner (sausage). The courtyard restaurants open their doors for seating and dining — from baroque old town pubs to modern tapas bars.

Blieskastel — The Baroque City in the Bliesgau

Blieskastel is the district town of Saarpfalz-Kreis and the center of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Bliesgau. The old town, with its baroque architecture — shaped by Count Anton von der Leyen in the 18th century — is one of the best-preserved ensembles in the region. The Schlossberg with its castle church, the Paradeplatz, the Engelsgasse, and the Oberstadt together form a cityscape that is particularly highlighted during the Old Town Festival.