Bremen liest! — Bremen Literary Night
The long literary night of the UNESCO City of Literature Bremen
About Bremen liest!
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Bremen liest! al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
An Entire City Reads
When bookstores and libraries in Bremen remain open until the evening on the first weekend of September, it's Bremen liest! — the long Bremen Literary Night. At around 20 venues in nine districts and in Bremerhaven, Bremen-based authors read from their works. Traditionally, it opens in the Wall-Saal of the Central Library, from where the audience disperses into the neighborhoods: Mitte, Viertel, Findorff, Schwachhausen, Neustadt, Walle, and others. In 2026, the literary night will take place for the ninth time on September 4th.
A Regional Book and Reading Festival
Bremen liest! sees itself as a regional book and reading festival with a clear focus on the Bremen scene: Every September, there is an opportunity to immerse yourself in Bremen's book and literary landscape and to meet the city's writers in person. From its first edition in the late 2010s, it has become a fixed date in the cultural calendar, making the diversity of regional literature visible in a single evening.
From Crime to Poetry
The program is deliberately diverse: from short stories and poems to crime stories, everything is included, often accompanied by live music. Children's programs at various bookstores and cultural venues also make the night an experience for young readers. The focus is on the encounter between authors, booksellers, and the audience — spaces for new connections, as the organizers put it.
City of Literature with Hanseatic Book Pride
Bremen sees itself as a vibrant city of literature, and Bremen liest! makes this claim tangible in the state of Bremen. The literary night celebrates the diverse literary scene of the Hanseatic city and its traditional culture of owner-managed bookstores. Admission to all events is free; the readings are financed, among other things, by funding from the Senator for Culture.
Bremen liest! — edition 2026
As every year, regional authors will read from novels, short stories, and poems, often accompanied by music and with a children's program. Admission to all events is free. The organizers are Wellenschlag Verlag and Literaturhaus Bremen; the complete program will be published in advance as a download.
Programme Bremen liest! 2026
The 9th edition of Bremen liest! takes place on Friday, September 4, 2026, in the afternoon and evening. Organized by Wellenschlag Verlag and Literaturhaus Bremen, the literary night traditionally opens in the Wall-Saal of the Central Library; afterwards, the audience disperses into the districts. Admission to all readings is free.
Participating Bookstores and Libraries
The approximately 20 venues are spread across nine Bremen districts and Bremerhaven. The final list of authors and the detailed timetable will be published in late summer 2026 as a PDF program booklet on bremenliest.de — deliberately no invented program in advance. The following participating establishments are confirmed:
- Mitte — Buchhandlung Storm, Leuwer am Wall, Sattler, Albatros, Kamloth & Schweitzer, as well as the City Library (Wall-Saal)
- Viertel — Leseland, Buchhandlung Humboldt, Sieglin, Georg-Büchner-Buchhandlung, Villa Ichon
- Findorff, Schwachhausen, Neustadt, Walle, Vahr, Lesum, Vegesack, and Blumenthal — each with owner-managed bookstores and district libraries
What awaits you
- Readings by Bremen authors from novels, short stories, crime novels, and poetry
- Often accompanied by live music
- Children's programs at selected bookstores and cultural venues
- Encounters with authors, booksellers, and publishers
Opening and Continuation
The official opening takes place in the Wall-Saal of the Central Library am Wall in Bremen's city center — easily accessible by tram and bus. From there, you can plan your own reading route through the districts.
Highlights Bremen liest! 2026
- 9th edition of the Bremen Literary Night in the UNESCO City of Literature Bremen
- Around 20 venues in nine districts plus Bremerhaven
- Opening in the Wall-Saal of the Central Library
- Owner-managed bookstores such as Storm, Leuwer, Sattler, Albatros, Kamloth & Schweitzer, Leseland, Humboldt, Villa Ichon
- Readings, live music, and children's program — all with free admission
Prices Bremen liest! 2026
Admission to all readings and accompanying events is free. The complete 2026 program booklet will be available for free download in advance on bremenliest.de and will be available at participating bookstores.
Practical information — Bremen liest!
Getting There
The venues are spread across several Bremen districts and Bremerhaven. The opening takes place in the Wall-Saal of the Central Library am Wall in Bremen's city center, easily accessible by tram and bus.
Admission
Admission to all events of the Bremen Literary Night is free. The complete program is available for download at www.bremenliest.de.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
Max. 5 photos, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Each suggestion is reviewed by our team before being published.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Bremen liest! al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Where it takes place Bremen liest!
Buchhandlungen und Bibliotheken Bremen
Buchhandlungen und Bibliotheken in mehreren Stadtteilen, 28195 Bremen