Dessfest — Dessau City Festival
Three days of city festival with Ella Endlich, MiA, and Hardy & Nele in the Bauhaus city
About Dessfest
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Dessau in Festival Mode
Dessau-Roßlau — the Bauhaus city in the south of Saxony-Anhalt — is a great place to be in the summer: the Wörlitz Garden Realm right on its doorstep, the Bauhaus World Heritage site in the centre, and the Mulde floodplain forest for fresh air. And right in the middle of it all is the Dessfest city festival, also known as Leopoldfest, which takes over the city centre for three days every year at the beginning of July. Organised by the Dessau municipal utility company (DVV) and the city itself, it is one of the largest city festivals in the district and a firm fixture in the event calendar of the Anhalt World Heritage Region.
Four Stages, Four Moods
The programme structure is classic and proven: The Stadtwerke-Arena on the market square hosts the big names — Ella Endlich, MiA and Band, Hardy & Nele, plus Party Admiral with his 90s hits. The Octapharma stage in the town hall courtyard is the more intimate venue with smaller acts, world music (Portuguese, Caribbean, Italian sounds), dance groups, and bands like Golden Mary. The Food Mile on Zerbster Straße brings together local gastronomy and street food vendors. On the Mühleninsel, the traditional funfair spins with a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, and new rides.
Family Day and Schlager Garden
Saturday is the big festival Saturday — with a family programme in the morning (children's shows, dance groups, club stalls), and the headliners in the afternoon and evening. Sunday is quieter: a "Schlager Garden" at midday with established schlager stars, followed by the closing concert Ella Endlich & Band as an emotional finale. Wine, tastings, and live music in a dedicated wine zone round off the weekend. Admission is completely free throughout the festival.
Bauhaus, Garden Realm, and Anhalt
Anyone visiting the Dessfest should take time to explore the city: The Bauhaus Dessau with its world-famous architecture school, the Masters' Houses of Gropius, Klee, and Kandinsky, the Anhaltisches Theater, the St. Mary's Church — Dessau is a UNESCO World Heritage site in several forms, and the city festival is the best opportunity to experience this World Heritage city in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in its most relaxed phase.
Dessfest — edition 2026
From July 3 to 5, 2026, the Dessfest will take place throughout Dessau's city centre. Four stages, a food mile on Zerbster Straße, the funfair on Mühleninsel, and a Family Day on Saturday make the city festival the biggest summer event in Dessau-Roßlau. Organisers are the Dessau municipal utility company (DVV) and the City of Dessau-Roßlau. Admission is completely free.
Programme Dessfest 2026
Friday, July 3, 2026 — Opening
- 5:00 PM — Opening of the Stadtwerke-Arena (Market Square) with DJ Torsten Ziegler
- 7:00 PM — Rockpirat (Party Music) on the main stage
- 8:00 PM — Octapharma stage (Town Hall Courtyard): Romeu (Portuguese Music)
- 9:00 PM — Official opening by the Mayor
- 9:30 PM — Panamena Son (Caribbean Music) on the Octapharma stage
- 10:00 PM — HouseKaspeR with electronic beats on the Stadtwerke-Arena
- 12:30 AM — End of Day 1
Saturday, July 4, 2026 — Family Day and Headliners
- 11:00 AM — Opening with DJ Torsten Ziegler
- 11:30 AM — Family Programme: Children's shows, dance groups, and clubs until 6:00 PM
- 2:00 PM — Dance performance on the Octapharma stage
- 5:00 PM — Hardy & Nele on the Stadtwerke-Arena
- 7:00 PM — Party Admiral with 90s hits
- 8:00 PM — Golden Mary Band on the Octapharma stage
- 9:30 PM — MiA and Band (Pop/Electropop) — Main concert Stadtwerke-Arena
- 11:30 PM — Aftershow on the Octapharma stage until 2:00 AM
- 12:30 AM — End of Day 2 Stadtwerke-Arena
Sunday, July 5, 2026 — Schlager and Finale
- 11:00 AM — Morning pint with brass music
- 2:00 PM — Octapharma stage: Italian afternoon with Elena Bianchi & Jan von Suppengrün
- 3:00 PM — Schlager Garden on the Stadtwerke-Arena with well-known schlager stars
- 5:00 PM — Closing concert Ella Endlich & Band
- 6:00 PM — Festival ends
Further programme items: Sports Mile in Ratsgasse, Wine & Music with tastings, Guggenmusik workshop, and theatre tours spread over all three days.
Highlights Dessfest 2026
Prices Dessfest 2026
Practical information — Dessfest
Getting There
By train to Dessau Hbf, then a 10-minute walk to the market square. By car via the A9 (Dessau-Süd exit) or B185. Parking available in city centre car parks.
Opening Hours
Friday 5:00 PM–12:30 AM / Saturday 11:00 AM–12:30 AM / Sunday 11:00 AM–6:00 PM.
Admission
Free. Food, drinks, and funfair rides are charged separately.
Headliners
Ella Endlich, MiA and Band, Hardy & Nele, Party Admiral. On the Octapharma stage: Dance, world music, and the Golden Mary Band.
Combine
Bauhaus Dessau, Masters' Houses, and Wörlitz Park (18 km east) — the perfect summer trip.
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Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Dessfest al mejor precio.
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Where it takes place Dessfest
Innenstadt Dessau, Marktplatz, Rathausinnenhof, Mühleninsel
Marktplatz, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau