Name: Dessfest — Dessau City Festival 2026
Start: 2026-07-03T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-07-05T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Innenstadt Dessau, Marktplatz, Rathausinnenhof, Mühleninsel

Dessfest

About Dessfest

When July begins, Dessau's city centre transforms into a festival stage for three days: The Dessfest, traditionally also called "Leopoldfest", brings the entire city centre of the Bauhaus city to life with the Stadtwerke-Arena on the market square, the Octapharma stage in the town hall courtyard, a food mile on Zerbster Straße, and funfair rides on Mühleninsel.

Dates 03 Jul — 05 Jul 2026

Venue Dessau-Roßlau (15001)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Dessfest — edition 2026

From July 3 to 5, 2026, the Dessfest will transform Dessau's city centre into a three-day Volksfest (popular festival) with four stages, a food mile, and a funfair. Headliners Ella Endlich, MiA and Band, Hardy & Nele, plus Schlager Garden and Family Day.

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.

Highlights Dessfest 2026

Ella Endlich as the closing concert, MiA and Band as Saturday headliners, Hardy & Nele, Party Admiral, Family Day, and Schlager Garden.

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.

Prices Dessfest 2026

Free admission. Food, drinks, and funfair rides at usual market prices.

Practical information

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.

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.