Kite Festival Laboe
Giant kites over the Baltic Sea — Spring Kite Festival with Night Flying on the Sports Beach
About Kite Festival Laboe
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Kites on the Baltic Beach
Laboe is one of Northern Germany's most traditional kite-flying spots. The wide sandy beach along the Kiel Fjord, the characteristic steady wind due to its location between the fjord and the open Baltic Sea, and the natural stage — the beach is wide and open — make Laboe the perfect kite-flying area. Every April, the Drachenfest Laboe brings together hobby flyers and professional kite teams from all over Germany and neighbouring Scandinavia.
Giant Kites — Works of Art in the Sky
The focus is on the giant kites: two- to three-dimensional constructions made of fabric and carbon rods, often several metres in diameter, in the shape of octopuses, dragons (in the mythical sense), whales, kites (as in the toy), manta rays, and fantastical creatures. The builders not only present their works in competitions but also explain construction techniques and launching behaviour on the beach — an open workshop atmosphere with a family feel.
Night Flying on Saturday Evening
The absolute highlight of the festival is the Night Flying on Saturday evening: As darkness falls, the kites are equipped with LED lighting, reflectors, and light sources and released into the dark sky over Laboe. Against the backdrop of the Kiel Fjord and the illuminated Naval Memorial, an image is created that draws thousands of onlookers to the beach every year.
Laboe — Seaside Resort and Naval Location
Laboe is a small harbour town on the eastern shore of the Kiel Fjord, in the Plön district (Schleswig-Holstein). With the famous Naval Memorial Laboe (opened in 1936, 72 m high) and the adjacent submarine U 995 as a naval museum, Laboe is a historically rich place. Tourism, the navy, and water sports have shaped the town for over a hundred years — kite flying, kitesurfing, sailing, and land sailing have been part of local sports life for generations.
Kite Festival Laboe — edition 2026
Spring Kites 2026
The festival weekend of April 11/12, 2026, once again brought kite pilots from Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Scandinavia to Laboe's Sports Beach. The giant kites — huge octopuses, manta rays, multi-line constructions, and artistic fabric creatures — flew towards the Kiel Fjord.
Night Flying on Saturday Evening
The highlight of the weekend in 2026 was again the Night Flying on Saturday evening at dusk. LED-lit kites, reflectors, and light sources transformed the sky over Laboe into a floating light installation against the backdrop of the Fjord and the Naval Memorial.
Programme Kite Festival Laboe 2026
Saturday, April 11, 2026 — Laboe Sports Beach
- From 11:00 AM — Setup and free kite flying, all pilots welcome
- Presentation of the giant kite teams
- Open workshop atmosphere: construction techniques, kite-flying school for children
- Evening (at dusk) — Night flying with LED and light-source kites against the backdrop of the Fjord and Naval Memorial
Sunday, April 12, 2026
- Free flying all day
- Until 4:00 PM — Festival wind-down on the Sports Beach
Exact registration and weather information available at laboe-event.de.
Highlights Kite Festival Laboe 2026
- Giant kites from Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands
- Night flying on Saturday evening with LED kites
- Laboe Sports Beach — one of Northern Germany's best kite-flying areas
- Family programme with open workshop
- Free admission
Prices Kite Festival Laboe 2026
Free admission for spectators. Registration for kite pilots and teams with the organiser.
Practical information — Kite Festival Laboe
Getting There
By car: A215 Hamburg–Kiel, then B502 towards Laboe (approx. 30 min. from Kiel). Parking available directly at the Sports Beach and in the town centre. By train: Kiel Hauptbahnhof (main station), then bus line 100 or 101 to Laboe (approx. 45 min.) or SFK ferry across the Kiel Fjord to Laboe (seasonal).
Admission
Free admission for spectators. Kite pilots and teams must register with the organiser.
Weather
The Kite Festival needs wind — spring on the Kiel Fjord almost always provides it. In extreme conditions (storm), the programme will be adjusted. Warm, windproof clothing is recommended; the sand is still cool in April.
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Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Kite Festival Laboe al mejor precio.
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Where it takes place Kite Festival Laboe
Sportstrand Laboe (zwischen Schwimmhalle und Alter Lesehalle)
Sportstrand Laboe, 24235 Laboe