Emmerich im Lichterglanz

Where the Rhine is Widest

Emmerich am Rhein, with nearly 30,000 inhabitants and located directly on the German-Dutch border, boasts two superlatives: The Emmerich Rhine Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in Germany; and the Rhine reaches its greatest width on German soil here, exceeding 400 meters. Both make the town the ideal stage for a festival of lights and fireworks. The Rhine promenade is wide, the view expansive, the river itself part of the spectacle.

A Summer Evening with Clear Dramaturgy

The organizers are the WfG Emmerich (Business Development and City Marketing Company) and the City of Emmerich. The festival follows a classic Rhine embankment scheme: Afternoon start with promenade festival and sales stands, stage program from 5 PM with live music, illumination of the promenade after dark, then the ship convoy — a fleet of brightly lit dance, buffet, and excursion ships parading on the Rhine in the hours before the fireworks — and finally, around 11 PM, the musically synchronized fireworks.

Ship Convoy and Fireworks from the Water

A special feature of the festival: Instead of just watching the fireworks from the shore, you can also experience them from the water. Several shipping companies offer special trips on this date — departing from Emmerich, Wesel, or Xanten, with a DJ or solo artist on board, a cold-warm buffet, a champagne reception, and reserved seating. The ships usually depart around 7 PM and return after midnight; the fireworks traditionally launch into the sky over the Rhine near the town around 10:30 PM.

Promenade Festival and Live Music

Those who don't book a ship ticket experience the festival on and in the city: The Rhine promenade becomes a festival mile, snack stands offer potato pancakes (Reibekuchen), Lower Rhine and Dutch specialties (Bitterballen, Frites with Mayonnaise, Stroopwafel), cocktails, beer, and wine. The stage with cover bands and local acts alternates between pop, rock, and Schlager music. Families sit on blankets on the bank, young people meet in the promenade's cafés, and seniors bring folding chairs.

Lower Rhine Serenity

The festival is firmly anchored in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the district of Kleve. It shares the tradition of pyrotechnic summer festivals with other Lower Rhine events like *Rhein in Flammen* near Koblenz or the Festival of Lights in Düsseldorf-Kaiserswerth — but remains smaller, more family-friendly, and less pretentious than its larger counterparts. Those seeking spectacle without the crowds of the well-known pyro festivals will find it here.