Name: Eppingen International Summer Festival 2026
Start: 2026-05-23T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-05-25T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Mevlana Moschee Eppingen

International Summer Festival Eppingen

About International Summer Festival Eppingen

The International Summer Festival of the Mevlana Mosque Eppingen transforms the Pentecost weekend around Ölmühlstraße into a three-day meeting place for cultures. Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, Syrian, Balkan, and German specialties, international folk dances, family programs, and a clear commitment to intercultural dialogue characterize the festival, which attracts thousands of Eppingen residents and guests from the Kraichgau region every year — a model of successful urban society in the heart of Baden-Württemberg.

Dates 23 May — 25 May 2026

Venue Eppingen (08125)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

International Summer Festival Eppingen — edition 2026

The Eppingen International Summer Festival 2026 will take place on the Pentecost weekend from Saturday, May 23 (1 PM–10 PM), through Whit Sunday, May 24 (11 AM–10 PM), to Whit Monday, May 25 (11 AM–8 PM), at the Mevlana Mosque in Ölmühlstraße 6. Culinary diversity from many countries, international folk dances, family program, and a clear commitment to intercultural dialogue. Free admission.

Three Pentecost Days of Cultural Encounter

The International Summer Festival 2026 opens on Saturday, May 23rd at 1:00 PM and runs until 10:00 PM — opening, first dance performances, culinary stalls. Sunday (Whit Sunday) and Whit Monday continue the program, starting at 11:00 AM each day. Over the three festival days, there will be folklore and dance performances, the entire culinary offering from Turkish-Kurdish to Balkan specialties, as well as the family program with children's games and hands-on stands.

The exact dance performances and stage times for 2026 will be announced in advance by the Mevlana Mosque.

Highlights International Summer Festival Eppingen 2026

Three Pentecost days of intercultural summer festival
Culinary specialties from Turkey, Kurdistan, Syria, Balkans, Germany
International folk dances and folklore performances
Family program with children's games
Commitment to intercultural dialogue
Free admission

Programme International Summer Festival Eppingen 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 1:00 PM–10:00 PM

1:00 PM — Opening of the Summer Festival
Throughout the day — International specialties, tea and coffee stalls, sweets
Afternoon — First folklore performances (Turkish, Kurdish folk dances)
Evening — Live music, catering

Sunday, May 24, 2026 (Whit Sunday) — 11:00 AM–10:00 PM

11:00 AM — Festival begins
Morning — Family program
Afternoon — International dance performances, folklore groups from Eppingen communities
Evening — Live music until 10:00 PM

Whit Monday, May 25, 2026 — 11:00 AM–8:00 PM

11:00 AM — Festival begins
Throughout the day — Folk dances, children's program, hands-on stands
Afternoon — Festival wind-down
8:00 PM — Festival ends

Exact dance performances and stage times for 2026 will be announced in advance by the Mevlana Mosque.

Prices International Summer Festival Eppingen 2026

Free admission. Food and drinks at the stalls at festival prices.

Practical information

Practical information — International Summer Festival Eppingen

Getting There

Eppingen can be reached via the A 6 motorway (Sinsheim exit, approx. 15 km) and the L 530. By train: Eppingen station on the Kraichgau-S-Bahn S 5/S 51/S 52 (Heilbronn–Karlsruhe and branches). From the station, it's about a 10-minute walk to the Mevlana Mosque or take the city bus.

Opening Hours

Sat, May 23, 2026: 1 PM–10 PM. Sun, May 24, 2026: 11 AM–10 PM. Mon, May 25, 2026 (Whit Monday): 11 AM–8 PM.

Admission

Free admission to the festival grounds around the Mevlana Mosque. Food and drinks at the stalls at festival prices.

Eppingen — Half-timbered Town in the Kraichgau

Eppingen is a town of around 22,000 inhabitants in the Heilbronn district (state of Baden-Württemberg, Kraichgau) — known for its exceptionally well-preserved half-timbered old town and its fifteen districts, which are part of the German Timber-Frame Road. Over the decades, the town has become one of the most diverse municipalities in the Kraichgau, with a large community of Turkish origin, as well as Kurdish, Arab-Syrian, Balkan, and Eastern European families. This diversity is the driving force behind the International Summer Festival.

Mevlana Mosque as Organizer

The Mevlana Mosque at Ölmühlstraße 6 is Eppingen's largest Islamic community and has been the initiator of the International Summer Festival for years. The name Mevlana refers to the Persian mystic and Sufi poet Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi (1207–1273), whose school of love, tolerance, and spiritual encounter forms the philosophical background for many Turkish-Islamic communities in Germany.

Three Festival Days at Pentecost

The summer festival runs over the Pentecost weekend 2026 from Saturday, May 23rd to Whit Monday, May 25th, with long opening hours:

Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Sunday (Whit Sunday), May 24, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Whit Monday, May 25, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Culinary Diversity and Dance Performances

The festival offers a distinctly diverse program:

Culinary specialties from many countries: Turkish Adana kebabs and Lahmacun, Kurdish dishes, Arab-Syrian Mezze and Falafel, Balkan Ćevapi, German Bratwurst, Maultaschen, and Swabian wine
International folk dances and folklore performances (Turkey, Kurdistan, Balkans)
Sweets and baked goods stalls (Baklava, Künefe, Lokum, Kataif)
Tea and coffee stalls with Turkish Çay and Arabic cardamom coffee
Family program with children's activities and hands-on stands

Message: Intercultural Dialogue

The summer festival explicitly sees itself as a dialogue event — open to all Eppingen residents, regardless of origin or religion. It is one of the few Muslim community festivals in Baden-Württemberg that takes place systematically every year on this scale, thus becoming an important part of Eppingen's urban culture. The mayor traditionally visits the festival.