ESSTIVAL Erfurt 2026

Enjoyment on Europe's Oldest Inhabited Bridge

Erfurt's Krämerbrücke is one of the oldest and most unique secular buildings in Central Europe — the only bridge north of the Alps completely built up and inhabited with houses. On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the stone Krämerbrücke (2025), the city of Erfurt launched the ESSTIVAL in 2024. It has since become a fixed date in Erfurt's event calendar. The extension of the festival beyond the anniversary year shows: The concept works, the audience comes — and the Krämerbrücke becomes a stage for a city experience that combines gastronomy, art, and music.

Gastronomy Takes Center Stage

Unlike typical street food festivals, the ESSTIVAL focuses on the established gastronomic businesses on the Krämerbrücke, Wenigemarkt, and the adjacent old town. Restaurants open outdoor seating areas, chefs prepare special festival menus, regional specialties and wines from the Saale-Unstrut region (Germany's closest wine-growing area) meet experimental cuisine. The festival is not a food market with anonymous trucks, but a joint project of Erfurt's gastronomy.

2026 Program — Music, Light, Art

The 3rd edition in 2026 will take place on the evening of September 19, starting at 6 PM. Live music will be provided by the Weimar band Tasty Jam, supplemented by other musicians directly on the Krämerbrücke. Students from the IMAGO School of Art and Design will present specially designed images of the Krämerbrücke on two-meter-high canvases on Rathausbrücke. A special highlight is the Steampunk Rocket, making its first appearance in Erfurt on the festival evening — a spectacular light installation that combines industrial romance and fantasy worlds. Light installations across the Krämerbrücke will create a special evening atmosphere.

Erfurt — State Capital with Medieval Flair

Erfurt is the state capital of Thuringia and, with around 215,000 inhabitants, the largest city in the federal state. The old town, with the Krämerbrücke, Domplatz, Augustinian Monastery, and Petersberg, is among the best-preserved medieval city centers in Germany. In the city's event calendar, the ESSTIVAL now stands alongside classics like the Krämerbrückenfest, Erfurt Pottery Market, and Christmas Market — proof that even newer formats can quickly establish themselves when they connect with the city's identity.