fill in Bostalsee – Jazz am See

Premiere at Bostalsee

In 2026, the fill in – International Jazz Festival Saar will expand its program to include a new venue: Bostalsee in the district of Sankt Wendel, which at 120 hectares is the largest lake in Saarland and one of the most important leisure lakes in Southwest Germany. An open-air stage will be set up directly on the water at the Gonnesweiler lido for two evenings – with the aim of bringing the quality of the established fill in Festival in Saarbrücken into the nature of the Sankt Wendel region.

The Concept

The artistic director of the festival is Oliver Strauch, who founded fill in in 2023 to secure Saarbrücken a permanent place on the European jazz map. The concept: established world stars meet up-and-coming talents, always with the aim of a sophisticated yet accessible program. At Bostalsee, this concept will be translated into a compact double night featuring Blues, Swing, Gypsy Jazz, and Soul.

Why Bostalsee?

Bostalsee is considered the tourist heart of northern Saarland – Center Parcs, surfing, diving, hiking. A jazz festival on the sandy beach with a view of the sunset is new and positions Saarland as a region where high-quality culture and relaxed nature go hand in hand. Unlike in classic jazz clubs, the audience here often sits barefoot in the sand, with a glass of wine or beer in hand.

The Festival in Numbers

• 2 festival evenings at Gonnesweiler lido
• 4 international bands and ensembles
• Tickets from €17.50 – one of the cheapest jazz open-airs in the region
• Sankt Wendel, Saarland: transport links via A62, A1, and Türkismühle train station

Artistic Axis

The program showcases the full spectrum of jazz: Jörg Seidel Trio with singer Sabine Kühlich pays tribute to the unforgettable Caterina Valente in swing mode, Torino Reinhardt – Django's grandnephew – brings Gypsy Jazz to the lake with Marcel Loeffler, Valeria Maurer links lyrics and soul, Franz Becker & Friends provide the blues grounding.

Experience Saarland

The fill in Bostalsee is more than just a concert evening: those who spend the weekend on site can combine the festival with a day at the lake, a hike in the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park, or a visit to the nearby Saarschleife. The Sankt Wendel region is the rural side of Saarland – green, vast, tranquil.