Fontänefest Halle

One Fountain, Two Anniversary Dates

The fountain on the Ziegelwiese is one of Halle (Saale)'s most distinctive landmarks: up to 80 meters high, one of the tallest in Europe, located in the middle of the Saale island. It was reactivated in 2009 following an initiative supported by citizens — since then, the people of Halle have celebrated «their» fountain annually with the Fontänefest. The event is organized on a voluntary basis by the association Freunde der Fontäne Halle im Peißnitzhaus e.V.

The Date: Open Monument Day

The Fontänefest always takes place on the second Sunday in September — in 2026, this will be September 13. It traditionally coincides with the nationwide Open Monument Day, making the city a double cultural highlight: after the Fontänefest during the day, a visit to Halle's monuments (Burg Giebichenstein, Marktkirche, Moritzburg) is recommended in the afternoon.

What to Expect

During the day, there will be stage music, puppet theater in a circus tent, a children's program with hands-on activities, stalls from local booksellers and publishers, association stands, and catering with Halle street food. Visitors can learn about the technical workings of the 80-meter fountain during guided tours of the pump house. The highlight is the evening illumination of the fountain, accompanied by classical music from the «Fontäne-Festorchesters Fontana».

Halle (Saale) — Handel City in Southern Saxony-Anhalt

With around 240,000 inhabitants, Halle is the largest city in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, an independent city in the south of the state, the birthplace of Georg Friedrich Händel, and home to the Martin Luther University. The Saale river and its islands (Ziegelwiese, Peißnitzinsel) shape the city center. Visitors to the Fontänefest might also want to note the Laternenfest at the end of August — both are among Halle's major summer events.