Frierock Festival

Friesack — Small town in Havelland

Friesack is a small town in the Havelland district, about 70 km northwest of Berlin and 30 km east of Rathenow. With just over 2,700 inhabitants, Friesack has a distinctly village-like character — and yet, since 1997, it has been the venue for one of Brandenburg's most traditional alternative festivals. This is made possible by the Freilichtbühne Friesack, a small open-air stage on Thiemannstraße with a capacity of around 1,000 people.

Frierock since 1997 — collective and non-commercial

The Frierock Festival was founded in 1997 as an initiative of the local youth scene and has since been supported by the AWO Ortsverein Friesack — as a voluntary collective without commercial sponsors. The Frierock-Bande organizes the festival, with an elected board team in the background. The festival proudly calls itself "THE alternative festival near Berlin" — a deliberate counterpoint to the large, sponsor-funded open-air festivals in the region.

26th Edition 2026 — August 7th and 8th

In 2026, the 26th edition will run from Friday, August 7th to Saturday, August 8th. Preceding this is the "11th Colorful Weekday" on Thursday, August 6th — a local pre-festival event where Friesack initiatives, schools, and clubs present themselves. It is more accessible than the festival itself and also aimed at families.

Music Genres

Frierock focuses on the spectrum:

• Punk — from melodic to Hardcore Punk.
• Ska — the Jamaican-British tradition.
• Rock — Independent, Indie Rock, Stoner.
• Hardcore — both old-school and more modern styles.

The complete 2026 lineup will be announced in several waves via the Frierock website and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). A classic at Frierock is the mix of established acts from the German independent scene and young bands making their Brandenburg premiere here.

Tickets and Capacity

Due to the limited capacity of the open-air stage (around 1,000 people), the Frierock-Bande sells most tickets in advance online:

• Online Pre-sale: from €30.
• Box Office: €35, depending on remaining capacity.
• Discount for Friesack Residents: €10 discount with ID card (proof of residence in Friesack).

The organizers explicitly point out that the box office is not a guarantee — entry will be closed if capacity is reached. Advance purchase is strongly recommended.

Getting There

Friesack is accessible via the RE4 train (Berlin-Hbf–Rathenow) — stop at Friesack station. From there, it's a 10-minute walk to the open-air stage. By car, take the B5 (Berlin–Hamburg), exit Friesack.