Gauklerfest Attendorn

37 years of street theatre in the Sauerland

When international artists fill the old town of Attendorn on the third July weekend, one of the oldest street theatre festivals in North Rhine-Westphalia returns. On 18 and 19 July 2026 the 37th edition of the Gauklerfest Attendorn takes place — and with it a tradition that has hit the 15,000-visitor mark uninterrupted since 1989.

International programme groups — four disciplines

Four disciplines of living street art take centre stage:

• Street theatre — mime, clown, walking acts, comedy pieces
• Circus arts — juggling, acrobatics, slackline, fire shows
• Music — from folk and world music to brass bands and a cappella
• Magic — close-up and stage magic

Artists traditionally come from Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy and occasionally from overseas. The stages are spread across the old town — Marktplatz, Wasserstraße, Niederste Straße and Kölner Straße — so you wander from stage to stage as a visitor.

Free admission — Hutgeld (hat money) as a lifeline

There is no fixed admission to the festival. Funding comes from the traditional Hutgeld (hat money) after each show, from sponsoring and from donations through the host association's network. The team puts it like this: "We stand for a lively, welcoming culture that brings people together regardless of skin colour, gender or bank balance."

150 volunteers — the invisible stage

Behind the festival stands the Trägerverein Jugendarbeit Attendorn e.V. (Youth Work Sponsoring Association). Over 150 volunteers set up stages, look after artists, organise traffic and safety, and run food stalls in support of youth work projects. Sponsors and donors make fair artist fees possible — a challenge given rising fees and shrinking public funding, for which the association raises money specifically on Betterplace.

Attendorn — Hanseatic town on the edge of the Biggesee

Attendorn lies in the Olpe district in the southern Sauerland. With just over 24,000 inhabitants and one of the best-preserved medieval old towns in the Sauerland, this Hanseatic town is a popular day-trip destination — especially thanks to the Atta cave (Atta-Höhle), the Biggesee and the historic Schnellenberg castle (Burg Schnellenberg). During the Gauklerfest the inner town is traffic-calmed and the historic alleys become open stages.

Tips for your visit

Come early — the best spots at the stages are sought-after from 14:00. Wear shoes you can walk in for a long time — the festival spreads across several squares, you'll move a lot between acts. Plan some Hutgeld (hat money) into your budget (5–10 euros per show watched is normal). Restaurants and food stalls in the old town serve Sauerland specialities.