Name: Greven Grass Bluegrass Festival 2026
Start: 2026-05-23T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-05-24T00:00:00+00:00
Location: GrevenBeach am Hallenbad

Greven Grass

About Greven Grass

On May 23rd and 24th, 2026, GrevenBeach at the indoor swimming pool in Greven (Münsterland) will transform into an international bluegrass stage. Six bands from five countries are on the program: Way Up North Band (Netherlands), Hanny Hill & Blue Night (Germany), MainGrass (Germany/USA), Blue Weed (Italy), Rustic Robots (Czech Republic), and Tyler Griffith Band (USA). Admission to the entire festival is free. On Friday evening (May 22nd), there will be a bluegrass documentary as a pre-festival event at a downtown location, and on Saturday evening, a restaurant meeting of the festival crew in Greven. The main stage on the beach will feature concerts staggered from Saturday afternoon (4:00 PM) to Sunday evening (8:00 PM). Organized by the Bluegrass Initiative Greven with support from the city.

Dates 23 May — 24 May 2026

Venue Greven (05566)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Greven Grass — edition 2026

Greven Grass Bluegrass Festival 2026 on May 23rd–24th at GrevenBeach by the indoor swimming pool. Six bluegrass bands from five countries: Way Up North Band (NL), Hanny Hill & Blue Night (DE), MainGrass (DE/USA), Blue Weed (IT), Rustic Robots (CZ), Tyler Griffith Band (USA). Mainstage Saturday from 4 PM until late, Sunday until 8 PM. Pre-festival event Friday, May 22nd with a bluegrass documentary screening downtown, Saturday restaurant meeting of the festival crew. Admission to the entire festival is free. Extraordinary setting: former industrial wasteland on the Dortmund-Ems Canal with sandy ground, beach bar, and harbor character.

International Bluegrass on the Canal

The 2026 programming is an international statement: four European bands (NL, DE, IT, CZ), one transatlantic project (DE/USA), and one US-American headliner act. Most bands will perform multiple sets over the weekend; joint jam sessions between the ensembles have become a tradition after the first few editions.

Pre-Festival Event with Documentary

A special feature is the Friday evening pre-festival event with a bluegrass documentary at a downtown location — a gesture to bluegrass aficionados who want to understand their Grass not only through listening but also through cultural and historical context. The city of Greven supports the festival, making such accompanying formats possible.

Highlights Greven Grass 2026

6 Bluegrass Bands from 5 Countries
Tyler Griffith Band (USA) as Headliner
GrevenBeach — Industrial Wasteland Beach on the Dortmund-Ems Canal
Free Admission to the Entire Festival
Friday Pre-Festival Event with Bluegrass Doc Downtown
Saturday Festival Crew Restaurant Meeting
Beach Chairs and Blankets Allowed
Mainstage Sat 4 PM – Late, Sun until 8 PM

Programme Greven Grass 2026

Friday, May 22nd, 2026 — Pre-Festival Evening

Evening event in downtown Greven
Bluegrass documentary screening with festival musicians present
Free admission

Saturday, May 23rd, 2026 — Festival Kick-off

Before the festival starts: Restaurant meeting of the festival crew in a downtown restaurant
From 4:00 PM — Mainstage GrevenBeach: staggered sets by the 6 bluegrass bands
Expected acts: Way Up North Band (NL), Hanny Hill & Blue Night (DE), Blue Weed (IT), Rustic Robots (CZ) — exact set times in the program
Until late: Mainstage program and after-set jam sessions

Sunday, May 24th, 2026

Mainstage continuously until 8:00 PM
Expected acts: MainGrass (DE/USA), Tyler Griffith Band (USA, Headliner) — exact set times in the program
8:00 PM: Festival end

Prices Greven Grass 2026

Admission to the entire Greven Grass Festival, including all concerts and accompanying events, is free. Costs are only at the beach bar (drinks and snacks).

Practical information

Practical information — Greven Grass

Getting There

GrevenBeach, Am Hallenbad, 48268 Greven. By car via the A 1 (Greven exit). By train: Greven station, from there a 10-minute walk to GrevenBeach.

Admission

Admission to the entire festival, including all concerts, is free. Costs only at the beach bar (drinks, snacks).

Program Times

Saturday, May 23rd: Mainstage from 4:00 PM until late. Sunday, May 24th: Mainstage until 8:00 PM. Friday, May 22nd: Pre-festival event with documentary screening downtown. Restaurant meeting of the crew on Saturday.

What to Bring

Beach chairs or blankets are allowed — seating at the beach is limited. Sun protection, rain jacket (it stays cool by the water even in May evenings), sturdy shoes.

Further Information

Detailed festival program and set times at www.grevengrass.de and greven.net/veranstaltungskalender.

One of the few Bluegrass Festivals in the western Münsterland

Bluegrass — the US American roots genre of banjo, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, and close vocal harmonies — is a niche passion in Germany with a loyal fan base. Greven Grass is one of the few bluegrass events in NRW suitable for a festival format and is considered a successful mix of international programming and a low entry threshold (the festival is completely free). The venue is the GrevenBeach at the indoor swimming pool — a former industrial wasteland on the Ems Canal, redesigned as an urban beach with sand, loungers, and a beach bar.

Date 2026 — Weekend May 23rd/24th

The 2026 edition runs on Saturday, May 23rd, and Sunday, May 24th. Mainstage program on Saturday from 4:00 PM until late, and on Sunday until 8:00 PM. Admission to the entire festival is free — a statement by the organizers to treat bluegrass as folk music, not a concert ticket business.

Six Bands from Five Countries

The 2026 lineup brings together established bluegrass acts from Europe and the USA — a program that generates attention among bluegrass aficionados:

Way Up North Band (Netherlands) — Dutch bluegrass ensemble with a traditional banjo/mandolin setup
Hanny Hill & Blue Night (Germany) — one of the best-known German bluegrass bands, often with festival headliner status
MainGrass (Germany/USA) — transatlantic project with members from both bluegrass cultures
Blue Weed (Italy) — Italian bluegrass adaptation with Mediterranean influences
Rustic Robots (Czech Republic) — Czech roots/bluegrass band, strongly networked in Central Europe
Tyler Griffith Band (USA) — American headliner, classic-modern bluegrass

Accompanying Program — Documentary and Festival Restaurant

Over the years, the festival has developed its own accompanying formats that clearly distinguish it from a pure concert evening:

Friday Evening, May 22nd, 2026: Pre-festival event with a bluegrass documentary at a downtown location in Greven — free admission, with festival musicians present
Saturday (before festival start): Restaurant meeting of the festival crew in a downtown Greven restaurant — informal encounter between musicians and audience, an element that fosters the familial bluegrass self-understanding

GrevenBeach — Urban Beach on the Canal

The GrevenBeach at the indoor swimming pool is an extraordinary festival location: an open beach area on the Dortmund-Ems Canal with a sandy floor, mobile seating, a beach bar, and a striking industrial backdrop from the former port facility. This combination of water, sand, and industrial backdrop is unusual for a bluegrass festival — accordion pigs and banjo cowboys play here in front of containers and crane silhouettes. Precisely this contrasting backdrop makes Greven Grass a special festival experience.

Greven — Canal City in the Münsterland

Greven is a medium-sized town in the Steinfurt district with around 38,000 inhabitants, located north of Münster on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. The town was historically shaped by its textile industry and today positions itself as a culturally active small town with a festival tradition (besides Greven Grass, also the Greven Open Air and smaller genre festivals). The festival is part of broader municipal engagement for live music in public spaces, supported by the city and the local bluegrass initiative.