22nd Grill 'em all – Youth Band Festival Mainz

Grill 'em all – Youth Band Festival is a firm institution in Mainz's youth culture. Organized by the City Youth Office under the umbrella of Jugend in Mainz, the festival has been offering young bands from Mainz and the surrounding area a professionally equipped open-air stage for over two decades. The 22nd edition will take place on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the Alte Ziegelei in Mainz-Bretzenheim.

7 Bands in 7 Hours

The concept is simple and has remained stable since its first edition: From 4 PM to approximately 11 PM, seven bands play one after another – each with an approximately 45-minute slot. The lineup is determined by applications in the spring; bands with a connection to Mainz and whose members are predominantly under 27 years old are selected. This creates a cross-section of the young Mainz music scene each year.

2026 Lineup

The 2026 lineup features Die Bandstunde, Hertzstörung, Jane Next Door, Mania, No Newer, sharpened.lives, and Dirty Glamour. The styles range from pop and indie to rock, alternative, and punk. For the bands, the festival is often one of their first major open-air performances with professional stage technology – and thus an important stepping stone.

Free Admission and Festival Atmosphere

Admission to the festival is free. Food trucks, bars, and comfortable seating areas on the Alte Ziegelei festival grounds create a festival atmosphere. The former industrial site on the outskirts of the Bretzenheim district has established itself in recent years as a cultural venue with open-air quality.

Raffle: Open Ohr Tickets

A hallmark of the festival is the annual raffle: In 2026, the organizing team will raffle off six tickets for the Mainz youth culture festival Open Ohr 2027 among guests, which traditionally takes place at Pentecost in the Mainz Citadel.