Grimmelfinger Kirchweih

Grimmelfingen — Ulm's southern district with a mind of its own

Grimmelfingen has been a district of Ulm since 1925, but it has largely retained its village character with its own village center, associations, and festivals. Located in the south of Ulm between Wiblingen and the Danube, the district has around 3,000 inhabitants — and celebrates its late-summer festival, the Kirchweih (church consecration festival), with a devotion that extends far beyond the district's borders. The Grimmelfinger Kirchweih is considered one of the most distinctive and atmospheric festivals in Ulm's event calendar.

Program 2026 — September 19th and 20th

The 2026 edition will take place on Saturday, September 19th and Sunday, September 20th, 2026 — as is traditional on the third weekend in September. The organizer is the Bürgerverein Ulm-Grimmelfingen e.V. (Ulm-Grimmelfingen Citizens' Association), which works closely with the other associations in the district (Music Association, Sports Association, Fire Department, Women's Circles).

The program includes:

• Festival operations in several festival halls and public squares in the village center
• Live music with local and regional bands, including the Musikverein Wiblingen and the Stadtkapelle Vöhringen
• Dance evenings with cover bands and DJs
• Children's program during the day (face painting, games, carousel, bouncy castle)
• Catering by the Citizens' Association and other associations with the classic trio: Grimmelfinger Bratwurst, beer, and homemade cakes

The Grimmelfinger Bratwurst

What makes the Grimmelfinger Kirchweih unmistakable is the Grimmelfinger Bratwurst. This sausage specialty is made according to its own recipe — the mixture, the spice profile, and the consistency are different from the Swabian Saitenwurst or the Bavarian Nürnberger. It is sold exclusively during the Kirchweih at the stands of the Citizens' Association and local butchers, grilled and served with bread or rolls. For many regular guests, this is the reason to come to Grimmelfingen on the festival weekend — and the festival weekend is the only opportunity in the year to try it.

Brauerei Gold Ochsen as Festival Partner

Ulm's Gold Ochsen Brewery has been a festival partner of the Grimmelfinger Kirchweih for years. Gold Ochsen beers — from pale lager to Märzen to darker festival beer — are served on tap. The brewery itself is located in the Söflingen district, just a few kilometers away; a thoroughly Ulm liaison.

A Tradition from the 19th Century

The Kirchweih (from "Kirchweihfest", commemorating the consecration of the local church) has been documented in southern Germany since the Middle Ages. In Grimmelfingen, the Kirchweih is celebrated at the historic parish church, whose history dates back to the 13th century. Today, the festival is understood less religiously than socially — it is the annual gathering of the district, the class reunion, and the intergenerational festival. The closing of the Kirchweih on Sunday evening is traditionally considered the end of the Grimmelfingen summer.