Großräschen Town Festival and Day of Urban Development Funding

Großräschen — Lausitz Town by the Lake

Großräschen is a small town in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district in southern Brandenburg, about 15 km north of Senftenberg. Like many Lausitz towns, Großräschen has left its industrial GDR past (lignite mining) behind and reinvented itself: the former open-cast mine has been flooded and is now the Großräschener See (Großräschen Lake) — part of the Lausitzer Seenland (Lausitz Lake District), Europe's largest artificial lake landscape. This transformation shapes the urban profile to this day.

Three-Day Town Festival and National Showcase Venue

The Großräschen Town Festival 2026 will take place from May 8th to 10th in the city center and will also be the official venue for the nationwide Day of Urban Development Funding in 2026. The motto is "Living Places, Strong Communities" — a direct reflection of Großräschen's transformation journey. The venues are the Marktplatz (Market Square) and Breitscheidstraße as the central festival mile.

Program Friday — May 8, 2026

Opening day with a musical start on the market stage:

• 7:00 PM: Band "Ohne Hannelore" presents their cover program.

Program Saturday — May 9, 2026 (Day of Urban Development Funding)

The day combines the classic town festival with an urban development program:

• 11:00 AM: Guided architecture walk through the old town with Thomas Zenker.
• From 1:00 PM: Music, acrobatics, and interactive activities on the market stage.
• Performances: ZuGast aus Dörrwalde, the Großräschen Fanfare Band, ARTAS Finsterwalde, Tom's Daddy.
• 7:00 PM: First Großräschen Flash Mob for all generations.
• Afterwards: DJs Alex Pitchen and TonJ will get the night dancing.

Program Sunday — May 10, 2026

A more family-oriented closing program with a cultural and ecumenical focus:

• Art-historical tour "Sauer Walk" — tracing the footsteps of organ builder Wilhelm Sauer.
• Ecumenical Open-Air Church Service.
• Lake Serpent Boat Trips on Großräschen Lake.
• Book exchange and children's readings.

AI.CUBE on tour — AI as an Escape Game

A special attraction of the 2026 festival is the mobile escape game "AI.CUBE on tour", which playfully explores the topic of Artificial Intelligence. The escape game runs Saturday 1 PM–8 PM and Sunday 1 PM–7 PM. Registration is recommended to avoid waiting times.

Multigenerational House and House of Agriculture

Accompanying the festival, the Multigenerational House and the House of Agriculture are integrated into the program — with exhibitions and open farm tours. This integration makes the Großräschen Town Festival one of the most holistic town and neighborhood festivals in southern Brandenburg.