Name: Havelberg Horse Market 2026
Start: 2026-09-03T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-09-06T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Innenstadt Havelberg

Horse Market Havelberg

About Horse Market Havelberg

For four days in early September, the small Hanseatic town of Havelberg in the Altmark region transforms into one of Saxony-Anhalt's largest event venues. Around 200,000 visitors come to the Horse Market – a mix of historical folk festival, horse trading, giant flea market, and funfair that dates back to the 18th century.

Dates 03 Sep — 06 Sep 2026

Venue Havelberg (15090)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Horse Market Havelberg — edition 2026

Tickets →

Four days of the 2026 Horse Market: Thursday opening with beer tapping at 3 PM, Friday and Saturday full operation on all event areas, Sunday closing fireworks at 9 PM. Approximately 200,000 visitors expected. Free admission.

The program follows the structure proven over decades. The kick-off on Thursday at 3 PM is the traditional beer tapping in the market square by the mayor – at the same time, the festival tents open, the funfair starts operating, and the horse section begins with the presentation of this year's show breeds. Friday and Saturday are the main event days with full operation on all areas: giant flea market with traders from all over Northern Germany, festival tent evenings with live bands and DJs, horse shows, and demonstrations. Sunday is family day – and ends at 9 PM with the grand closing fireworks over the Havel.

Highlights Horse Market Havelberg 2026

Beer tapping (Thu 3 PM) — Horse shows — Giant flea market — Festival tent with live music — Closing fireworks (Sun 9 PM) — Free admission

Programme Horse Market Havelberg 2026

Thursday, September 3, 2026 — 3 PM to 12 AM

3:00 PM — Official opening with beer tapping in the market square by the mayor
Opening of the horse area, funfair, flea market, and festival tent
Live music in the festival tent in the evening

Friday, September 4, 2026 — 1 PM to 12 AM

Horse shows and demonstrations during the day
Full operation of funfair and flea market
Grand festival tent program in the evening

Saturday, September 5, 2026 — 10 AM to 1 AM

Highlight of the horse section with show events and horse trading
Giant flea market with hundreds of traders
Main concert/DJ set in the festival tent in the evening

Sunday, September 6, 2026 — 11 AM to 9 PM

Family day with a focus on children's programs
Horse blessing in the morning
9:00 PM — Grand closing fireworks over the Havel

Note

The detailed music program in the festival tent will be announced by the Hanseatic City of Havelberg from summer 2026 on havelberg.de.

Prices Horse Market Havelberg 2026

Admission to the festival grounds is free. Rides and refreshments in the festival tent are subject to charge. Individual gala evenings and horse shows may have separate pricing.

Practical information

Practical information — Horse Market Havelberg

Getting There

Havelberg is accessible via the B107. By train: Stendal or Wittenberge + Bus 950 (Stendal–Havelberg). During the Horse Market, the town sets up special parking lots outside the old town with shuttle service. Those who prefer can arrive by boat via the Havel and Elbe rivers.

Admission

Admission is free. Individual events (horse shows, gala evenings in the festival tent) may be subject to a charge.

On Site

Opening hours: Thursday 3 PM-12 AM, Friday 1 PM-12 AM, Saturday 10 AM-1 AM, Sunday 11 AM-9 PM. Festival tent with live program every evening. Closing fireworks on Sunday at 9 PM. Accommodation in Havelberg is extremely limited – book well in advance or in the surrounding area (Stendal, Tangermünde, Wittenberge).

When 6,500 Residents Welcome 200,000 Guests

Havelberg is located in the north of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Stendal district, where the Havel river makes a wide bend shortly before flowing into the Elbe. With only 6,500 inhabitants, the Hanseatic town is one of the smallest towns in Germany with town rights. But once a year, its population explodes by a factor of 30: when the mayor taps the beer keg in the market square at 3 p.m. on the first Thursday in September, it's the Horse Market – and thus one of the largest folk festivals in Northern Germany – that opens.

The tradition dates back to the 18th century. Originally, the Horse Market was a major agricultural event: horses were traded, new breeding lines were presented, and deals were made between farmers, traders, and military units. Over the centuries, it has evolved into a multifaceted folk festival where the horse tradition remains visible – with horse shows, coachman demonstrations, and its own horse section – but funfair, flea market, and festival tents now occupy the largest space.

Four Days, Four Worlds

The festival grounds extend over the entire old town of Havelberg and the Havel island: Horse Market area with show events and sales, Flea Market with hundreds of traders (one of the largest in Northern Germany), Funfair with carousels, a Ferris wheel, and a roller coaster, Festival Tent with daily live music program. The Hanseatic town skillfully distributes the events: the atmosphere shifts from the historic market square with bakery stalls to the noisy funfair peninsula with bass beats and flashing rides.

Free Admission – That Makes the Difference

One of the remarkable features of the Horse Market: admission is free. Unlike most major folk festivals, Havelberg does not fence off the grounds. This makes the festival a democratic experience and helps explain why families travel from all over the north – Hamburg, Berlin, Brandenburg, and the rural regions of Saxony-Anhalt. The Horse Market is a phenomenon that one must experience in Saxony-Anhalt to believe.