Hohenloher Kultursommer — Sommernacht Schloss Weikersheim

40 Years of Hohenloher Kultursommer — Anniversary Summer 2026

The Hohenloher Kultursommer celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026 — one of the most important classical festival series in Baden-Württemberg, supported by the Kulturstiftung Hohenlohe based in Künzelsau. Throughout the entire season from June 6 to September 27, 2026, there will be 54 concerts in 48 venues across five districts. At the center: the Franconian-Hohenlohe cultural landscape with its castles, monasteries, and collegiate churches.

Sommernacht Schloss Weikersheim — New Concept

One of the most important individual events of the summer is the Sommernacht at Schloss Weikersheim on Saturday, July 4, 2026. Artistic Director Marcus Meyer has completely rethought the format: 'We are calling the music festival Sommernacht this year' — and 'a changed concept — without a large open-air stage and without fireworks.' Instead of a central stage, the entire castle will be used.

Strolling Concert in the Castle Garden

The new format is a 'flâneur concert': Visitors wander through the castle garden — one of the most beautiful Baroque gardens in Southern Germany with the iconic dwarf sculptures and the Orangerie — encountering various musical stations. String quartets, wind ensembles, soloists — distributed in the garden, in the pavilion, at the Orangerie, in the Gärtnerhaus, in the Rittersaal of the castle. Concert venues with their own character, smaller rooms, intimate atmosphere.

Art Projection onto the Castle Facade

A new element in 2026: an art projection onto the castle facade. Light art, video animations, mapping — the historic architecture of Hohenlohe Castle becomes a canvas for modern visual art. The projections will run in the evening during twilight and in the dark, in regular sequences.

Culinary Delights and Atmosphere

The culinary offerings are part of the concept: stands in the castle garden serve regional specialties of Hohenlohe — Hohenlohe pork, bratwurst, Spätzle, Maultaschen, apple spritzer from the Hohenlohe orchards, regional wines. The festival's stilt walker tradition remains — they continue to be a visual hallmark of the Sommernacht.

Schloss Weikersheim — Renaissance Gem

Schloss Weikersheim in the Main-Tauber district (AGS 08128) is one of the most beautiful Renaissance castles in Southern Germany. Built from 1586 for the Counts of Hohenlohe, it houses the largest Renaissance banqueting hall in Southern Germany (Rittersaal) and an exceptional Baroque garden. The complex is now part of the State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg. A magical place for a festival concept of this kind.