Ilmenau Old Town Festival

Goethe's Ilmenau Becomes a Stage for Three Days

Ilmenau is the southernmost city in the Ilm district and lies on the northern edge of the Thuringian Forest. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent several phases of his life here and wrote the poem “Wandrers Nachtlied” on the nearby Kickelhahn in 1780. The city carries this literary connection in its epithet: Goethe and University City of Ilmenau. It is a university city because of the Ilmenau University of Technology, one of Germany's most renowned engineering universities. Both identities — the historical and the student one — significantly shape the city festival.

Five Stages, Three Days

The Old Town Festival runs concurrently on five stages. The Market Stage is the main stage with headliners; the stage at Kirchplatz becomes the disco stage with electronic music late into the night. At Ziegenbrunnen, Apothekerbrunnen, and Wetzlarer Platz, smaller acts perform — live acoustic, regional bands, singer-songwriters. This offers very different musical worlds in a small area, and the audience is a colorful mix of Ilmenau citizens, students, and guests from the entire Ilm district.

District Festival on the Market Stage

A special feature in 2026: Parallel to the Old Town Festival, the district festival of the Ilm district will take place on the Market Stage — a multi-community festival where the smaller towns in the district present themselves with stands and programs. This double event makes the 2026 Old Town Festival particularly large and identity-defining for the entire Ilm district.

Culinary Delights and Family Program

On Kuttelgasse — the narrow, medieval connection between the market and Kirchplatz — are the food stalls: Thuringian Bratwurst, Handbrot, street food, ice cream, waffles. In the children's area near Wetzlarer Platz, you'll find airbrush tattoos, a creative workshop, and Punch and Judy shows. This clearly positions the festival as a family event — not just a student party.

Brunch and Sunday Shopping

Sunday, June 7, 2026, begins relaxedly with a brunch in the city center (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.). Afterward, the shops open for the Sunday shopping event (12 p.m. – 6 p.m.). Thus, the Old Town Festival doesn't end with a concert crescendo but with a stroll through the city — a typical Ilmenau conclusion.