Name: Jakobifest Zenting 2026
Start: 2026-07-17T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-07-20T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Festgelände Sommerreith

Jakobifest Zenting

About Jakobifest Zenting

The Jakobifest in Zenting, Bavarian Forest, is the big summer festival of SV Zenting 1963 and a firmly established club festival in the Freyung-Grafenau district. For four days, the Sommerreith festival grounds with a heated marquee transform into a meeting point for athletes, families, and friends of Franconian-Bavarian conviviality – with a beer tapping ceremony on Friday, a show band on Saturday, a festival service, seniors' reception, and family day on Sunday, and a party band on Monday.

Dates 17 Jul — 20 Jul 2026

Venue Zenting (09272)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Jakobifest Zenting — edition 2026

The 2026 Jakobifest traditionally falls on the third weekend in July: Friday, July 17 to Monday, July 20. SV Zenting 1963 e.V. opens the Sommerreith festival grounds for four days for a beer tapping ceremony, show band, festival service, seniors' reception, family day with Kids Adventure, and a concluding party band on Monday.

For 2026, the Bavarian Forest tourism portal and the SV Zenting club calendar confirm the dates July 17–20. The venue is – as every year – the Sommerreith festival grounds on the outskirts of Zenting in the Freyung-Grafenau district.

Friday evening starts as usual with a traditional concert in the village center and a procession to the marquee, before the mayor performs the beer tapping ceremony. On Saturday, a show band takes the stage, and on Sunday, the festival service, seniors' reception, and children's program are combined. Monday concludes the festival with a party band.

Highlights Jakobifest Zenting 2026

Beer tapping ceremony on Friday, show band on Saturday, family day with Kids Adventure and KLJB Steps Schöllnach dance group on Sunday, party band on Monday.

Programme Jakobifest Zenting 2026

Friday, July 17, 2026 — Opening

6:00 PM — Traditional concert in front of the "Alter Wirt" inn in the village center
6:45 PM — Procession to the Sommerreith festival marquee
7:15 PM — Beer tapping ceremony by the mayor, start of festival operations

Saturday, July 18, 2026 — Show Band

Evening — Festival operations with a show band (name to be announced shortly before the festival on club channels)

Sunday, July 19, 2026 — Family and Seniors' Day

10:00 AM — Festival service in the marquee
11:00 AM — Catering for seniors by the municipality and SV Zenting
11:00 AM — Start of Family Day
12:00 PM–3:00 PM — Jakob Kids Adventure with various hands-on stations
2:00 PM — Magician
3:00 PM — Dance group KLJB Steps Schöllnach

Monday, July 20, 2026 — Festival Finale

From 7:30 PM — Party band, festival operations until late evening

A detailed daily program will be published shortly before the festival on sv-zenting.de and the Sonnenwald platforms.

Prices Jakobifest Zenting 2026

Free admission, food and drinks purchased on-site. Some activities on family day may require a small fee.

Practical information

Practical information — Jakobifest Zenting

Getting There

By car: A3 exit Hengersberg, then B533 towards Grafenau, turn off to Zenting. Parking spaces are signposted around the Sommerreith festival grounds.

By train/bus: Nearest train station is Deggendorf, then RBO bus or shared taxi. During the festival weekend, an organized return service is often available.

Contact

Touristikverein Sonnenwald e.V., Schulgasse 4, 94579 Zenting, Tel. +49 9907 8720015

Admission

Free entry; food and drinks and some program items (family day) are paid for on-site.

A Summer Weekend in the Sonnenwald

The Jakobifest in Zenting traditionally takes place on the third weekend in July – Friday to Monday around St. James' Day. The organizer is SV Zenting 1963 e.V., which sets up a festival marquee every year on the Sommerreith festival grounds near the St. Jakobus parish church, making the weekend the social highlight of the community.

Zenting itself belongs to the Sonnenwald holiday region in the Freyung-Grafenau district (Lower Bavaria, Bavarian Forest) and is one of the smaller communities in the region. This size is precisely what defines the festival: a village-driven event, without large amusement vendor streets, but with a lot of club spirit and Lower Bavarian inn atmosphere.

Four Days with a Clear Choreography

The Jakobifest follows a schedule that has evolved over the years and is shaped by tradition:

Friday evening – Traditional concert in front of the "Alter Wirt" inn in the village center, followed by a procession to the Sommerreith festival marquee, then the beer tapping ceremony by the mayor and the opening of the catering.
Saturday – Festival operations with a show band in the evening.
Sunday – Festival service in the marquee, seniors' reception by the municipality and the sports club, family day with Jakob Kids Adventure stations, a magician, and the KLJB Steps Schöllnach dance group.
Monday – Festival finale with a party band in the evening.

St. James and the Festival's Name

The name Jakobifest refers to St. James, the patron saint of the Zenting parish church. Before or after a festival day, a short walk to the church is worthwhile – a typical Lower Bavarian village church that dominates the village landscape and is usually decorated especially festively for the festival weekend. The Sonnenwald tourist association and the portal bayerischer-wald.de also recommend visiting the St. Jakobus parish church in conjunction with the festival.

What Makes the Festival Special

The Jakobifest is not a folk festival with ten carousels, but a classic Lower Bavarian club festival: a single large marquee, regional brewery, hearty Bavarian food, traditional catering for seniors on Sunday, and a children's program on family day alternating with club performances. The combination of sports, church, and social life is typical for the Bavarian Forest and is precisely what gives the festival its charm for guests from the surrounding towns – Schöllnach, Schöfweg, Außernzell, Iggensbach.