About Kemmerner Kerwa

The Kemmerner Kirchweih is the major August Kirchweih (church consecration festival) of the Upper Franconian municipality north of Bamberg. For four festival days around the last Sunday in August, hosts and clubs treat the community to Franconian cuisine, beer, and live music. It is integrated into the Kirchweih calendar of the Bamberg district, which systematically documents Upper Franconian customs.

Travel to this festival

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August Kirchweih in the Bamberg Region

The Kemmerner Kirchweih is one of those festivals that best embodies Upper Franconian Kirchweih customs. Kemmern is a municipality with around 2,700 inhabitants in the Bamberg district (Upper Franconia, Bavaria), located on the Main river north of the bishop's city. Like many Upper Franconian Kerwa festivals, the Kemmerner Kirchweih also spans several festival days from Friday to Monday around the last Sunday in August.

Tradition with a System – the Bamberg Kirchweih Calendar

The Bamberg district boasts an extraordinary tradition of local Kirchweihen – almost every municipality, often even every district, has its own Kerwa. The Bamberg Kirchweih Calendar (kirchweihkalender-bamberg.de) documents all Kirchweihen of the year, making a unique festival culture visible – over 100 Kirchweihen per year in the district.

What Kemmern Offers

In August, the main Kirchweih takes place: festival tent, Frühschoppen (morning pint) with Franconian brass music, bratwurst and Schäufele (pork shoulder) catering, and on Sunday, a festive church service with a parade. Kemmern also has a second Kirchweih: the Fischkerwa (fish festival) at the end of June – a specialty of the Main river settlements, focusing on carp and other fish from the river.

Kemmerner Kerwa — edition 2026

The Kemmerner Kirchweih 2026 runs from Friday, August 28, to Monday, August 31. Four festival days with a festival tent, Frühschoppen, Franconian brass music, Schäufele, bratwurst, and a parade on Sunday. In addition, the Fischkerwa Kemmern already took place from June 27–28, 2026.

Four Festival Days on the Main Riverbank

The traditional Kirchweih rhythm follows a well-established pattern in Upper Franconia: Friday evening opening with beer tapping, Saturday evening festival operation with live music, Sunday festive church service followed by Frühschoppen and parade, Monday as a cozy conclusion ("Kerwa-Montag").

Two Kirchweihen in Kemmern

Remarkable: Kemmern has two Kirchweihen on the calendar each year. In addition to the main Kerwa at the end of August, the Fischkerwa takes place at the end of June – a sign of the close connection of the Main settlement to fishing and its river specialties.

Programme Kemmerner Kerwa 2026