Kessel Festival Stuttgart

Stuttgart's Festival for Everyone

The Kessel Festival is Stuttgart's own creation — launched in 2022 with the clear aim of creating a festival where families, sports enthusiasts, concert fans, and activists from the sustainable consumption scene can find space simultaneously. The organizer is Kessel Festival GmbH, with Sparda-Bank Baden-Württemberg as the main partner. Even after its first edition, the concept proved convincing, and the festival has since become one of the largest city festivals in Southern Germany.

170,000 m² of Festival Grounds

The venue is the Cannstatter Wasen and the adjacent Reitstadion in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt (postal code 70372) — the same area that hosts the Cannstatter Volksfest in the autumn. 170,000 m² of event space are divided by the organizer for stages, sports areas, a food truck boulevard, a children's area, and the Übermorgen Market. The Kessel Festival 2025 attracted around 50,000 visitors — a similar or higher attendance is expected for 2026.

Multiple Stages, Many Genres

Music forms the backbone of the festival and is spread across several stages:

• Main Stage — Headliners from 5 PM on both days. In 2026, featuring Nina Chuba and SDP as the first confirmed top acts, plus other pop, indie, and hip-hop stars (program to be released in stages).
• Kulturbühne (Culture Stage) — Performance space for the band contest “ROCK DEN KESSEL”: Newcomer bands from German-speaking countries compete, with the 2026 winner playing as the opening act on the main stage in 2027.
• Street Music Festival Stage — presented by Sparda-Bank BW. Acoustic and street musician acts, often newcomers from the region.
• Karle Kontainer Klub — DJ platform for regional DJs of all styles (House, Techno, Drum-and-Bass, Hip-Hop). Designed like a shipping container outdoor club.

Sparda Sports Park — Sport as Part of the Festival

One of the unique features of the Kessel Festival is the Sparda Sports Park — a large open space hosting professional competitions and participatory sports. In 2026, highlights include: Breaking Battle Series (German finals for B-Boys and B-Girls on June 27), beach volleyball show, basketball streetball tournament, wheelchair rugby demonstration, and skateboard sessions. Additionally, stand-up paddling is available on the adjacent Neckar river.

Übermorgen Market — Sustainability in Practice

Across 3,500 m², the Übermorgen Market brings together around 100 exhibitors in areas such as sustainable mobility (e-bikes, cargo bikes), slow fashion, natural cosmetics, vegan and regional food, social initiatives, and educational projects. Stuttgart start-ups and regional manufacturers exhibit — the market is explicitly commercially curated, not just a showcase.

Family Area and Food Trucks

A dedicated family zone offers changing and nursing facilities, craft stations, a face-painting stand, creative workshops, and a carousel — explicitly designed for children up to 12 years old. Spread across the entire grounds: food trucks offering cuisines from around the world — vegan burgers, Korean bao buns, Indian curries, Swabian classics. A special feature is the Weindorf (Wine Village) with 16 vintners from the Stuttgart region and Remstal.