Classical Night in the Rose Garden

Open-Air Classical Music with Picnic

The Classical Night in the Rose Garden is one of the most beautiful open-air classical events in North Rhine-Westphalia. It takes place every year on the last Friday in June and follows a formula that appeals to both classical enthusiasts and newcomers: picnic on the lawn, candlelight, classical music, and a fireworks finale. Free admission.

German Chamber Academy Neuss am Rhein

The German Chamber Academy Neuss am Rhein (DKN) is one of Germany's most internationally renowned chamber orchestras. Specializing in classical, early romantic, and contemporary music, they perform in major concert halls across Europe — and once a year in their hometown, outdoors. The Classical Night in the Rose Garden is one of their most popular concerts of the year.

Rennbahnpark — An Unusual Classical Stage

The venue is the Rennbahnpark Neuss (Am Rennbahnpark 1) — a green park area on the outskirts of the city, formerly a horse racing track. Today, the area is a local recreation spot with vast lawns, trees, and sports facilities. For the Classical Night, a stage is set up against this backdrop, and the audience spreads out with picnic blankets and folding chairs on the lawns.

Schedule — Relaxed and Festive

The Classical Night officially begins at 9 PM, but the audience starts gathering from the late afternoon. Blankets are spread out, picnic baskets are unpacked, wine is poured — the atmosphere is summery and festive. As dusk falls, the concert begins; candles are distributed on the blankets and throughout the park, creating the iconic ambiance. At the end — as the stars appear over the Rennbahnpark — there's a fireworks display as a musical and visual finale.

Free Admission — Funded by Sponsorship

Free admission. The concert is funded by the City of Neuss, 3M as the main sponsor, and the Sparkasse Neuss. The organizer is Neuss Marketing in cooperation with the German Chamber Academy.

Also in the DKN 2025/26 Program

The Classical Night is explicitly part of the 2025/26 season of the German Chamber Academy Neuss and is listed in the official DKN program as "KLASSIKNACHT". This makes it one of the few free concerts in an orchestra season of this caliber.

Neuss — A Cultural City on the Rhine

Neuss is located in the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district in North Rhine-Westphalia, directly on the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. With the German Chamber Academy, the Kulturforum Alte Post, the Romaneum, and a long cultural tradition (Hanseatic city, Roman heritage, Schützenwesen, a cultural office with an ambitious program), Neuss is one of the most vibrant cultural cities on the Lower Rhine.