Krimi Dinner Festival Schkopau

Krimi Dinner Festival — When a Murder Mystery Becomes a Weekend Getaway

Crime dinners have long been a mass phenomenon in Germany. Over 300 locations from Sylt to Berchtesgaden offer an evening where a murder occurs between the starter and main course, suspects are interrogated, and a solution is presented at the end. What was missing for a long time: a format that expands the concept to an entire weekend. This is precisely the gap filled by the Krimi Dinner Festival, which has been held since 2024 in the Bischofsburg Burgliebenau in the Saalekreis district — a part of the municipality of Schkopau, south of Halle (Saale).

The concept is consistent: For three days, from Friday afternoon to Sunday noon, everything revolves around crime. Three major crime dinners with up to 32 guests per round, interspersed with board game salons, evening werewolf sessions, tasting formats, crime scene investigations in the castle, and communal breakfast and dinner.

The Bishop's Castle as a Venue

The Bischofsburg Burgliebenau is located in the Saale meadows between Halle and Merseburg. It was built in the 13th century by the bishops of Merseburg as a moated castle and is today one of the best-preserved of its kind in the Saalekreis. This very setting is what makes the festival so appealing: With its castle walls, courtyard, cellar vaults, and old outbuildings, the complex is an ideal crime scene. Those who participate in the full program can either stay in the castle rooms or camp in the castle courtyard.

3rd Edition 2026 — Three Days for the Third Time

The 2026 edition, from May 29th to 31st, is the third iteration of the festival. The format has been refined: Early arrival from 2 PM on Friday, official start at 4 PM with check-in, group assignment, and coffee & cake, first exploration tour of the castle from 5 PM, evening buffet at 7 PM, first major crime dinner from 8 PM. Saturday and Sunday follow the same rhythm.