Kulturgarten Open Air Themar
Punk and Hardcore Festival on the Whitsun Weekend in Hildburghausen
About Kulturgarten Open Air
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Punk and Hardcore in a Garden by the Werra
The Kulturgarten Open Air in Themar is a small, independently organised Punk, Hardcore, and Ska-Punk festival that takes place every year on the Whitsun weekend in the Kulturgarten at the Rasenmühle. The stage is set amongst old trees, meadows, and Werra floodplains — a festival location that resembles a large garden more than a festival site. The capacity is limited to around 500 visitors, which gives the festival its well-known family atmosphere.
Line-up 2026 — 27 Bands for 3 Festival Days
The 2026 line-up is a cross-section of the German-speaking Punk and Hardcore scene: Rantanplan, Born From Pain, MDC (Millions of Dead Cops), ZSK, Team Scheisse, Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space, and around 23 other bands. Stylistically, the programme ranges from classic Hardcore to Skate-Punk and Ska-Punk, to Indie Rock and Alternative Metal.
Community Instead of Commerce
The festival sees itself as a community project: no sponsorship from major brands, a clear commitment to sustainability, fair prices, and a programme design that explicitly promotes emerging acts and politically positioned bands. The festival is presented by, among others, Radio Bob! and Ox-Fanzine — two of the most important voices in the German-speaking Punk and Rock scene.
Themar in the Hildburghausen District
Themar is a small town (around 2,900 inhabitants) in the Hildburghausen district in the state of Thuringia, in the Hildburghäuser Unterland region on the Werra river. The town has been known since the 1990s for its committed alternative and anti-fascist cultural scene — the Kulturgarten is one of the symbols of this movement. Those who travel to the festival often combine the festival days with an excursion to Veste Heldburg or a Werra river hike.
Kulturgarten Open Air — edition 2026
Three Festival Days on Whitsun Weekend
The Kulturgarten Open Air 2026 takes place from May 22nd to 24th, 2026 — three festival days on the Whitsun weekend. With the weather forecast trend between 20 and 26 degrees Celsius, a classic festival summer in Central Thuringia is expected.
Line-up — 27 Bands, Punk and Hardcore
The line-up combines established names from the German-speaking Punk and Hardcore scene with international acts: Rantanplan, Born From Pain, MDC (Millions of Dead Cops, USA), ZSK (Antifa-Punk from Berlin), Team Scheisse, and Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space as well-known headliners — plus around 21 other bands from the subgenres Hardcore, Skate-Punk, Ska-Punk, Indie Rock, and Alternative Metal.
Programme Kulturgarten Open Air 2026
Programme Highlights 2026 — Kulturgarten Open Air Themar
- Friday, May 22nd, 2026: Festival start in the late afternoon, market stalls open, first stage acts, opening evening with live Punk bands
- Saturday, May 23rd, 2026: Full programme — stage acts all day, workshops, political discussion rounds, skate park demonstrations
- Sunday, May 24th, 2026: Festival highlight with headliner performances in the afternoon and evening
- Headliners and Confirmed Bands (Selection):
- Rantanplan (Ska-Punk, Hamburg)
- Born From Pain (Hardcore, Netherlands)
- MDC — Millions of Dead Cops (Hardcore-Punk, USA)
- ZSK (Antifa-Punk, Berlin)
- Team Scheisse (Punk, Hamburg)
- Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space (Horror-Punk, Austria)
- plus around 21 other bands from Punk, Hardcore, Ska-Punk, Skate-Punk, Indie Rock, and Alternative Metal
- Accompanying Programme: Skate park activities, vegan and vegetarian food stalls, political info booths, merchandise from local bands and labels
- Presented by: Radio Bob! and Ox-Fanzine
- Organiser: Kulturgarten Open Air Verein
Current programme and tickets: kulturgarten-openair.de.
Highlights Kulturgarten Open Air 2026
- Rantanplan, Born From Pain, MDC, ZSK, Team Scheisse
- Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space
- Around 27 bands from Punk, Hardcore, and Ska-Punk
- 500 visitors — family festival atmosphere
- Clearly politically positioned festival (anti-fascist)
- Presented by Radio Bob! and Ox-Fanzine
- Whitsun weekend in Kulturgarten Themar
Prices Kulturgarten Open Air 2026
Festival ticket regular €70, with camping surcharge €80 (Tier 3 price level). Tickets via kulturgarten-openair.de and selected advance booking offices.
Practical information — Kulturgarten Open Air
Date 2026
Friday, May 22nd to Sunday, May 24th, 2026 (Whitsun weekend).
Location
Kulturgarten Themar (Rasenmühle), 98660 Themar, Hildburghausen district.
Getting There
By car: A71 to Suhl, then B89 to Themar. By public transport: Themar train station (Erfurt–Meiningen line).
Tickets
Festival ticket regular €70, with camping surcharge €80 (Tier 3 price level).
Camping
Camping facilities on the festival grounds for an additional charge.
Tip
The festival is family-oriented and politically clearly positioned (anti-fascist, anti-racist). Those expecting large-scale festival logistics will not enjoy it here — those seeking a committed Punk community will find it here.
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Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Kulturgarten Open Air al mejor precio.
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Where it takes place Kulturgarten Open Air
Kulturgarten Themar (Rasenmühle)
Rasenmühle, 98660 Themar
Contact Kulturgarten Open Air
Kulturgarten Open Air at a glance
History of Kulturgarten Open Air
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