Markkleeberg City Festival

Markkleeberg — City in the New Lake District

Markkleeberg is located in the Leipzig district, directly south of Leipzig, on Markkleeberger See and Cospudener See — two of the largest artificial lakes in the Leipzig New Lake District, which emerged from former open-cast lignite mining. The city, with around 25,000 inhabitants, has become a flagship municipality for structural change in recent decades: from a mining and industrial city, it has transformed into a green, sporty, water-oriented residential and tourist city. The city festival reflects this change — it is modern, vibrant, staged to a high standard, and integrates the themes of water sports and nature.

33rd Edition — Video Mapping at the Town Hall

With its 33rd edition in 2026, the city festival presents itself with confidence. A special highlight is the video mapping show, which will illuminate the facade of the Markkleeberg town hall on the opening evening. Light projections, animations, and musical accompaniment transform the town hall into a screen — a technique that has become popular at major city festivals in international metropolises in recent years and is professionally implemented in Markkleeberg. The show is free and attracts thousands of spectators to the town hall square.

Banda Comunale — World Music from Dresden

The opening highlight in 2026 is the performance by Banda Comunale — a large brass band from Dresden that has been a hallmark of the Dresden music scene for years with its fusion of Balkan brass, Klezmer, Latin, and political messages. Banda Comunale regularly performs at demonstrations for democracy and diversity and is known for its rousing open-air concerts. At the Markkleeberg City Festival, the band will give a concert on the main stage at the festival grounds.

City Sports Tournaments and Children's Flea Market

The city festival has a strong sporting component — city sports tournaments on Saturday, where clubs from Markkleeberg and the surrounding area compete in football, volleyball, beach volleyball, and dragon boat races. The children's flea market takes place concurrently on the festival grounds, where children sell their toys, books, and clothes themselves — a low-threshold event that delights families. Amusement rides and food stalls complete the program.

7-Lakes Hike as a Companion Event

The city festival weekend coincides with the 22nd 7-Lakes Hike — the traditional hiking tour around the seven large lakes of the Leipzig New Lake District (Markkleeberger See, Cospudener See, Zwenkauer See, Störmthaler See, Kahnsdorfer See, Hainer See, Schladitzer See). Thousands of hikers and cyclists from all over Germany come for this tour, and the Markkleeberg City Festival is a natural endpoint or stopover for many participants. This integration of hiking and the city festival makes the weekend a special event in the state of Saxony.