Marktplatz Musik Festival Hildesheim

Sixteen Concerts, Three Phases

The Marktplatz Musik Festival is not conceived as a compact weekend but as a concert series extending over several weeks. The dramaturgy follows three phases: The Warm-Up in mid-July offers a first taste with selected acts. The Main Festival at the end of July and beginning of August features the highest density of concerts with the headliners. The Afterglow in mid-August concludes the festival with further concerts and a more relaxed evening atmosphere. In total, sixteen concerts will take place over the eight festival days.

Two Stages on the Market Square

Two stages will be set up on Hildesheim's Historic Market Square: a large main stage where the headliners and bigger acts will perform, and a smaller arcade stage that allows for more compactly staged sets and gives the festival a varied rhythm. The audience can move freely around the square between the stages; seating areas, standing room, and the surrounding cafés complement the setting.

Genres and Program

The program focuses on a broad stylistic range: jazz and soul are core elements and shape many concerts, complemented by pop, hip-hop, and occasional singer-songwriter or funk accents. This mix appeals to a wide audience and has made the festival a cross-generational summer fixture in Hildesheim.

Free Admission

As with many major Hildesheim summer events, admission to the Marktplatz Musik Festival is free. The non-profit Hildesheim Live gUG organizes the festival with the support of sponsors and the city, making a program accessible without a ticket office. Donations for the artists and the festival are welcome.

World Heritage Setting

The Historic Market Square, with the reconstructed Knochenhauer-Amtshaus, the Tempelhaus, and the surrounding historic burgher houses, is one of the most beautiful festival backdrops in Lower Saxony. Those who stroll through the city center during breaks can reach the Mariendom Cathedral and St. Michael's Church, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, in just a few minutes.

Hildesheim Summer

Together with the Citybeach, the Volks- und Schützenfest (People's and Marksmen's Festival), the M'era Luna Festival, and other events, the Marktplatz Musik Festival shapes the Hildesheim summer. Those in Hildesheim during the summer weeks can build their plans around the festival evenings multiple times, experiencing the market square in different atmospheres on different days.