Neckarau District Festival

Largest District Festival in Southern Mannheim

The Neckarau District Festival is the traditional summer event of Mannheim-Neckarau — Mannheim's largest district by area with around 33,000 inhabitants. The festival has been organized for decades jointly by the Working Group of Neckarau Associations (IG Neckarau) and the Community of Neckarau Independents e.V. (GdS), representing around 100 associations and businesses in the district.

Two Days of Program on the Market Square

The venue is the historic Neckarau market square between Schulstraße and Wilhelm-Wundt-Straße — easily accessible by tram line 1 or bus 50. On Saturday, June 27, 2026, the festival runs from 11 AM to 11 PM, and on Sunday, June 28, from 11 AM to 9 PM. The associations and independents manage the stands in the square and surrounding streets — from pizza from the Italian association and bratwurst from sports clubs to vegetarian and vegan specialties.

Live Music, Raffle, and Children's Program

Several stages are spread across the festival grounds: cover bands, school bands from Neckarau schools, dance groups, and DJs alternate. For children, there are carousels, a bouncy castle, face painting, and association games. The IG Neckarau raffle offers prizes from local businesses. The highlight on Sunday afternoon is usually the performance of a regional headliner band.

Embedded in Neckarau's Association Life

The district festival is part of a rich annual festival calendar: In spring, the Neckarau Kerwe (a type of folk festival) takes place, in November the St. Martin's Day parades, and in January/February the carnival highlights of the Neckarau 'Die Pilwe' jesters' guild. However, the summer festival is the largest and most attended event in the neighborhood — typical is the mix of long-established families, young district residents, and commuters from Mannheim's city center.

Mannheim-Neckarau — A District with History

Neckarau was incorporated into the city of Mannheim in 1899 and developed into an important industrial location in the 20th century (Boehringer, Lanz/John Deere). Today, Neckarau is a vibrant residential district with a distinct association landscape and a strong sense of local identity — the annual district festival embodies precisely this self-understanding and is a fixed date in the calendar of the Mannheim "Quadratestadt" (city of squares).