Neuss Wine Festival

Opening of North Rhine-Westphalia's Open-Air Season

The Neuss Wine Festival is an institution in the Rhineland's April calendar: since 2001, it has marked the start of the open-air season in North Rhine-Westphalia every spring. When the vintner stalls are set up on Neuss's Freithof on the last weekend of April, it signals the beginning of the summer festival season in the Rhineland. In 2026, the festival runs from Friday, April 24th to Sunday, April 26th in the historic city center of the Quirinus city.

Concept — German Vintners with the Current Vintage

The festival concept is clear: German vintners come to Neuss with the wines of the respective new vintage and present their current work. The selection includes all important German wine-growing regions — Mosel, Rheingau, Pfalz, Baden, Württemberg, Franken — thus showing a representative spectrum of German viticulture. Many of the participating vintners have been present since the premiere in 2001 and have built a long-standing partnership with the Neuss Wine Festival. Current vintner list at wein-on-tour.de.

Freithof — the Most Beautiful Wine Festival Square in the Rhineland

The Freithof is the historic square directly next to the Quirinus Minster — the imposing Romanesque church that is Neuss's landmark. Framed by historic houses and the church facade, an unusually beautiful wine festival atmosphere is created here — unlike many other city squares that become wine festival venues in spring. When the lights come on Friday evening and the live music starts, you feel like you're in a South German wine town — not in the Rhineland.

Program — Three Days of Wine and Music

Friday, April 24th, 2026 — 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Opening in the afternoon, evening live program. Classic after-work evening with Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Flammkuchen.

Saturday, April 25th, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Longest festival day — the market opens in the morning, the full program runs all day. In the evening, the most extensive live music programs.

Sunday, April 26th, 2026 — 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Early evening atmosphere, family program during the day, earlier end to the festival.

Gastronomy — Regional Specialties to Accompany the Wine

To complement the wine selection, the Freithof features food stalls with Flammkuchen, cheese platters, sausage and specialty stands, antipasti, and regional baked goods. The selection is tailored to the wine categories — light dishes with white wines, heartier options with reds. Organic and vegetarian options are available.

Neuss as a Hanseatic City on the Rhine

Neuss, with around 150,000 inhabitants, is the largest city in the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district — directly adjacent to Düsseldorf, with its own history and identity. The city was part of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages and has a history of over 2,000 years (founded as the Roman legionary camp Novaesium). The Quirinus Minster is one of Germany's most important Romanesque churches and provides the characteristic setting for the Freithof. Those combining the wine festival with a weekend trip can visit Düsseldorf across the Rhine or travel along the Rhine to Cologne.