"Ohligs verbindet" — Solingen-Ohligs district festival 2026

Solingen-Ohligs invites you to connect

The district festival "Ohligs verbindet" (formerly known as the "Brückenfest") is the most important annual celebration of the Solingen district of Ohligs. On Sunday 25 October 2026, it fills the Ohligs pedestrian zone with market atmosphere, live music, international food and a family programme. The motto "Ohligs verbindet" (Ohligs connects) reflects the festival's social purpose — bringing together the intercultural character of the district, where long-established Solingen residents meet newer neighbours from all over the world.

The programme at a glance

Book market 11:00–18:00

The book market is the heart of the festival — several stalls along the pedestrian zone, with second-hand books, antiquarian items, children's books, novels, non-fiction and foreign-language literature. Browsing and bargaining are part of the experience. Many books on the Solingen district and on local history can be found here.

Sunday shopping 13:00–18:00

The Ohligs shops are open on the festival day from 13:00 to 18:00 — from the small bookshop to the fashion boutique to the toy store. It's shopping and festival atmosphere rolled into one. The Ohligser Werbe- und Interessengemeinschaft coordinates the shops.

Live music on several stages

Across the pedestrian zone you'll find several stages with local and regional bands — from pop covers and Schlager to folk and acoustic acts. The programme is published shortly before the festival on the OWG website.

Bungee trampoline and children's programme

For families there is a bungee trampoline (limited slots, sporty fun jumping with safety harnesses), the Mitmachzirkus (interactive circus) with juggling, acrobatics and clown workshops, as well as face painting, balloon modelling and craft stalls.

International food stalls

A central component of the festival is the international food offer — Ohligs is one of the most international districts of Solingen, and the local restaurants bring stalls to the festival. Mediterranean, Turkish, Asian and German specialities — another reflection of the motto "Ohligs verbindet".

Solingen-Ohligs as a district

Ohligs is one of the larger Solingen districts, in the west of the Klingenstadt ("City of Blades"), with its own railway connection (Solingen-Ohligs is even the city's main station — the ICE line Cologne–Wuppertal stops here). The Ohligs pedestrian zone along Düsseldorfer Straße is the small commercial centre with a weekly market tradition. Solingen itself is the Klingenstadt — the world centre of the cutlery industry (Solinger Klingen, steel goods). The Bergisches Land with Wuppertal, Solingen and Remscheid forms the region between Cologne and the Sauerland.

From Brückenfest to "Ohligs verbindet"

The festival used to be called Brückenfest — named after one of Ohligs's central bridges. With the renaming to "Ohligs verbindet", the concept was opened up and refocused on the district's intercultural, social character. It is organised by the Ohligser Werbe- und Interessengemeinschaft (OWG), an association of local businesses and clubs.