Ten days of Upper Bavarian Volksfest on the Berghalde – with regional heritage evening, district festival and beer tent
The Penzberger Volksfest is the major summer folk festival of the Upper Bavarian mining town of Penzberg (Weilheim-Schongau district). The venue is the Berghalde, the former spoil heap from Penzberg's coal mining, which is now used as a festival site with a beer tent, amusement rides, and catering stands. The Volksfest runs for ten days from the end of August to the beginning of September.
Since 2024, Robert Schmidt from Straubing has been the festival host – in 2026, he will lead the Penzberger Volksfest for the third time. The Schmidt family has over three decades of experience as festival hosts. For 2026, Schmidt has announced the motto 'Preserve tradition, dare the new': classic Bavarian folk festival culture with beer mugs, pretzels, and brass music, complemented by new culinary concepts at the grill stand and in the festival kitchen.
A special feature of the 2026 edition: the Volksfest will be accompanied by the Gaufest of the Loisachgau – one of the major Upper Bavarian traditional costume and mountain riflemen's festivals. The Gaufest is the four-day main festival of the Loisachgau, an association of around 30 traditional costume clubs from the Upper Bavarian pre-Alpine region. Penzberg is the host in 2026. Highlights include the Gauheimatabend with folk music, Schuhplattler (a traditional Bavarian dance), and whip cracking, and the grand traditional costume parade on Sunday.
Penzberg is a town of just over 16,000 inhabitants in the Weilheim-Schongau district in Upper Bavaria – on the edge of the pre-Alps, about 50 km south of Munich. The town owes its development to black coal mining (1796–1966), the history of which is documented today in the Mining Museum. The Berghalde festival site symbolically represents this mining past, which is inextricably linked to the town's identity.
The 2026 edition of the Penzberger Volksfest takes place from August 28 to September 6 – ten days of folk festival on the Berghalde. Mayor Stefan Korpan and festival host Robert Schmidt signed the execution contract in February 2026. The 2026 edition runs under the motto 'Preserve tradition, dare the new'.
The Volksfest opens on Friday, August 28 at 6 PM with the parade to the Berghalde, free beer, and dance performances by the traditional costume clubs. On Thursday, August 27 – traditionally the eve – the Gauheimatabend takes place: folk music, Schuhplattler, whip cracking. On Saturday, August 29, the band Manyana plays in the beer tent. On Sunday, August 30, the Gaufest of the Loisachgau follows with a grand traditional costume parade in the morning, followed by the ceremony in the beer tent.
Admission to the festival grounds is free. Liter beer approx. €10–€11, roast chicken approx. €14–€16, amusement rides at Volksfest prices. Detailed price list available from the festival host on site.
By car: A95 Munich–Garmisch, exit Penzberg/Bichl. By train: BRB Penzberg station on the Munich–Tutzing–Kochel line, Berghalde festival site approx. 10 minutes walk from the station.
Volksfest daily, usually from 5 PM on weekdays and from 11 AM on weekends, beer tent until approx. 11 PM (later on weekends).
Admission to the festival grounds is free. Beer by the liter, food, and amusement rides at Volksfest prices.
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