Name: Pfingstmontagsfest auf der Homburg 2026
Start: 2026-05-25T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-05-25T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Burgruine Homburg

Homburgfest

About Homburgfest

The Pfingstmontagsfest (Whit Monday Festival) on the Homburg is one of the most traditional folk and singers' festivals in Mainfranken. On the impressive Homburg castle ruins – one of the largest castle ruins in Germany – singers, musicians, and thousands of visitors gather on Whit Monday for a mountain festival with songs, brass music, Mainfranken specialities, and wine. Organised by the Musikverein Gössenheim and other associations, the festival dates back to 1928.

Dates 25 May — 25 May 2026

Venue Gössenheim (09677)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Homburgfest — edition 2026

The Pfingstmontagsfest auf der Homburg 2026 will take place on Monday, May 25 (Whit Monday), on the Homburg castle ruins in Gössenheim. On the spectacular mountain backdrop, singers, music associations, and thousands of visitors gather for an all-day folk festival with Mainfranken wine and specialities – a tradition since 1928.

The 2026 edition of the Pfingstmontagsfest auf der Homburg will take place on Whit Monday, May 25, 2026. The organisers are the Musikverein Gössenheim and other associations from the region.

A festival tent will be erected on the castle ruins, with catering stands spread across the castle courtyards. The programme includes performances by the Musikverein Gössenheim, choirs, and brass bands from the region. Visitors will ascend the castle on foot throughout the day and stay until the evening – an open-air folk festival in one of Germany's most spectacular castle settings.

Highlights Homburgfest 2026

Folk festival on one of Germany's largest castle ruins
Tradition since 1928 as a singers' festival, continued since 1946
Concerts by the Musikverein Gössenheim and regional choirs
Mainfranken wine, beer, and food
Hiker-friendly Whit Monday experience in the Spessart foothills

Programme Homburgfest 2026

Programme on Whit Monday 2026

Morning – Ascent to the castle, opening of the festival
Midday – Mainfranken lunch, performances by the associations
Afternoon – Concerts by the Musikverein Gössenheim and guest bands and choirs
Evening – Festival evening with Mainfranken wine and food, winding down in the castle ruins

Detailed programme information will be communicated by the Musikverein Gössenheim and the administrative community of Gemünden am Main.

Prices Homburgfest 2026

Free admission. Food, drinks, and wine at usual festival prices; payment usually in cash.

Practical information

Practical information — Homburgfest

Getting There

Gössenheim can be reached via the A7 (Würzburg–Fulda, exit Hammelburg) and then via federal roads. By car, drive to the hiking car park; the castle ruins can only be reached on foot. By train: Gemünden am Main station, then by bus or hike.

The Ascent

The Homburg castle ruins can be reached on foot via several paths (from Gössenheim, Karsbach, or Wartmannsroth). Sturdy footwear and a water bottle are recommended; there are catering facilities on the mountain.

Admission

Admission to the castle ruins and the festival tent is free. Food, drinks, and wine are available at usual festival prices; payment is usually in cash.

Tip

The festival starts in the morning and lasts throughout Whit Monday. Families with children should ascend in the morning; hikers can use the hiking trails to the castle.

A Whit Monday Festival with Almost 100 Years of Tradition

Few castle ruins in Germany are as spectacularly located as the Homburg castle ruins above Gössenheim and Karsbach in the Spessart foothills of Mainfranken. On the mountain spur, with a wide view into the Fränkische Saaletal, the Pfingstmontagsfest auf der Homburg has been celebrated every year on Whit Monday since 1928 – originally as a singers' festival, today as a large folk and mountain festival.

From Singing Competition to Folk Festival

In 1928, the Gössenheim singers' association invited people to the festival on the castle ruins for the first time. Originally, it was a singing competition between regional singing clubs from Mainfranken. After the Second World War, from 1946 onwards, the tradition was continued and expanded with brass music, catering, and a festival programme. Today, thousands of visitors gather on the Homburg on Whit Monday.

Homburg Castle Ruins – A Historic Site

The Homburg castle ruins are considered one of the largest castle ruins in Germany. It stands on a steep ridge above the Saaletal and was the seat of the Counts of Henneberg in the Middle Ages. The mighty wall remains, the keep, and the wide castle courtyards form a spectacular backdrop for the Pfingstmontagsfest – an open-air folk festival embedded in history and nature.

Programme and Atmosphere

The organisers are the Musikverein Gössenheim and other local associations. A festival tent is set up on the castle ruins, along with catering stands, a stage, and seating. The programme includes performances by the music association and guest bands, choirs from the region, and catering with Mainfranken wine, beer, and hearty food. Hikers ascend the castle on foot from the surrounding villages – Gössenheim, Karsbach, Wartmannsroth – on Whit Monday, a custom that gives the festival its special character.

Embedded in the Franconian Festival Calendar

The Pfingstmontagsfest is part of a dense Mainfranken festival calendar around Gemünden am Main. It highlights – as reports from the Main-Echo show – the continuing importance of club festivals in the region and the connection between the church's festive cycle, castle romance, and lived club culture.