Name: Pößneck City Festival 2026
Start: 2026-09-04T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-09-06T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Pößnecker Innenstadt — schiefer Markt

Stadtfest Pößneck

About Stadtfest Pößneck

The Pößneck City Festival is the biggest festival of the year in Pößneck (Saale-Orla district, Thuringia). Three days on the first weekend of September: stage concerts around the 'schiefer Markt' (crooked market), a colorful market of traders, the traditional duck race on the Kotschau river, a volleyball tournament for the City Festival Cup, and a Sunday with open shops. The 34th edition will be celebrated in 2026, with concert evenings featuring PurpleMania (Deep Purple Tribute) and TribU2 (U2 Tribute), among others.

Dates 04 Sep — 06 Sep 2026

Venue Pößneck (16075)

Prices 15.00€ — 20.00€

Status —

Edition 2026

Stadtfest Pößneck — edition 2026

Tickets →

The 34th edition of the Pößneck City Festival will take place from September 4 to 6, 2026. Friday and Saturday evenings feature concerts with Blacktane, PurpleMania (Deep Purple Tribute), and TribU2 (U2 Tribute Show). During the day, there will be a duck race on the Kotschau, a volleyball tournament for the City Festival Cup, and a Kids' and Youth Mile. Sunday features open shops. Combo ticket for concerts €20 in advance / single evening €15.

The Pößneck City Festival 2026 runs from Friday, September 4 to Sunday, September 6. Friday evening kicks off the musical program with Blacktane (hard rock) and PurpleMania, one of Germany's most renowned Deep Purple tribute bands. Saturday features TribU2 — a stage show that precisely reconstructs U2 concerts with authentic sound, lighting design, and choreography.

During the day, the City Festival comes alive with classic family formats: the duck race on the Kotschau, the volleyball tournament for the City Festival Cup, and the Kids' and Youth Mile with hands-on activities from clubs. On Sunday, shops open for a day of shopping — combined with the market along the city center, it's the ideal occasion for a shopping spree.

Highlights Stadtfest Pößneck 2026

PurpleMania — Deep Purple Tribute (Friday)
TribU2 — U2 Tribute Show (Saturday)
Traditional duck race on the Kotschau
Volleyball tournament for the City Festival Cup
Sunday with open shops

Programme Stadtfest Pößneck 2026

Friday, September 4, 2026 — Hard Rock Concert Evening

Opening of the City Festival on the 'schiefer Markt'
Main Stage: Blacktane (Hard Rock)
PurpleMania — Deep Purple Tribute
Market stalls and catering open

Saturday, September 5, 2026 — Main Festival Day + TribU2

Morning: Opening of the day program
Volleyball tournament for the City Festival Cup
Duck race on the Kotschau
Kids' and Youth Mile with clubs
Evening Main Stage: TribU2 (U2 Tribute Show — one of the best in Europe)

Sunday, September 6, 2026 — Open Shopping Day

Shops open for Sunday shopping
Market and family program in the city center
Winding down in the afternoon

Full program and tickets at poessneck.de.

Prices Stadtfest Pößneck 2026

Admission to the City Festival is free. Concerts: Combo ticket for both evenings €20 in advance, single evening €15. Box office possible.

Practical information

Practical information — Stadtfest Pößneck

Getting there

By train to Pößneck station, a short walk to the city center. By car via the A9 (exit Triptis) or the B281.

Admission

Admission to the City Festival is free. Concerts: Combo ticket €20 in advance, single evening €15.

Tip

It's worth buying your prediction ticket for the duck race early — the event finances local club projects.

Pößneck — Small town with a great festival culture

Pößneck is located in the Saale-Orla district in southeastern Thuringia, nestled in the Kotschau valley. With around 11,000 inhabitants, the town is manageable — yet the Pößneck City Festival gathers thousands of visitors from the entire district and beyond every year on the first weekend of September. It is the festival of identity par excellence: here the city meets itself and its guests.

The «schiefe Markt» as festival grounds

The center of the city festival is the historic market square with its characteristic slope — hence the nickname «schiefer Markt» (crooked market). Stages, stalls, and activity areas are spread throughout the city center: two main stages with concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings, a colorful market of traders along the main streets, and food stalls.

Concert evenings 2026

Friday evening is traditionally reserved for hard rock and classic rock. In 2026, Blacktane and the Deep Purple tribute band PurpleMania will perform. Saturday will feature TribU2, one of Europe's best U2 tribute shows — stage show, laser technology, and all the hits of the Irish band. Combo tickets for both evenings are available in advance.

Duck race, volleyball tournament, and Kids' Mile

During the day, the city festival belongs to the families. The traditional duck race on the Kotschau river — hundreds of yellow plastic ducks float down the stream, each with a number and a sponsor — is a Pößneck cult event. The volleyball tournament for the City Festival Cup brings together teams from clubs and companies. The Kids' and Youth Mile with hands-on activities from clubs rounds off the family program.

Sunday with open shops

On Sundays, the shops open for a day of shopping — a highlight for Pößneck's economy and an occasion for many visitors to combine the weekend with extensive shopping in the city center. The City Festival is thus not only a cultural but also an economic pillar of the city.