Pößneck City Festival

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.