Riesa City Festival

City Festival with City Scale

The Riesa City Festival is one of the largest city festivals in Central Saxony. Riesa, the town on the Elbe in the Meißen district, is known for its steel industry, its pasta production (Teigwaren Riesa), and its sports culture (Sachsen Open Table Tennis). For three days every summer, the city festival transforms several squares and streets in the city center into a festival mile with around 35,000 visitors.

Several Stages, Many Moods

The festival is spread across several locations:

• Rathausplatz — cultural center with the main stage, show acts, live music
• Mannheimer Platz — second stage with regional program and club performances
• Elbe Riverbank / Elbstraße — amusement rides, Ferris wheel (back in the program since 2025), family program
• Stadtpark — relaxed areas with street food and pop-up gastronomy

Laser and Pyro Show as a Highlight

The emotional climax of each edition is the Laser and Pyro Show on Saturday evening at midnight. It transforms the Rathausplatz into a choreographed light and pyrotechnic spectacle for about ten minutes, based on changing musical themes.

Family Program and Bouncy Castle Land

Children will find plenty to do in the Bouncy Castle Land, on the play miles, and at the hands-on stations. Clubs, schools, and sports clubs from the city present their work. Admission is free – a statement by the city for an open, inclusive festival culture.

On the Elbe, in the Meißen District

Riesa is located on the right bank of the Elbe, nestled in the fertile Middle Elbe valley. Visitors to the city festival can combine their stay with a boat trip on the Elbe or a detour to Albrechtsburg Castle in Meißen. In the state of Saxony, the Riesa City Festival is a classic summer event with supra-regional appeal.