RWTH Campus Festival Aachen
Student summer festival on Templergraben – stage, food trucks, and student societies in the heart of RWTH Aachen
About Campus Festival
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Student Festival in the City Centre
The AStA's Campus Festival is not a classic open-air event on a green meadow, but a decidedly urban university festival. The venue is the Templergraben, the axis where the striking main building of RWTH Aachen meets the glass Super C. The AStA – the organized student body of RWTH – organizes the festival to bring student life from lecture halls and dormitories visibly into the city center for a day. Anyone walking into the city from Burtscheid or the Bushof cannot miss the stage, drink stands, and faculty pavilions.
What You'll Experience on Templergraben
The format is deliberately accessible: free admission, short distances, clear structures.
- Live Stage with local and national acts – mostly student bands, newcomers from the RWTH environment, and headliners from the local pop and indie scene
- Pavilions and Info Stands from student societies, university groups, and clubs – from the Mechanical Engineering society to Akaflieg, from the student press to the bonding team
- Food Trucks and Drinks at fair prices – Currywurst, bowls, vegetarian and vegan options
- Evening Wind-down – the headliner plays at dusk, when the city of Aachen is already out and about
The AStA as Organizer
Behind the festival is the General Student Committee of RWTH Aachen, or AStA for short. It is the political representation of around 47,000 students, organizes the semester ticket, provides counseling services, and curates the year's major outdoor events with the Cultural Department – including the Campus Festival, the bonding Campus Open Air, and the Stadtglühen series on Templergraben. The Campus Festival traditionally marks the transition to the summer semester finale.
Aachen and its University Culture
Aachen is an independent city in the northwest of North Rhine-Westphalia, located in the border triangle of Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. With around 250,000 inhabitants and about 65,000 students – spread across RWTH and FH Aachen – the city of Charlemagne and the Emperors is one of Germany's largest university cities. The student presence is palpable in the cityscape between the Domhof, Pontstraße, and the Westbahnhof; the Campus Festival is the annual showcase of this lifestyle.
An Event with Tradition – and with Breaks
The Campus Festival has been held since the late 2010s, had to pause during the pandemic, and returned in 2022. Since then, it has been a firm fixture in RWTH's summer calendar. The exact date varies depending on the exam schedule but is always in the last weeks of June or early July, shortly before the lecture-free period begins.
Campus Festival — edition 2026
The 2026 edition continues the proven concept of previous years: Templergraben closed, stage in front of the main building, faculty pavilions, food trucks, and drink stands along the roadway. The AStA develops the program throughout the semester in coordination with the Rectorate, the Aachen police, and the Aachen civil engineering department.
The headliners and supporting acts will be announced traditionally a few weeks before the festival day, as in previous years. Expect student bands from the RWTH environment, Aachen indie and pop acts, and a major closing act for the evening.
Programme Campus Festival 2026
Planned Schedule – Templergraben, July 2026
The exact schedule will be published by the AStA a few weeks before the festival on asta.rwth-aachen.de. Based on experience, the day will follow this structure:
Afternoon
- from 1:00 PM — Opening of the festival grounds, setup of pavilions by student societies and university groups
- from 2:00 PM — first stage slots with student bands and newcomers from Aachen
- concurrently — info stands of student societies, bonding career fair preview, initiatives
Evening
- from 6:00 PM — main program with local and national acts (Indie, Pop, Singer/Songwriter)
- from 8:00 PM — headliner slot at dusk
- until approx. 10:00 PM — wind-down and transition to Pontstraße pubs
Constant Elements
- Food trucks and drink stands open all day
- Stands from student societies for Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Architecture, Civil Engineering, and others
- Interactive activities by student initiatives (Akaflieg, Carologistics, Sonnenwagen, etc.)
Highlights Campus Festival 2026
- Open air in the middle of Templergraben in front of the RWTH main building and Super C
- Free admission for students and the Aachen community
- Stage with local and national acts
- Over 30 student societies, university groups, and initiatives with their own pavilions
- Food trucks and drinks at student prices
Prices Campus Festival 2026
Free admission. Food and drinks for purchase at the stands.
Practical information — Campus Festival
Getting There
Templergraben is located in the absolute city center of Aachen, a five-minute walk from Aachen's Bushof and ten minutes from the main train station. By train, Aachen Hauptbahnhof is recommended; from there, take bus 33/47/57 or walk. By car: best options are the Galeria underground parking or the Adalbertsteinweg parking garage; Templergraben itself is closed during the festival.
Admission
Admission is free. Drinks and food are sold on-site at student prices.
Stage and Program
The program traditionally starts in the early afternoon, with the headliner from the late evening. The current lineup and schedule will be published one to two weeks before the date on the AStA website and social media channels.
Tips
Bring cash (not all stands accept cards), wear weather-appropriate clothing – the stage is covered, but the audience stands outside. If you need peace and quiet, retreat to the inner courtyard of the main building.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place Campus Festival
Templergraben – vor dem RWTH-Hauptgebäude und Super C
Templergraben, 52062 Aachen