Schlagerstern Willingen – 9. Sauerland Open Air

Schlager in the Sauerland

The Schlagerstern Willingen is one of Germany's largest open-air Schlager festivals – a one-day event that attracts around 15,000 Schlager fans to Willingen in the Hessian Sauerland every year in mid-August. The 9th edition in 2026 will take place on Saturday, August 15, starting at 1 PM on the festival grounds at the Sauerland Stern Hotel, right at the foot of the Ettelsberg.

Lineup 2026: The Schlager A-List

The 2026 lineup brings together the Schlager scene in its full breadth:

• Kerstin Ott – Schlager-pop star, known for “Die immer lacht”
• Giovanni Zarrella – Italo-Schlager star
• Johnny Logan – Mr. Eurovision (Winner 1980 + 1987)
• Vincent Gross – Swiss Schlager newcomer
• Sonia Liebing – Schlager singer
• Oli.P – Pop/Schlager crossover
• Anna-Maria Zimmermann – Schlager-pop
• Peter Wackel – Mallorca Schlager classic

Plus other acts – each headliner plays between 30 and 45 minutes, a dense setlist.

Ettelsberg Scenery

The festival grounds are located at the foot of the Ettelsberg (838 m), Willingen's local mountain and winter sports center. Green in August instead of snow-covered – an unusually beautiful backdrop for a Schlager open-air. The neighboring Sauerland Stern Hotel serves as the logistics hub.

Schlager as a Lifestyle

Schlagerstern is not just a concert, but a Schlager lifestyle: festival outfits (preferably flashy and glittery), cocktails (Aperol Spritz, Hugo, beach bar classics), fan groups with T-shirt prints, selfies with the stars in the Meet & Greet zone. The audience is diverse in age – students enjoying retro Schlager, loyal Schlager generations, families.

Willingen – Hesse's Schlager Capital in August

Willingen positions itself as an event city: In July, the Harley Days; in mid-August, the Schlagerstern – both festivals at the same festival grounds. With just under 6,000 inhabitants, Willingen is small but well-prepared for major events as a ski and hiking tourism destination. Hotels and guesthouses around the venue are booked up weeks in advance.