Sommer in Lauf

A Festival with Character

"Sommer in Lauf" is the open-air cultural festival of the Middle Franconian town of Lauf an der Pegnitz. For two weeks in mid-July, the town, the municipal library, and the cultural association arteschock e.V. use the historic Spitalhof as a venue for a diverse program of live music, literature, slams, and open-air cinema. The festival was revived after the Corona break to bring culture back to where it belongs: public spaces, right among the people.

The Spitalhof as the Heartpiece

The venue is the historic Spitalhof in Lauf's old town – a listed ensemble of sandstone and half-timbered buildings, which usually appears rather tranquil and transforms into an open-air stage during the festival. The acoustics of the narrow courtyard and the warm lighting of the summer evenings give the festival a very unique atmosphere. In case of bad weather, events are moved to the Kulturhaus.

Program Between Concerts and Literature

The festival thrives on its mix: Klezmer, pop, soul, and blues are featured alongside readings by well-known authors, poetry slam evenings, and the arteschock summer cinema. Also included is the series "Lesen unterm Sternenhimmel" (Reading Under the Stars), a format of the Lauf Summer Literature Days, which presents novels, crime thrillers, and non-fiction books under the open sky. The festival traditionally concludes with a sing-along concert. The quality is high, yet the format remains small and personal.

Lauf an der Pegnitz – Town of Hospitals

Lauf is located in the Nürnberger Land district, nestled in the Pegnitz valley, about 25 kilometers east of Nuremberg. The historic Spitalhof is one of the oldest preserved buildings in the town and symbolizes the medieval tradition of care and preservation – a fitting location for a festival that understands culture as a communal experience.

An Intimate Event

With around 12 program items per edition and approximately 2,000 visitors spread over two weeks, "Sommer in Lauf" is not a mass festival. Tickets are affordable, many events sell out, and the atmosphere is more like that of a large cultural workshop than a commercial open-air event. This is precisely what makes it so appealing.