Sommerbühne am Blautopf

Sommerbühne am Blautopf — 22 Years of Cultural Festival

When the Swabian Jura is bathed in full summer light in early July, the 22nd season of the Sommerbühne am Blautopf begins in the Klosterhof (Monastery Courtyard) of Blaubeuren. From July 10 to August 2, 2026, experience about four weeks with approximately 16 events featuring music, cabaret, theatre, cinema, and readings — a multidisciplinary festival that has secured its place in the cultural calendar of Southern Germany.

2026 Programme — Artists and Highlights

The 2026 season promises a packed programme. Confirmed highlights include:

• Fäaschtbänkler — Swiss party starters with polka, rock, and brass
• FRONTM3N — Hits trio with catchy tunes from several decades of pop and rock
• Tan Çağlar — Comedian with German-Turkish humour, one of Germany's most prominent stand-up talents
• Joo Kraus & Sirius Quartett — Trumpeter Joo Kraus with a string quartet, a crossover between jazz, classical, and world music
• Tatjana Geßler — Actress and storyteller
• Jasmin Bayer Trio — Young jazz with a distinctive voice
• Cordes y Butons — Mediterranean string quartet

The final programme and exact performance dates can be downloaded as a programme booklet from sommerbuehne.com.

Special Season 2026 — Klosterkirchensaal instead of Blautopf

In 2026, the Sommerbühne will live up to its name more in spirit than in location: due to renovation work at the usual venue at the Blautopf, the season will exceptionally take place in the historic Klosterkirchensaal within the monastery courtyard. This gives the festival a particularly intimate, acoustically excellent indoor space — the sound conditions are ideal, especially for classical music, jazz, and readings.

The Blautopf — Natural Wonder and Festival Home

The Blautopf is one of Germany's most famous karst springs: a turquoise-blue glowing spring pool, fed by the vast Blue Caves system beneath the Swabian Jura. Against this natural spectacle and in the shadow of the former Blaubeuren Benedictine Abbey, the Sommerbühne has established itself since 2004. Even though the festival will remain in the Klosterkirchensaal in 2026, a visit to the Blautopf before or after the concert is a must.

Blaubeuren — Town in the Alb-Donau District

With around 12,000 inhabitants, Blaubeuren is located in the Alb-Donau district, about 18 km west of Ulm. The town at the foot of the Swabian Jura is a UNESCO World Heritage Region (Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Jura) and houses the oldest figurative artworks of humanity in its Prehistoric Museum. The former Blaubeuren Benedictine Abbey, with its famous choir stalls, is one of the best-preserved late Gothic monastery ensembles in Southern Germany.