Sonnefeld Village Festival at the Domäne Sonnefeld

A Young Festival in a Historic Setting

The Sonnefeld Village Festival is not yet very old — the 2026 edition is only the fifth one ever. The municipality of Sonnefeld (Coburg district, Upper Franconia) established the festival in 2022 as an annual summer event and located it at the Domäne Sonnefeld, the community's defining cultural monument. The Domäne is a former Cistercian convent estate, founded in 1260 and passed into agricultural ownership after the Reformation. Today, the municipality operates it as a venue that is booked year-round for weddings, concerts, and markets.

What Happens at the Village Festival

The concept is deliberately family-friendly: starting in the afternoon with a "Frühschoppen" (morning pint), opening by the Sonnefelder Querblaser at 3 PM, followed by coffee and cake from the community bakery and hearty dishes from local restaurateurs. Bands from the region play on the courtyard stage — at past editions, including the Franconian pop cover band Wir sind wir. A bouncy castle is available for children, along with play and craft activities from the municipal youth services. Market stalls from local providers complete the setting.

From a Hidden Gem to a Fixed Date

In 2023, the 2nd Sonnefeld Village Festival attracted over 1,000 visitors — a remarkable number for a community of just under 4,500 inhabitants. Since then, the festival has established itself as a permanent summer event in the Coburg district; it is among the regularly announced dates on the Coburg city event portal. Local press — Fränkischer Tag, Coburger Tageblatt — also reports on it every year.

The Domäne as an Extraordinary Venue

What sets the Sonnefeld Village Festival apart from other community festivals is its location: the Domäne, with its medieval monastery courtyard, long farm buildings, and old trees, gives the festival an atmosphere somewhere between a country wedding and a monastery festival. Visitors arriving from Coburg, Lichtenfels, or Kronach often combine the visit with a hike through the Itz Valley or a detour to the Veste Coburg.

Sonnefeld in the Coburg Region

Sonnefeld is located in the southeastern district of Coburg in Upper Franconia, about ten kilometers east of Coburg's city center, on the B303 towards Sonneberg. The municipality belongs to the Coburger Land culinary region and is well-connected by the Coburg–Sonneberg railway line.