Südstadtfest Nürnberg

The Festival of the International Südstadt

The Südstadtfest Nürnberg is more than a neighbourhood festival – it is the annual expression of one of the most diverse urban societies in Germany. In Nuremberg's Südstadt – a historically developed working-class and immigrant district with neighbourhoods like Gibitzenhof, Steinbühl, Lichtenhof, and Galgenhof – people with roots in around 85 nations live. The Südstadtfest has been celebrating precisely this diversity since 1983.

Annapark at Maffeiplatz

The venue is Annapark at Maffeiplatz, one of the large neighbourhood parks in the south of Nuremberg (U-Bahn station Maffeiplatz, U1). The green space and surrounding streets host several stages, stalls, dance floors, play areas, and sports fields over the weekend.

Over 60 Cultural Associations, 85 Nations

Around 60 cultural associations from the Südstadt and all of Nuremberg shape the festival together. On the main stage, acts from all continents alternate: Turkish and Kurdish live bands, African drum groups, Colombian salsa and cumbia ensembles, Indian and Macedonian folk dance groups, regional singer-songwriters, and hip-hop from Nuremberg's Südstadt. A second stage presents upcoming and youth acts, a third is dedicated to dance and performance.

Street Food from 85 Nations

Culinary, the festival becomes an international bazaar: street food stalls with Turkish kebab, Syrian falafel, Kurdish specials, Ethiopian cuisine, Afghan mantu, Colombian arepas, Indian curries, Italian pizza, Franconian bratwurst, Vietnamese rice rolls, Ukrainian vareniki, Polish pierogi – a culinary world atlas in a few hundred meters. The associations run the stalls themselves and use them for their club funds.

Street Football, Children's Area, Youth Program

An important part of the festival: the street football tournament at Maffeiplatz – a format that brings young people from different communities together. In addition, a large children's area with creative workshops, craft stations, face painting, and interactive games. The youth program features bands from Nuremberg's scene, poetry slam artists, and breakdance battles.

"Living Together – Celebrating Together"

The motto captures the spirit of the festival: Zusammenleben – Miteinander Feiern (Living Together – Celebrating Together). The volunteer-run Südstadtfest e.V. sees the festival as an active contribution to the intercultural urban society, to anti-discrimination work, and to the visibility of migrant communities. Accessibility and awareness are explicitly part of the concept; the festival is financed without stage admission – through donations, stall fees, and sponsorship.

Nuremberg-Südstadt and Franconian Identity

The Südstadt is located south of the main train station, beyond the historic city walls. It is Nuremberg's youngest, most diverse, and politically most active half and contrasts with the Old Town, the Nazi Party Rally Grounds, and the bourgeois districts in the north. The Südstadtfest makes this identity visible for a moment each year – as Bavaria's largest neighbourhood festival with an intercultural claim.