Name: Day of Upper Palatinate Folk Music 2026
Start: 2026-05-17T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-05-17T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz Neusath-Perschen

Folk Music Day Nabburg

About Folk Music Day Nabburg

The Day of Upper Palatinate Folk Music is the annual folk music festival at the Upper Palatinate Open-Air Museum in Neusath-Perschen near Nabburg. Around 15 music groups and ensembles play traditional music from the Upper Palatinate on six stages spread across the entire museum grounds on a May Sunday — from Stubenmusi and Tanzlmusi to whip cracking (Goaßlschnalzen) and hammered dulcimer (Hackbrett), zither, and clarinet. Organized by the Upper Palatinate Folk Music Friends e.V. in cooperation with the Open-Air Museum and the Regional Heritage Association. Admission is the regular museum entry fee — folk music, historic farmhouses, and walks in the open-air museum combine to create a regionally rooted day.

Dates 17 May — 17 May 2026

Venue Nabburg (09376)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Folk Music Day Nabburg — edition 2026

The Day of Upper Palatinate Folk Music will take place on Sunday, May 17, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Upper Palatinate Open-Air Museum in Neusath-Perschen. Around 15 music groups and ensembles will perform on six stages spread across the museum grounds. The program features traditional Stubenmusi, Tanzlmusi, hammered dulcimer, zither, and Upper Palatinate whip crackers (Goaßlschnalzer-Tanz). The organizers are the Upper Palatinate Folk Music Friends e.V., the Open-Air Museum, and the Upper Palatinate Regional Heritage Association. Admission is the regular museum entry fee.

The 2026 edition continues the successful concept: Six stages, spread across the open-air museum grounds, each with a different program. Visitors can wander between historic farmhouses, hammer mills, and bakehouses, experiencing the diversity of the Upper Palatinate's musical tradition.

A highlight of many editions is the joint final session in front of the main stage with all participating groups. The format is family-friendly and participatory: singing along, dancing along, and embracing the tradition are the focus.

Highlights Folk Music Day Nabburg 2026

Six stages spread across the open-air museum, around 15 Upper Palatinate music groups, Stubenmusi and Tanzlmusi with a dance floor, hammered dulcimer and zither soloists, sing-along and dance opportunities, Upper Palatinate specialties at the museum inn, combined with a museum visit.

Programme Folk Music Day Nabburg 2026

Six Stages Spread Across the Museum Grounds

Main Stage: Opening, larger ensembles, final session
Farmhouse Stage: Stubenmusi and small ensembles
Barn Stage: Tanzlmusi with a dance floor
Forge Stage: Brass groups and folk music with wind instruments
Bakehouse Stage: Soloists (hammered dulcimer, zither, clarinet)
Linden Tree Square Stage: Singers and folk songs for sing-alongs

Around 15 music groups and ensembles perform throughout the day, alternating on the various stages.

Prices Folk Music Day Nabburg 2026

Regular museum admission (Adults approx. €7–€9, reduced €5–€6, family ticket approx. €18). Concert and dance program included in admission.

Practical information

Practical information — Folk Music Day Nabburg

Getting There

By car via the A93 (Regensburg–Hof), exit Nabburg, then follow signs for Freilandmuseum (approx. 4 km). By train to Nabburg (Schwandorf–Weiden line), then bus or taxi to the museum. Free parking at the museum.

Festival Opening Hours

11:00 AM–5:00 PM. Six stages with daily changing programs.

Admission

Regular museum admission (as of 2026: Adults approx. €7–€9, reduced €5–€6, family ticket approx. €18). Concert and dance program included in museum admission.

Food & Drink

Museum inn and snack stands offering Upper Palatinate specialties (Zoigl beer, Schäuferl, potato dumplings).

A Wandering Folk Music Day in the Open-Air Museum

The Day of Upper Palatinate Folk Music is one of Bavaria's most beautiful folk music events — not because of its size or prominence, but because of its special atmosphere. Instead of a stage with a frontal program, around 15 music groups and ensembles are spread across six stages throughout the grounds of the Upper Palatinate Open-Air Museum. Visitors wander through the historic farmhouses and courtyards, where different repertoires can be heard: traditional Stubenmusi, Tanzlmusi, brass groups, hammered dulcimer and zither soloists, singing groups.

In the Heart of the Northern Upper Palatinate

The Upper Palatinate Open-Air Museum is located in Neusath-Perschen, a district of Nabburg in the Upper Palatinate district of Schwandorf (Bavaria). It is one of Bavaria's most important open-air museums with over 100 rebuilt historic farmhouses, barns, hammer mills, and bakehouses. The folk music finds its natural resonance space here: in the low-ceilinged parlors, in front of the house facades, under the linden trees of the museum village.

Repertoire and Tradition

Upper Palatinate folk music differs from the Bavarian mainstream of "Stoiber hits" due to its regional origin: old dances (Boarischer, Polka, Waltz, Schottisch, Zwiefacher), Stuben pieces from the region's inns, wedding and funeral music, Goaßlschnalzen as rhythmic custom. The Upper Palatinate Folk Music Friends e.V. have been cultivating this repertoire for decades, ensuring that it remains lively music rather than mere folklore.

Singing and Dancing Instead of Consuming

The festival consciously focuses on participation: visitors are encouraged to sing along, dance along, and learn the repertoire. Dance floors in front of some stages, sing-along formats, workshop-style elements in individual program points — the Day of Upper Palatinate Folk Music is not a concert visit, but a cultural transmission. In conjunction with the museum, this creates a synergy between material folk culture (farmhouses, workshops) and intangible folk culture (music, dance, language).

Admission Included with Museum Entry

As noted at the festival: The Day of Upper Palatinate Folk Music is part of the regular museum visit. For the entrance fee to the Open-Air Museum (day pass), visitors receive the museum program and the entire concert and dance offering of the festival. An exceptionally good value for money for a Bavarian festival.