Trassenfest Solingen — Korkenziehertrasse

Trassenfest — The Premiere Replaces the Kulturnacht

On July 11, 2026, the Trassenfest will take place in Solingen for the first time — a completely new type of event that replaces the discontinued Solinger Kulturnacht (which had to be abandoned in 2025 due to insurance reasons). Instead of a classic city festival format, the organizers chose the Korkenziehertrasse as the stage — the former railway line that today serves as a 4 km long cycling and walking path through Solingen.

Four Stages Over 4 Kilometers of Trasse

From the Botanical Garden in the north to the Südpark, the event spans four thematically distinct stages:

• Botanical Garden — Family: Program for children and families with interactive activities, children's theater, play and craft stations
• Cronenberger Straße — Youth Culture: Hip-hop, electronic music, skate and street style events, young bands
• Dorper Straße — "Life Needs Diversity": Inclusion and diversity stage with programs on LGBTQ+, migration, interculturalism, and social diversity
• Südpark — Music, Art, and Culture: Main stage with concerts, performance art, dance, and large installations

Korkenziehertrasse — The Unique Stage

The Korkenziehertrasse owes its name to its winding route — it was once a narrow-gauge railway line between Wuppertal-Vohwinkel and Solingen-Mitte. Today, it is one of Solingen's most popular cycling and walking paths. It is particularly suitable as an event location because it is car-free, continuously asphalted, and lined with green spaces — this allows for full accessibility, which is explicitly anchored in the event concept.

Solingen — The "City of Blades" in the Bergisches Land

Solingen (approx. 161,000 inhabitants) is located in the southern Bergisches Land region of North Rhine-Westphalia and is known worldwide as the "City of Blades" — the city has produced cutlery, silverware, and blades for centuries (Wilkinson, Zwilling J.A. Henckels, among others). The Trassenfest consciously embraces the city's natural beauty with its valleys, slopes, and green belts, combining urban cultural richness with outdoor activity.

Program and Focus

The program ranges from street circus and storytellers to live music, performance art, and international cuisine. The event is supported by Aachen's "City Art Project" and numerous Solingen cultural partners. Admission is free, and all stages and paths are accessible.