Wein am Rhein — Weinfest Leverkusen

Wein am Rhein — Leverkusen's Wine Highlight

If you want to taste German and international wines while sitting in a park directly on the Rhine — with tarte flambée, live music, and sunset atmosphere — then Wein am Rhein at the beginning of September is your festival. Three days of wine festival in Neuland-Park Leverkusen, one of the most prominent open-air locations in the right-bank Cologne-Düsseldorf corridor.

18 Wine Stands, 2000+ Seats

Around 18 wine merchants and winemakers will present their wines at individual stands spread throughout the wine garden. Represented German growing regions: Mosel (Riesling, Müller-Thurgau), Rheingau (Riesling as a regional classic), Pfalz, Baden, Württemberg. International winemakers: France (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhône), Italy (Tuscany, Veneto, Apulia), Croatia (Dalmatia, Istria). The festival largely works with direct winemakers or winery representatives — so no supermarket wine, but original products from the wineries.

Gastronomy — Tarte Flambée and More

To accompany the wine tasting, traditional catering is offered: tarte flambée in numerous variations, grilled specialties (steaks, bratwurst, sausages), cheese platters, Mediterranean antipasti, salads. Sweet options include crêpes and small treats. The gastronomy is priced at a high-mid-range level — cheaper than restaurant prices, higher quality than fairground food. Seating is available under covered pavilions (for rain), on the terrace with a Rhine view, and on the open-air lawn.

Stage Program and Live Music

Live bands will alternate on the main stage. The Saturday evening highlight in 2026 will be the band Kärnseife — a cover band playing hits from 4 decades of pop/rock. Friday and Sunday performances will be announced before the festival. During the day, there will be acoustic sets, and in the evenings, bands with a dance focus. DJs will round off the late evening.

Children's Activities — Families Welcome Too

There are dedicated children's areas for families: carousel, bungee trampoline, smaller play stations. While Wein am Rhein is primarily an event for adults (with wine tasting at its center), it is also family-friendly. Children's juices and non-alcoholic aperitifs are offered at the bars.

Date Change 2026 — One Month Earlier

A special feature of the 2026 edition: The festival will take place over a month earlier than in previous years — early September instead of early October. At the same time, it returns to its traditional riverside location in Neuland-Park at the request of visitors. This date change is a response to guest feedback, who can better enjoy the wine festival in warm late summer weather with a sunset atmosphere.

Schmitz Veranstaltungen — The Festival Professional on the Rhine

Rainer Schmitz Veranstaltungen & Catering is one of the most successful regional organizers in Leverkusen's summer calendar. With the "Live am Rhein" (Pentecost) and "Wein am Rhein" series, Schmitz has established two reliable open-air formats that regularly attract several thousand visitors — both with free admission, financed through gastronomy. A successful business model in the competitive festival market.

In the Context of Rhine Region Wine Festivals

Wine festivals are a seasonal standard in the Rhineland: Cologne (Weinfest im Stadtgarten), Düsseldorf (Weindorf am Schadowplatz), Bonn (Weinfest am Hofgarten), Koblenz (Weindorf), Mainz (Wein in der Altstadt). Wein am Rhein in Leverkusen positions itself through its direct Rhine location and free format as a family-friendly alternative to the sometimes more elitist wine festivals in the major cities.