Name: Zöppkesmarkt Solingen — City Festival 2026
Start: 2026-09-11T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-09-13T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Innenstadt Solingen

Zöppkesmarkt

About Zöppkesmarkt

From September 11th to 13th, 2026, Solingen plans to celebrate its traditional city festival, the 'Zöppkesmarkt', in the city centre: three days of stage programmes with songwriters and street musicians, showman attractions, and club stands will shape the event. Please note: At the time of this inventory, the organiser is uncertain — the previous organiser terminated the contract on March 30th, 2026, and the City of Solingen has launched a new tender process. The showmen's association Rhein-Ruhr has applied. The city is optimistic that the date can be kept.

Dates 11 Sep — 13 Sep 2026

Venue Solingen (05122)

Prices Free

Status —

Edition 2026

Zöppkesmarkt — edition 2026

Three days of Zöppkesmarkt in Solingen's city centre: songwriter stage, street music, showman attractions, club stands, and Sunday shopping. As of May 2026, the tender process for the organiser is still open — the city is optimistic that the festival will take place as planned.

The 2026 edition is under special circumstances: The previous organiser, Gesellschaft zur Förderung der traditionellen Solinger Brauchtums UG, terminated the contract effective March 30th, 2026. The city has launched a public tender process — as of May 2026, the showmen's association Rhein-Ruhr is a candidate. The city is "optimistic" that the festival can take place, and the final programme will be announced shortly.

Highlights Zöppkesmarkt 2026

Traditional Solingen city festival in the city centre
Focus on songwriters and street music
Showman attractions and club stands
Sunday shopping

Programme Zöppkesmarkt 2026

Planned Concept (subject to organiser award)

Songwriter and street music stages in several city centre squares
Showman attractions — rides, stalls, classic fairground operations
Club stands with catering and hands-on activities
Sunday shopping

Programme details and stage line-ups will be published after the tender process is completed.

Prices Zöppkesmarkt 2026

Free admission. Showman attractions, food, and drinks are subject to charges.

Practical information

Practical information — Zöppkesmarkt

Getting There

Solingen Hauptbahnhof (main station) is accessible via S 7 (suburban train) and RE lines from Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Wuppertal. From the station, it's a 5-minute walk to the city centre. By car, take the A3 (Solingen exit) or A46.

Admission

Free admission. Showman attractions and food/drinks are subject to charges.

Tip

Due to the uncertain organiser situation in 2026: check the status on solingen.de before travelling. Sunday is usually combined with Sunday shopping — expect higher crowds in the city centre accordingly.

Solingen's Traditional City Festival in an Uncertain Season

For decades, the Zöppkesmarkt has been Solingen's major city festival — a city-wide event featuring showman attractions, stage programmes, and street music in the city centre. For 2026, the city intends to hold the festival again from September 11th to 13th — but the date is overshadowed by an open question regarding the organiser: The previous organiser, Gesellschaft zur Förderung der traditionellen Solinger Brauchtums UG, terminated the contract effective March 30th, 2026. The city has launched a public tender process, and the Schaustellerverband Rhein-Ruhr has submitted its application.

The City's Concept — Songwriters and Street Music

If the festival takes place in 2026, the proven concept is to be implemented:

Songwriter and Street Music Stage — small-scale live acts on several squares in the city centre
Showman Attractions — rides, stalls, classic fairground attractions on the main squares
Club Stands — local Solingen clubs with catering stands and hands-on activities
Sunday Shopping — combined market Sunday

Solingen — The "Blade City" in the Bergisches Land

Solingen is the "Blade City" — world-renowned for knives, scissors, and cutlery — and is located in the Bergisches Land region of North Rhine-Westphalia, forming the "Bergisches Städtedreieck" (Bergisch Triangle Cities) along with Wuppertal and Remscheid. The Zöppkesmarkt is conceived as a city festival celebrating Solingen's industrial and craft self-confidence. The name derives from the Lower Rhenish word "Zöppke" (onion) — originally a market day around Solingen's city centre with an onion market element.

2026 Status — To Be Determined

As of May 2026, the tender process is not yet complete. The City of Solingen communicates "optimism" that the festival will take place on the planned date — detailed programmes and the organiser will be announced shortly. Those wishing to visit the festival in 2026 should check the website solingen.de in advance for current updates.