On July 25 and 26, North Rhine-Westphalia's calendar is full of round numbers. Hamm marks 800 years as a city. Amphi Festival in Cologne turns 20. A shooting club in Friedrichsdorf looks back on a full century. Meanwhile Paderborn opens Libori, one of Germany's oldest festivals, with roots stretching back to the year 836. Between incense and Gothic eyeliner, between brass bands and punk guitars, the state shows its full range this weekend. Which anniversary would you rather celebrate: the city's, the club's, or the subculture's?
Libori in Paderborn: 836 years of history in nine days
When the relics of St Liborius are carried through Paderborn's old town, the city's most important date of the year begins. From July 25 to August 2, 2026, Libori combines church, culture and fairground on the market square and across downtown. Its history goes back to the year 836, and around 1.8 million visitors come together over the nine days. Processions and festival Masses sit alongside rides, concerts and market stalls. For anyone looking for a place where centuries-old tradition and fairground buzz coexist, Paderborn's old town is the address this weekend in Ostwestfalen-Lippe.
Düren's Annakirmes: a million visitors in nine days
From July 25 to August 2, 2026, the Annakirmesplatz in Düren turns into one of Germany's largest folk festivals. Around a million visitors are expected at the Annakirmes, spread across hundreds of showmen's stalls, a Ferris wheel, several roller coasters and traditional beer tents. Friday night brings the famous Annakirmes fireworks, the week's emotional high point for generations. The festival shapes the whole Düren district: shops stay open longer, clubs staff their stands, families plan their summer around it. Anyone after classic fairground fun on an XXL scale finds it this weekend in the Rhineland, right as the nine days of Kirmes begin.
Rheinkirmes Düsseldorf: one last round on the river
The Rheinkirmes runs through July 26, 2026, on the Rhine meadows of Oberkassel in Düsseldorf — Germany's fourth-largest folk festival. Over ten days, more than 4 million visitors crossed a 165,000-square-metre fairground packed with hundreds of rides and stalls. It's organised by the St. Sebastianus Schützenverein Düsseldorf 1316, one of Europe's oldest marksmen's guilds. On the final Sunday, the mood settles into something calmer than the packed opening weekend. Anyone who still wants to catch Rheinkirmes 2026 has one last chance this weekend, before it's a year's wait again.
Amphi Festival Cologne: 20 years of Gothic at Tanzbrunnen
On July 25 and 26, 2026, Amphi Festival marks its 20th anniversary at Tanzbrunnen Cologne — sold out in record time. More than 40 bands from Gothic, darkwave, industrial and synth-rock perform, including Clan of Xymox, VNV Nation, Eisbrecher, Diary Of Dreams and Mono Inc. For two days, the scene gathers from across Europe, with stalls for fashion, jewellery and music between sets. No other festival in NRW concentrates Gothic culture this tightly in one place. For fans of the scene, Tanzbrunnen is the fixed point of summer this weekend — tickets, though, are only on the resale market now.
Gourmet Festival Cologne: indulgence by the chocolate museum
From July 24 to 26, 2026, Rheinauhafen in front of the Chocolate Museum turns into an open-air food fair for the eleventh time: the Gourmet Festival Cologne. Around 90 exhibitors show off culinary specialities, wines, craft spirits and coffee roasters between white pagoda tents and food trucks. Organisers expect 35,000 to 45,000 visitors over the weekend. Unlike the big music festivals, the focus here is on tasting, not the stage. Anyone who'd rather eat than dance finds the culinary alternative to Cologne's festival weekend at Rheinauhafen, with a view of the Rhine thrown in.
Klingenpride: Solingen's only CSD festival
On Saturday, July 25, 2026, CSD Solingen e.V. hosts Klingenpride. The march sets off from the town hall at 1pm and heads through downtown to Südpark. From 3pm, the main stage takes over with Das Sohn, Part of the Art, Esther Filly and Lieber lila, plus an opening speech from Ilka Werner. A dedicated dance floor at the "Queer Bahnsteig" rounds out the programme. Solingen has no second festival of this kind — Klingenpride is the only CSD in the city of blades. For anyone who wants activism alongside street-party energy, Südpark is the place this Saturday in the Bergisches Land.
Elberfelder Cocktail Cityfest: three squares, one summer evening
From July 24 to 26, 2026, Wuppertal-Elberfeld turns into a continuous festival mile: the Elberfelder Cocktail Cityfest. Cocktails, street food from around the world and a music programme spread across three squares — Herzogstraße as the main axis, Von-der-Heydt-Platz for the "La Bella Notte" open-air party, and Kasinokreisel as the DJ stage. Admission is free. Unlike a classic city festival with one central stage, here you can move between three quite different moods depending on the time of day. Anyone after an easy summer evening between a cocktail glass and a DJ set is in the right place in Elberfeld this weekend.
BOBfest Mönchengladbach: Judas Priest headline
On July 25, 2026, SparkassenPark Mönchengladbach becomes a stage for six rock and metal acts: BOBfest. Judas Priest headline, one of the pioneers of British heavy metal. Also on the bill: Airbourne, Beyond The Black, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons — playing a full Motörhead set in tribute to the recently deceased Phil Campbell — Nestor and The Gems. Doors open at 2pm, the show wraps up around 10pm. A lineup this dense with British and international metal history is rare in NRW on a single day. For metal fans, Mönchengladbach is clearly the place to be this Saturday.
Schützenfest Friedrichsdorf: 100 years of the club, three days of festivities
In July 2026, the Bürger-Schützen-Verein Friedrichsdorf und Umgebung marks its 100th anniversary with a jubilee Schützenfest in Gütersloh-Friedrichsdorf, running from July 25 to 27: the Schützenfest BSV Friedrichsdorf. Founded on June 20, 1926, the club is one of the most established in Ostwestfalen. The anniversary year brings an expanded programme alongside the main festival on the last weekend of July, going beyond the usual Schützenfest format. Anyone who wants to see classic Westphalian club life meet a full-century milestone finds both together in Friedrichsdorf this weekend.
Juicy Beats Festival: 25,000 dancing in Westfalenpark
On Saturday, July 25, 2026, Juicy Beats Festival returns to Dortmund's Westfalenpark under the motto "Back to the Beats". From noon into the late night, around 25,000 visitors fill the park across four stages and eight dance floors. There's also one of Germany's biggest silent discos, with more than 5,000 headphones. Musically, it ranges from hip-hop and R&B through bass and tech house to 2000s hits. Anyone who wants to dance without committing to one genre finds a stage for practically every taste in Westfalenpark this Saturday.
800 years of Hamm: Kapelle Petra celebrate with Sportfreunde Stiller
On Saturday, July 25, 2026, Kurhausgarten in Bad Hamm hosts kAPElle30 SOMMA, the anniversary open-air marking 30 years of Hamm indie-rock band Kapelle Petra. Confirmed acts include Kapelle Petra as headliner, plus Sportfreunde Stiller, Madsen, Butterwegge, MOLA and NIKRA. The date is part of the three-day HAMM800 festival marking the city's 800th anniversary: Friday brought Michael Patrick Kelly, Sunday closes with a free family day in the spa park. Two round anniversaries — 30 years for a band, 800 years for a city — collide in Kurhausgarten this weekend.
Ruhrpott Rodeo: Dropkick Murphys and Napalm Death in Hünxe
From July 24 to 26, 2026, Ruhrpott Rodeo takes over the open ground by Schwarze Heide airfield in Hünxe — three days of punk, ska, hardcore and folk-punk for around 10,000 festivalgoers. The 2026 headliners are Dropkick Murphys, Feine Sahne Fischfilet, Turbonegro, The Stranglers, Napalm Death and New Model Army, plus more than 40 other bands across several stages. Camping is included in the ticket. Compared with the region's big mainstream festivals, Ruhrpott Rodeo stays uncompromising in its genre choice — a classic of the German festival scene that never bends for a broader audience.
Incense, Gothic fog or punk guitars: which anniversary would you rather spend this weekend with? For more events across Germany, check our this weekend's agenda. Have an anniversary-packed weekend of July 25 and 26 in North Rhine-Westphalia.
