Altstadtfest Kaiserslautern 2026
July 3, 2026, through July 5, 2026
Download the festival program pdf
This weekend, streets, squares, and alleyways will once again become places where people of different generations, interests come together. At the same time, the Old Town Festival showcases just how much dedication and community spirit there is in Kaiserslautern. Numerous clubs, institutions, cultural figures, business owners, restaurants, and volunteers all contribute to making this festival bring a sense of community to life year after year. Of course, there’s plenty of room for the joy of celebration. On the stages, a varied program of music, dance, and entertainment awaits you. The many booths invite you to enjoy and discover. At the same time, the Old Town Festival offers numerous opportunities to experience the diversity of our city and to get to know both familiar and new sides of Kaiserslautern.
In the year of the city’s 750th anniversary, the festival takes on added significance. Amid the historic Old Town, cultural offerings, and lively community spirit, it becomes clear how Kaiserslautern has evolved over the centuries while remaining open to new ideas.
From rock music to soul and blues, from Japanese cuisine to Palatinate specialties, from high-quality leather goods to one-of-a-kind jewelry—there’s something for every taste at the Old Town Festival. Every summer, 150,000 visitors enjoy this colorful mix of entertainment, culture, and culinary delights in the Old Town of Lautern.
Friday evening kicks off with a diverse musical lineup: At the Children’s Rights Square, Mayor Beate Kimmel will officially open the festival before the stage transitions into the evening with SWR1’s top act, Hotspot. At the same time, Noisic at the Mainzer Tor and the stage on Kanalstraße, among others, will provide an energetic start to the festivities. For the first time, Kanalstraße will be entirely dedicated to the independent cultural scene—with DJs on Friday, live bands from the region on Saturday, and a relaxed finale featuring music and socializing on Sunday morning.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Altstadtfest showcases its full musical range. The lineup at Unionsplatz includes Prime Life, Maffaypur, and Krüger Rockt!, among others. The Antenne Stage on Spittelstraße offers a diverse range of genres, from brass and soul to singer-songwriters and high-energy live acts like Stagebuster.
Salzstraße also embraces diversity—from indie and rock to country, funk, and alternative sounds. At the Mainzer Tor, acts including LangerMütze and Transonic will create a lively festival atmosphere.
The Wadgasser Hof will once again serve as a gathering place for anyone who wants to enjoy electronic music and DJ sets under the open sky—with various party formats on all three days.
A special highlight is the newly designed medieval market on Klosterstraße. As part of the city’s anniversary celebrations, a atmospheric journey through time is taking shape here under new leadership. Visitors can expect an authentic experience featuring historical elements, arts and crafts, and special performances. The motto is “Quality over Quantity”: Instead of as many stalls as possible, visitors will find a carefully curated mix of music, crafts, cuisine, and historical performances.
ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM
Friday,
open: 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS SQUARE
7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Official opening by Mayor Beate Kimmel
7:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. HOTSPOT
SPITTELSTRASSE (ENTRANCE AT ST. MARTINS-PLATZ)
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Attent!on
8:30 – 11:00 p.m. SPTZN
UNIONSPLATZ
8:00 – 11:00 p.m. Prime Life
SALZSTRASSE
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. The Strangers
9:00 PM – 11:00 PM Acoustic Fight
WADGASSER HOF
6:00 PM – 11:00 PM Winebeats Party with DJ Tony/B
MAINZER TOR
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM NOISIC
KANALSTRASSE
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Binco b2b pinkbubblegum
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM bulletproofmanfred b2b offbeatoliver
10:00 PM – 11:00 PM Heinz Ficktion
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
AT RITTERSBERG – LAUTERN TANZT
8:00 PM – 11:00 PM Open dancing (salsa, kizomba, bachata)
MEDIEVAL MARKET ON KLOSTERSTRASSE
Starting at 8:00 PM D&D – Des and Dom
Saturday,
open: 11:00 a.m to 1:00 a.m.
SPITTELSTRASSE (ENTRANCE AT ST. MARTINS-PLATZ)
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Tacet
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Larry H. Soulman & Band
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Oktober, Tango Bravo & Erol Sommer
8:00 PM – 11:00 PM Stagebuster
UNIONSPLATZ
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Easy-Swing-Big Band
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Lazy Tongues
8:30 PM – 11:00 PM MAFFAYpur
SALZSTRASSE
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Scarekrow
2:30 – 4:00 p.m. The Black Lane
4:30 – 6:15 p.m. CountrytoGo
6:45 – 8:30 p.m. Crazy Heart Connection – Bluesy Jam
9:00 – 11:00 p.m. Offbeat
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS SQUARE
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Kolping Wind Orchestra Kaiserslautern
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Metzger Dance School
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Latin & Rock Company
8:00 PM – 11:00 PM The Night Live Band
WADGASSER HOF
6:00 PM – 11:00 PM Sundowner Party with DJ MB
MAINZER TOR
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Kolping Brass Band Erfenbach
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM LangerMütze
KANALSTRASSE
3:00 PM – 3:45 PM Verena Klauer
4:00 PM – 4:45 PM Stephie
5:00 PM – 5:45 PM Ranya
6:05 – 6:50 p.m. Etage Minus
7:20 – 8:20 p.m. Cameron Hoskins Band
8:40 – 9:40 p.m. Fourteen Rules
10:00 – 11:00 p.m. Surfing Horses
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
DANCING AT RITTERSBERG LAUTERN
8:00 PM – 11:00 PM Open dance (salsa, kizomba, bachata)
MEDIEVAL MARKET ON KLOSTERSTRASSE
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM NørdStern
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Ratz, Fatz & Rübe
8:00 – 9:30 p.m. NørdStern
Starting at 9:30 p.m. Fire show with Zack, Ratz, Fatz & Rübe
Sunday,
open: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
SPITTELSTRASSE (ENTRANCE AT ST. MARTINS-PLATZ)
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Antenne DJ
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Metzger Dance School
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Pasi de Pogo
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Lautrer Steine e. V.
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Jessica Parish
8:00 – 10:00 p.m. Fade Out
UNIONSPLATZ
2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Lauter Souls
6:00 – 10:00 p.m. Krüger Rockt! – the name says it all
SALZSTRASSE
12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Lisa Marie & Sebastian Weber
3:00 – 5:00 p.m. LIO Akustik
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Steffi & the Back Beats
8:00 – 10:00 p.m. Janet Taylor – Word Up Duo
PLATZ DER KINDERRECHTE
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. HeartChor
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Volker Klimmer Band – Pop & Jazz
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM Stephan Flesch & Band
WADGASSER HOF
4:00 PM – 10:00 PM DJ Diddi (The DJ Bus)
MAINZER TOR
12:30 – 14:30 Third Degree
15:30 – 17:00 The Mulberries
18:00 – 22:00 Transonic
KANALSTRASSE
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Heinz Ficktion
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Lismotion
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Andireas
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Toens
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
DANCING AT RITTERSBERG LAUTERN
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Dance workshop: Tanzerlebniswelt Metzger Dance School
7:00 – 10:00 p.m. Open dance (salsa, kizomba, bachata)
MEDIEVAL MARKET ON KLOSTERSTRASSE
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Ratz, Fatz & Rübe
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. NørdStern
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Ratz, Fatz & Rübe
Event Information
The opening hours are Friday (July 3) from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday (July 4) from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday (July 5) from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. In addition to the festivities, safety remains a priority: The event area is glass-free, and the grounds are partially secured with mobile barriers. Deliveries and access for residents are only permitted during the following times:
Fri, July 3, until 6:30 p.m.,
Sat, July 4, 1:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.,
Sun, July 5, 1:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and again starting at 10:30 p.m.
Since one of the stages will be set up on Spittelstraße, the street will be closed for safety reasons between Kanalstraße and the Fruchthallstraße junction (coming from Messeplatz) from 2 p.m. on July 2 through 2 a.m. on Monday, July 6. The opposite lane, between the Fruchthallstraße junction and Kanalstraße in the direction of Messeplatz, will be closed from 4:00 p.m. on July 3 until 2:00 a.m. on July 6.
