Heidelberg Events
German-American Friendship Festival
The beloved German-American Friendship Festival takes place 17–25 May 2025. A true crowd magnet, the German-American Friendship Festival returns to Heidelberg from 17 – 25 May 2025, drawing thousands of visitors to the Airfield located between Kirchheim and Pfaffengrund.
In addition to numerous rides and games such as a rollercoaster, chain carousel or horse derby, visitors can expect a varied program with various live bands and US sports clubs. On the first and last day, guests can enjoy a fantastic fireworks display.
The popular family day with reduced prices and lots of music and the U.S. Car Meet will also be back. And, of course, visitors can enjoy original American drinks, American ice cream, burgers and other snacks.
Our tip: Arrive relaxed by bike!
Program:
Saturday, 17 May 2025:
14:00 Opening of the festival site with Cosplay Day
14:30 Tour with guests of honour
15:00 Official opening in the marquee with tapping of draught beer
18:30 Who2Ladies
22:00 Fireworks at the opening
Sunday, the 18.05.2025:
11:00 a.m. U.S. car meeting
15:00 Schbreißel Band
Monday, 19.05.2025:
18:00 ‘Zwoa Spitzbuam’
Tuesday, the 20.05.2025:
18:00 ‘Crazy Pfälzer’
Wednesday, 21.05.2025:
18:00 ‘Circus Musicians’
Thursday, 22.05.2025:
All day: FAMILY DAY
with reduced prices (everywhere)
and half prices on the rides
16:00 Children’s puppet theatre
18:00 ‘Zwoa Spitzbuam’
Friday, the 23rd of May 2025:
18:30 ‘Chimney sweep’
Saturday, 24.05.20254:
All day: Football taster with the Hunters and their cheerleaders
18:30 Childhood Heroes
Sunday 25.05.25
11:00 U.S. Car Meet
15:00 Schbreißel Band
22:00 Grand finale – fireworks display
Heidelberger Celebrates
An event highlight every year: the Heidelberg Castle Illuminations © Heidelberg Marketing, photo Tobias Schwerdt
Heidelberg loves to celebrate – preferably in the open air!
The city inspires with unique events for every generation and every taste.
The big Heidelberg carnival parade on March 4, 2025, the largest in the region, kicks things off. It continues on June 7 and September 6, 2025, when the impressive brilliant fireworks are set off from the Old Bridge during the Castle Illuminations and the sky above the city lights up in spectacular colors. On September 27 and 28, 2025, the legendary Heidelberg Autumn invites you to celebrate with colorful markets and rousing live music. Shortly afterwards, from October 2 – 12, 2025, wine lovers will finally get their money’s worth: In the wine village at the foot of the castle, visitors can enjoy the fine wines of Heidelberg’s winegrowers.
Tip: Make a note of the dates right away – and join in the celebrations!
9th European Quilt Triennial
Jessica Tonková: Connecting / Spájanie © Jessica Tonková
This year’s European Quilt Triennial from February 9 – May 4, 2025 at the Max Berk Textile Collection in Heidelberg-Ziegelhausen presents 45 contemporary quilt and textile artworks from 11 nations that prove themselves worthy of painting, sculpture and graphic art. The high-caliber exhibits were selected by a five-member international jury from over 130 entries.
The development of the art form “quilt” from a predominantly functional blanket to an autonomous work of art over the last 50 years is impressive. In addition to patchwork, the exhibition also features sculptural, political, poetic and personal pieces in many different forms.
The 24-year-old Slovakian Jessica Tonková was honored as a young quilter for her three-dimensional work “Connecting”, which deals with the cohesion of generations.
In Rembrandt’s Footsteps
Title motif of the exhibition: Portrait of Rembrandt, painting by Daniël de Koninck, 1716, loan and photo: Hoogsteder Museum Foundation, The Hague
Rembrandt, one of the most famous painters and graphic artists in European history, played a key role in shaping the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. During this heyday, when the Dutch were a leading maritime and trading power, numerous talented painters entered the art market.
The exhibition at the Kurpfälzisches Museum, which will be shown from February 23 – June 29, 2025, focuses on Rembrandt’s artistic influence on his contemporaries, pupils and successors. It features a large number of top-class paintings and prints, including original etchings by Rembrandt. Around eighty works, mainly Dutch loans from the Hoogsteder Museum Foundation, offer a multifaceted insight into the art of the Golden Age and an extraordinary perspective on Rembrandt’s artistic work.
Forever and ever – weddings at Heidelberg Castle
A wedding ceremony at Heidelberg Castle is incomparable © Heidelberg Marketing, photo Michaela Janetzko
The 2025 wedding dates at Heidelberg Castle can now be booked.
Where could the most important day of your life be celebrated in a more romantic and unforgettable way than in the “most beautiful ruins in the world”? Civil wedding ceremonies take place in the medieval Brunnenstube, a room dating back to the 16th century. Embedded in one of the oldest parts of the castle, it exudes a unique historical charm. Here, where the past and romance come together, every “I do” becomes a magical moment.
Another highlight is the incomparable view: From the Brunnenstube, there is a magnificent view of the idyllic castle courtyard and the impressive facades of the palaces built in different eras.
Did you know …
… that the Bunsen burner was invented in Heidelberg?
Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen, born on March 30, 1811 in Göttingen, died on August 16, 1899 in Heidelberg, was a German chemist. Together with Gustav Robert Kirchhoff, he discovered caesium and rubidium in 1861 and developed spectral analysis, which can be used to detect chemical elements in a highly specific manner. For this purpose, Bunsen perfected a particular gas torch, which had previously been invented by Michael Faraday and would later be called the Bunsen burner. During his time at the University of Heidelberg, Bunsen taught well over 3,000 students. In his honor, a statue was erected in the anatomy garden.
You can even take a Bunsen tour of Heidelberg.
One of his students was the chemist Henry Roscoe. About Robert Bunsen, he said: “As an investigator, he was great. As a teacher, even greater. As a man and friend, he was greatest.”
Did you know …
Charles Francois de Graimberg (1774 – 1864) in a portrait by Guido Schmitt, 1902 © Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg
… that a Frenchman, Charles de Graimberg, saved the Heidelberg Castle ruins?
Charles de Graimberg came to Heidelberg in 1810 to make copperplate engravings of the castle ruins and the town – and remained in Heidelberg until his death in 1864. Back then, he was shocked to discover that the people of Heidelberg were using the ruins as a quarry for their houses and the castle garden as a potato field. Furthermore, a contract had already been signed with a demolition company.
He campaigned for the preservation of the ruins with personal commitment and his own money, paid guards, even took up residence in the castle and his copperplate engravings made Heidelberg known to a broad public. He was successful.
And so, thanks to Charles de Graimberg, we can still marvel at this world-famous symbol of Romanticism today.
Did you know …
The founding document of Heidelberg University from 1386 © Photo by Steffen Schmid
… that the founding document of Heidelberg University is still preserved?
Prince Elector Rupert I founded Heidelberg University in 1386. He established it with papal approval in his residence city. The founding rector was the Dutchman Marsilius von Inghen, who came to Heidelberg from the University of Paris.
It is now the oldest university in Germany and, at the time, was the third university in the Holy Roman Empire, after Prague and Vienna – but unlike the other two, it was already a full university with faculties of medicine, law, theology, and philosophy.
The founding document, dated October 01, 1386, specified that the new university should be organized after the model of Paris. It has been preserved to this day and is one of the treasures of the University of Heidelberg’s archive.
Did you know …
… that Heidelberg is the most sustainable city in Germany?
The latest city ranking by business magazine WirtschaftsWoche concludes that Heidelberg is the most sustainable and future-oriented city in Germany.
Among other things, Heidelberg impresses with its passive house district Bahnstadt, the new energy storage facility in Pfaffengrund and the lowest youth unemployment rate.
Furthermore, the ranking highlights the high value that science and research, education and training have for Heidelberg. Every fifth euro in the city’s budget is invested for the benefit of children and young people, and around 70% of employees in Heidelberg work in knowledge-intensive services.