Events & festivals
All year round
There is always something happening in Heidelberg. Whatever time of year, the calendar of events is brimming over with exciting things to do and places to go.
Winter festivals in January/February
Heidelberger Neujahrsfest: Every two years the new year starts with the Heidelberger Neujahrsfest, which delights thousands of citizens with its colorful program. The next New Year's celebration will take place on January 21, 2024 around Marlene-Dietrich Platz on the Südstadt conversion area.
Winter in Schwetzingen: The popular Baroque Festival in the Rococo Theater of Schwetzingen Castle will take place from December 1, 2023 to February 4, 2024.
The Heidelberg String Quartett Festival is a special highlight of the "Heidelberg Spring" International Music Festival. In addition to daily concerts, several workshops will be offered. In 2024 it will take place from January 18 to 21.
Biennale of Dance: This festival of dance takes place every two years. The Biennale of Dance in 2021 had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2023 the Biennale of Dance was from January 27 to February 5. It is organized by the Heidelberg Theater and Orchestra and the UnterwegsTheater.The next festival will be held in 2025.
Carambolage Festival: The cabaret festival in Heidelberg’s Karlstorbahnhof train station offers satirical cabaret, musical interludes and readings. The Carambolage Festival 2024 takes place vom February 1 to April 27.
Adelante: The third edition of the Ibero-American theater festival will host twelve guest performances from ten countries. The festival will be held from February 3 to 10, 2024.
Spring festivals
Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie: Curated by invited photographic experts, the biennial Mannheim-Ludwigshafen-Heidelberg Photo Festival focuses on current international trends. The next Festival will probably take place from March 9 to May 19, 2024.
Heidelberger Frühling: The music festival plays in the premier league of international festivals for classical music. With more than 140 events, the music festival inspires more than 47,000 visitors every year for the world of classical music. In 2022, the "Heidelberg Spring" celebrated its 25th birthday. The Heidelberger Frühling will take place from March 15 to April 13, 2024.
SAS Half Marathon: This major sporting event is extremely popular – and not just amongst the runners themselves. The many spectators lining the varied and demanding-mile course on April 28, 2024 guaranteed a festival atmosphere.
Heidelberger Stückemarkt drama festival: The focus here is on modern theatrical works by young authors. Up-and-coming talents from the world of theater will be in Heidelberg to present their works to a broader public. The festival was from April 26 to May 5, 2024.
Queer Festival Heidelberg: Germany's first international Queer-Festival is characterized by concerts, club nights, films, exhibitions, theaters and workshops with the subject of sexual or gender diversity and discrimination. The festival 2023 took place from May 5 to May 31. The next festival will also be held in May.
Summer festivals
Heidelberg Castle Illumination and Fireworks: Several times every year, the Castle Ruin is bathed in red light in memory of the two fires of 1689 and 1693. The spectacle is combined with a spectacular firework display over the River Neckar. The next castle illuminations will take place in 2024 on June 1 and September 7.
Heidelberg Castle Festival (Schlossfestspiele): During the Heidelberg Castle Festival, the picturesque castle ruins provide the backdrop for a series of unforgettable theater, opera and concert productions. The 2024 Castle Festival will take place from June 9 to July 28.
Heidelberger Frühling Liedfestival: The festival "Heidelberger Frühling" plays in the premier league of international festivals for classical music. With more than 140 events, the music festival inspires more than 47,000 visitors every spring for the world of classical music. From June 8 to 16, the "Heidelberger Frühling" song festival will take place in 2024.
"Living Neckar" Day of Action: Once a year, the entire northern bank of the River Neckar is transformed into a sea of stages, stalls and support booths offering visitors a varied program of music, dance and sporting demonstrations. In 2023, the "Living Neckar" took place on June 18. From 2023, the Living Neckar will take place every two years, so the next date will be in 2025 and will be announced soon.
Internationales Literaturfestival Heidelberg feeLit: In the UNESCO City of Literature Heidelberg, visitors have an opportunity to attend readings by international writers, interviews with authors and round table discussions in a Spiegeltent on University Square. The big 30th anniversary will take place from June 26 to June 30, 2024.
Heidelberg Wheelchair Marathon: This biennial international sporting event has taken place in Heidelberg for more than 25 years. The next Wheelchair Marathon is planned for July 7, 2024.
HeidelbergMan (Triathlon): Every year, hundreds of athletes set off on an arduous sequence of swimming, cycling and running against a breath-taking urban backdrop. The next HeidelbergMan will take place on July 28, 2024.
reSET - Jugendkultur Festival:
The second "reSET Festival" by young people for young people took place in 2023 from July 22 to July 27 with fashion shows, concerts, workshops, soccer tournament and more.
METROPOLINK Festival: Modern artwork displayed throughout Heidelberg. Street art artists transform house facades into works of art. Workshops complement the program of the festival. Guided city tours are offered for visitors. The last METROPOLINK Festival was held in 2023 from July 27 to August 5.
Autumn festivals
Geist Heidelberg: At the "Geist Heidelberg" Science festival at the German-American Institute (DAI), high-calibre scientists from the world of science discuss the pressing issues of our time. In 2023, the festival took place from October 8 to December 14 and will also be held in the fall in 2024.
Literaturherbst Heidelberg: With the theme “Freedom”, the 9th Heidelberg Literature Autumn started on September 16, 2023 and lasted until December 3, 2023. Actors from Heidelberg and the surrounding area show how diverse the literary work in the UNESCO City of Literature truly is. The event is supported by the Office of Cultural Affairs.
GELITA Trail Marathon: Participants have to cover 26 miles and climb a total of 6,500 feet. This very special marathon took place in Heidelberg for the first time on October 4, 2013. In 2023, the marathon was hold on September 23 and 24.
Heidelberg Autumn: Every year on the last weekend of September, the squares and public places in Heidelberg Old City fill with people eating, drinking and listening to live music performances. The annual Heidelberg Autumn Festival draws visitors from all over the world. In 2024, the city festival will take place on September 28 and 29.
Children's Drama Festival: Drama groups from all over Germany perform up to a dozen plays at the large circus tent on the Neckarwiese. In 2023, the festival was held from September 30 to October 3. In 2024, the festival will also start in September.
Heidelberg Wine Village ("Heidelberger Weindorf"): The first Heidelberg Wine Village took place in October 2021 on Karlsplatz and Heidelberg Castle. The best wines from Heidelberg and the region can be enjoyed here, complemented by a varied range of regional cuisine. In 2024, the wine village will be celebrated on Karlsplatz from October 2 to 13.
Enjoy Jazz: Since its premiere in 1999, this international jazz festival organized by the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region has developed into one of the leading events of its kind in Germany. Jazz fans can look forward to concerts, workshops, films and much more. In 2023, Enjoy Jazz was celebrated from October 2 to November 4.
French Week: Every year since 2006, the festival has enriched the cultural life of Heidelberg. With almost 80 events celebrating French and German culture, the French Week is a vivid example of Franco-German friendship. In 2023, French Week was held from October 13 to 22.
Heidelberg Theater Days: For over 25 years the Freier Theaterverein Heidelberg, the Kulturhaus Karlstorbahnhof e.V. and the theater in the "Romanischer Keller" have been inviting independent groups to the "Heidelberg Theater Days". The 2023 Theatertage took place from October 18 to 29 and will also be held in October 2024.
Winter festivals in November/December
Denke.schön: Cabaret artists take the audience on a satirical journey. The Heidelberg Cabaret Autumn takes place in 2023 from November 9 to December 16.
International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg: Exciting, promising, gifted - the Filmfestival offers talented filmmakers an inspiring environment and introduces still unknown directors to the big stage. Every year 30 to 40 films are shown. In 2024, the festival will take place from November 7 to 17.
Heidelberg Christmas Market: The year’s calendar of events in Heidelberg ends with the Christmas Market. Around 140 stalls and booths in the historic Old City act as a magnet for thousands of international visitors. The next Christmas market will take place in 2024 from November 25 to December 20.
Open-Air Ice Rink: An additional attraction is the Open-Air Ice Rink. Against a romantic backdrop of the Castle, locals and visitors can glide around the ice to an accompaniment of suitably festive music. In Winter 2023 the Open-Air Ice Rink will be open from November 27, 2023 to January 7, 2024.
Winter in Schwetzingen: The popular Baroque Festival in the Rococo Theater of Schwetzingen Castle will take place in from December 1, 2023 to February 4, 2024.
