Frankfurt Events and Festivals
(Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany)
Frankfurt has a varied calendar of events and festivals, some of which are celebrated by the whole country and others, which are exclusive to the city. Plan a trip to coincide with either the spring or autumn festivals and you will get to appreciate a jovial, light-hearted atmosphere in and around the city of Frankfurt.
Popular things to see and do in Frankfurt include the lively Fasching, celebrated throughout Germany in February and the Frankfurt Christmas Fair during late November / December, which attracts huge crowds to the city. There are a number of magazines available at all newsagents, including the Journal Frankfurt, together with Fritz, Strandgut and Prinz, which are listings magazines on all forthcoming events in Frankfurt.
Frankfurt National Public Holidays
- 1st January (New Year's Day)
- Late March or early April - Good Friday / Easter Sunday / Easter Monday
- 1st May (Labour Day)
- Early May - Ascension Day, 40 days after Easter
- May / June - Whit / Pentecost Sunday and Monday
- 3rd October (Day of German Unity)
- 25th December (Christmas Day)
- 26th December (Boxing Day / St. Stephen's Day)
Frankfurt Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015
January
- New Year's Concert - Frankfurt's Alte Oper presents its annual spectacle of classical music to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. The Junge Deutsche Philharmonie are responsible for playing a variety of popular and seasonal tunes
February
- Fasching - celebrated across Germany, this annual affair is akin to what other countries refer to as Mardi Gras and is celebrated with enthusiasm in Frankfurt, with various outdoor activities and general liveliness at the city's public venues
March
- Spring Dippe Fair - what started out as a traditional market of household crafts is now a giant fair that attracts some 500,000 visitors who come for the fairground rides, food and wine tasting, and giant fireworks displays
April
- Spring Dippe Fair - continuing until the third week of the month, the Spring Dippe Fair offers festivities and activities and is a continuation of the festival which begins in the preceding month.
May
- Frankfurt Museums Night - known locally as Nacht der Museen, this is one night of the year when most of the city's museums open until late at night in order to introduce their culturally rich matter to an audience who might not otherwise get the chance to see these treasures. Shuttle buses are laid on to ferry visitors between museum sites
- Kunsthandwerk Heute - late May / early June, a popular arts and crafts event held in the Paulsplatz
June
- Forest Folk Festival - known locally as Waeldchestag, this annual event is presented in the Niederrad forest and offers a market, fairground, shows and competitive games
July
- Museum Quay Festival - this annual event is a cultural showcase for the city and presents outdoor art shows, classical music concerts, exhibitions and more
- Sound of Frankfurt - a wide range of music can be enjoyed along the Zeil, where entertainment is provided by both local and visiting musicians
August
- River Main Festival - this yearly event sees fireworks launched from the bridges over the river plus a variety of other activities including a regatta and the roasting of oxen
September
- Autumn Dippe Fair - very similar to the Spring Fair in March and April, the Herbst-Dippemess is a chance for the citizens of Frankfurt to forget their daily toils and enjoy a variety of seasonal activities
- Frankfurt Book Fair - late September / early October, the largest book fair on the whole planet
October
- Euro Marathon Frankfurt - up to 10,000 runners take to the streets of Frankfurt to take on the gruelling 26-mile run with the support of half a million onlookers
November
- Frankfurt Christmas Fair (Weihnachtsmarkt) - late November / December, the city's medieval area comes alive for the Christmas season with over 200 stalls and three million visitors
December
- New Year's Eve - the city sees in the New Year with large scale fireworks displays, public gatherings and a variety of outdoor events and activities. Head for the river area for the best of the action