Lubeck Events and Festivals

(Lubeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany)

Throughout the year, the city of Lubeck hosts many significant local events and popular festivals. Particularly enjoyable is the Lubeck Spring Fair - held close to the Holstentor Gate and featuring a range of local produce, and Baltic Sail - an enormous sailing event based around the Travemunde area - both of which take place during the month of May.

Things to do during the summer include the Lubeck Sommeroperette and its classical music, the superb sculptures during the International Festival of Sand, and also the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival - held at the end of July each year and featuring many well-attended concerts and live music.

Lubeck 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)

Lubeck Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• Lubeck Carnival (Karneval / Fasching) - January / February, carnival season held before Lent, with lots of lively festivities including partying and parades

February

• Valentine's Day (Valentinstag) - 14th February, traditional day of love and romance

March

• Kieler Umschlag - early March, a popular four-day medieval-themed festival with lots of music and food stalls

April

• Kite Festival - early April, three-day event held at Travemunde beach. Fun for the whole family with a colourful array of kites of all shapes and sizes
• Brahms Festival - late April / early May, a classical music festival

May

• Lubeck Spring Fair - early May, a 16-day event, held at the Wallhalbinsel Peninsula, close to the Holsten Gate and featuring an array of food stalls and fairground rides
• Baltic Sail - weekends during July and August, a spectacular event featuring voyages by magnificent sailing ships from various cities around the Baltic Sea including Travemunde

June

• Kieler Woche - mid-June, huge sailing festivity held in the nearby Kiel area, where visitors are able to join in with many events
• Lubeck's Folk and Remembrance Festival - June / July, held at Travemunder Allee, a popular folk festival with many popular attractions including food stalls and funfair rides
• Powerboat P1 Germany Grand Prix - end June / early July, spectacular championship racing event, held at Travemunde

July

• Travemunder Woche - late July, an enormous sailing event in the neighbouring coastal resort of Travemunde, attracting literally thousands of spectators
• Schleswig Holstein Music Festival - July / August, Lubeck hosts an array of musical events at various venues throughout the city such as churches, gardens, country manors and stables. A wide range of music is performed at these popular concerts
• Lubeck Sommeroperette - July / August, classical music concerts are staged all over the city, including many open-air riverside events
• International Festival of Sand / Sand World - July to early September, featuring sand sculpture on a grand scale, attracting large crowds of people to Lubeck to see numerous, amazing works of art constructed only by sand and water

August

• Duckstein Festival - early August, a ten-day event held by the River Trave, and including impressive theatrical performances and jazz and blues music
• Traveufer Festival - held throughout August, an impressive live musical programme from a floating stage on the river, together with street theatre performances and plenty of food stalls
• Lubeck Chinese Dragon Boat Festival - late August, inspired by the great Dragon Boat extravaganzas of China, this event sees more than 100 decorated boats taking to the Trave River for a series of fun, yet competitive rowing races

September

• Lubeck Lauft - end September, this popular city-run sporting event attracts crowds of visitors and runners too

October

• Lubeck Marathon - late October, huge crowds enjoy this spectacular event

November

• The Nordic Film Days (Nordische Filmtage Lubeck) - early November, this annual autumn film festival offers a wide selection of films from Nordic countries
• Artificers' Market - November / December, held on Kober
• Christmas Fair (Weihnachtsmarkt) - end November to 23rd December, Christmas markets held on the central market area, with many attractions including a fairytale forest

December

• Ice World - December / January, a popular event where crowds of visitors can enjoy the amazing ice and snow sculptures