Regensburg Events
Experience Regensburg’s Christmas markets, traditional Dult fairs and summer palace concerts alongside the city’s historic sights.
LOCAL CULTURE
Festivals & Events
Regensburg’s events can add to a visit without replacing the city itself. I have experienced the Christmas season and a local Volksfest; the Christmas setting left the stronger impression on me. Summer palace concerts offer another reason to check the calendar before booking. Keep my four-day itinerary as your starting point, then make room for a market, fair or performance if the dates work. Confirm each event’s current schedule and ticket requirements.
THROUGH THE YEAR
Event Highlights
A selection of festivals, seasonal celebrations and cultural experiences to consider when planning your visit. Check official event or venue websites for current dates, programs and ticket information.
Christkindlmarkt at Neupfarrplatz: Free Admission
Stalls surround the Neupfarrkirche in the heart of Regensburg’s Old Town, selling seasonal food and gifts. Admission is free, so you can drop in while exploring the central streets and squares. On my Christmas visits, the historic buildings and market lights have made this part of the city particularly atmospheric after dark.
Romantic Christmas Market at Schloss St. Emmeram: Paid Admission
Held within the grounds of the Thurn und Taxis palace, this market requires an admission ticket. Stalls selling crafts and seasonal food sit among palace courtyards and festive lighting. The palace grounds give it a distinct setting, separate from the public squares and shopping streets of the Old Town.
Historic street and medieval tower in Regensburg Old Town
Thurn und Taxis Schlossfestspiele
The Thurn und Taxis Schlossfestspiele bring summer concerts and performances to Schloss St. Emmeram. The palace provides an impressive backdrop for an evening of live entertainment, with tickets sold for individual performances. This is an option for visitors who want to make a concert part of their stay.
Regensburger Domspatzen
The renowned Regensburger Domspatzen are closely associated with St. Peter’s Cathedral and the city’s choral tradition. Their singing brings another dimension to the cathedral: a building you can experience through music as well as architecture.
Visitors can hear the choir at selected cathedral services and public concerts. A service is an opportunity to hear the singers in their religious setting, while a concert offers a dedicated musical program. Cathedral appearances depend on the choir’s commitments, school holidays and touring schedule.
Bayerisches Jazzweekend
The Bayerisches Jazzweekend fills Regensburg’s squares, courtyards and other venues with live music each summer. Admission is free, making it easy to move between performances and discover different styles of jazz while exploring the Old Town. The combination of music and historic surroundings gives it particular appeal for visitors, even those who would not normally book a jazz concert.
Tage Alter Musik
Held over Pentecost, the Tage Alter Musik focuses on early music, with concerts in historic churches and halls. It offers a more concentrated listening experience, particularly for visitors interested in period instruments and vocal music. Concerts are ticketed, and the historic venues are an important part of the festival’s character.
Traditional swing carousel and Ferris wheel at the Regensburg Dult
Regensburger Dult
Regensburg’s traditional fair takes place twice a year: the Maidult in spring and the Herbstdult in late summer. Both bring beer tents, amusement rides, market stalls and fairground food to the Dultplatz in Stadtamhof, across the Danube from the Old Town.
I have attended a Regensburg Volksfest and did not find it especially memorable compared with other Bavarian festivals. Still, visitors unfamiliar with beer-tent culture and local fairs may enjoy an evening here. For me, it is an optional addition when the dates coincide with a stay.
Regensburger Bürgerfest
The Bürgerfest turns the Old Town and parts of Stadtamhof into a large community celebration, with live music, food stalls and activities spread across streets and squares. Held every two years, it draws local clubs, performers and businesses into the festivities.
The public program is free, with food and drinks purchased separately. For visitors, the attraction is the chance to wander between different stages and neighborhoods while the city’s familiar sightseeing spaces take on a lively festival atmosphere.
Historic street and medieval tower in Regensburg Old Town