Saxony-Anhalt Day 2026 starts in Bernburg under the motto "Where Saxony Meets Anhalt"

Saturday's program will be marked, among other things, by the second major MDR SACHSEN-ANHALT party with presenter Billy Wulff, who will present hits from the 80s and 90s. Additionally, musical star Koffi Missah will present a Michael Jackson tribute show. Mark 'Oh, Culture Beat, Max Giesinger, Atemlos, and Tänzchentee will perform on other stages. A boat parade on the Saale is planned as a highlight for Saturday.

Parade and Family Show on Sunday

Sunday will be marked by the grand parade through the city center. It begins at 11:00 AM at the Hallesche Straße/Roschwitzer Straße roundabout and leads via Käthe-Kollwitz-Straße, Friedensallee, Rheineplatz, Karlstraße, Clara-Zetkin-Platz to Zepziger Straße. Around 4,000 participants are expected. From 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM, the MDR stage will also host the family show "KiKA kommt zu dir!" (KiKA is coming to you!), featuring Kikaninchen, Christian, Bernd das Brot, TanzAlarm, and Rina & Aki, the winners of the songwriting competition "Dein Song."

In addition to the stages, the festival offers a "Street Food Mile" on Auguststraße and the market square, which opens on Friday from 3:00 PM. Regional villages will present the different regions of Saxony-Anhalt – from Altmark to Harz-Mansfeld-Südharz. There will also be themed streets focusing on, among other things, a cosmopolitan Saxony-Anhalt, sports, and blue light organizations from the police to the THW (Federal Agency for Technical Relief). Numerous municipalities, authorities, aid organizations, regional companies, clubs, and associations are participating.

Program in the City Center

A medieval market with craftsmen, traders, and knight shows, as well as a job and business mile, will complement the offerings. Stages, regional villages, and festival miles will be spread throughout the entire Bernburg city center. For children, a children's musical is on the program, as well as a choir concert.

Travel by Car and Train

Those arriving by car can use three large parking lots: P1 on Weststraße, P2 on Claude-Breda-Straße (with disabled parking spaces), and P3 on Hallesche Landstraße. Shuttle buses will run every 20 minutes from P1 and P2 to the Am Kaiplatz stop, and from P3 to the Roschwitzer Straße stop. Shuttle times are Friday 1:00 PM–2:00 AM, Saturday 8:30 AM–2:00 AM, and Sunday 8:30 AM–11:00 PM. Parking plus shuttle costs 5 Euros per person per day.

Travelers by train will have access to additional and longer regional trains from Dessau, Köthen, Aschersleben, Halberstadt, Schönebeck, Halle, and Magdeburg. The frequency has been increased, trains have been extended, and additional return journeys from Bernburg are planned until midnight. Bernburg main station is about a 500-meter walk from the festival grounds.

For comfort and hygiene, golden wristbands are available for 5 Euros at the Bernburg Tourist Information Center and at all information points on the festival grounds. They entitle holders to free use of the bus shuttle and public toilets on all three days.

Security and Rules on the Festival Grounds

The security of the event is comprehensively prepared. Access routes will be secured with certified vehicle barriers that can be quickly opened for emergency vehicles. Police and security personnel will be deployed throughout the festival grounds. A drone flight ban will be in effect over the festival grounds from June 4 to June 8.

Prohibited items on the grounds include weapons, knives, pyrotechnics, drugs including cannabis, helmets, masks, bags larger than DIN A4, and glass bottles. Dogs must be kept on a leash. In total, the city expects around 150,000 visitors over the three festival days.

The Saxony-Anhalt Day is the largest state festival in Saxony-Anhalt and takes place in the center of the state this year. With its program of concerts, parades, regional diversity, and interactive activities, the festival aims to foster encounters across regions, generations, and cultures – in line with its motto.