Hat festival
International street art
[30 May to 1 June]
At the Hat Festival, street artists transform the alleyways and squares of Chemnitz city centre into an open-air stage full of live music, clowning, artistry, juggling, fire shows, walk acts, art and street food for three days.
#3000GarageFestival
Whitsun weekend at the garage yard
[6-8 June]
The #3000Garagenfestival is a festival that is all about garage culture. The programme follows the biographies, hobbies and skills of the garage users - be it vaulting on a mechanical horse, perfuming fragrant wonder trees or setting a culinary record.
KOSMOS Chemnitz
Festival for culture, music and democracy
[13-15 June]
KOSMOS Chemnitz is a large, free festival in Chemnitz city centre. KOSMOS was created in response to the right-wing demonstrations in August 2018 and now attracts tens of thousands of people to the city centre every year to celebrate and experience KOSMOS as a platform for democracy.
Begehungen art festival
Contemporary art in a power plant
[18 July - 17 August]
The colourful Esse, visible everywhere in Chemnitz, is part of a decommissioned lignite-fired power plant. In the midst of this impressive industrial architecture, the Begehungen art festival is dedicated to topics such as resource consumption, biodiversity and climate change - with an international exhibition, concerts, readings, films, lectures and debates.
EuroBean Chocolate Festival
A weekend for all chocolate fans!
[1 - 3 August]
The EuroBean Chocolate Festival transforms the Industrial Museum into a lively chocolate market with live music and small shows.
LOOP!
The knitting festival at the textile hub in the Esche Museum Limbach-Oberfrohna
[22-24 August]
At the LOOP! knitting festival at the Esche Museum in Limbach-Oberfrohna, textile fans come together for a weekend to celebrate wool, tradition and creative knitting ideas - from socks and scarves to artistically knitted street signs.
Makerfestival Erzgebirge
Printing. Sawing. Cutting. Lasering. Marvel!
[23 August 2025]
The Makerfestival Erzgebirge invites you to try things out and be amazed for a whole day. At hands-on stations, visitors create new things from old materials, build, tinker and discover digital worlds. Ore Mountain tradition and creative ideas for the future at your fingertips.
IMAGINE!
Festival for the art of storytelling
[23-29 August]
Close your eyes and open your ears in August. The IMAGINE! festival brings exciting stories and unknown fairy tales to Chemnitz. There will also be workshops, performances and hands-on activities.
European Toymaking Festival
A long weekend in the toy village of Seiffen
[29-31 August]
At the Toymakers' Festival, craftspeople and designers in Seiffen showcase traditional and modern wooden art - from smokers to music boxes. Visitors can browse, marvel and lend a hand themselves.
ibug
Urban art in the industrial area
[22–24 August, 29–31 August, 5–7 September]
Ibug (abbreviation for industrial brownfield redevelopment) is one of the most important festivals for urban art in Europe. International artists transform the empty halls of an abandoned building into a positive utopia of the possible.
haamit heimaten
Searching for, finding, making a home
[17-21 September]
A festival on home from a Saxon perspective invites you to allotment gardens and neighbourhoods for talks and discussions, a critical walk, an excursion to the apple festival in Neukirchen and a hike along apple trees planted by neighbours.
Light our Vision
International Light Art Festival
[24-27 September 2025]
For the third time, Light our Vision transforms Chemnitz into a shining work of art.Light artists from all over Europe illuminate buildings and areas, awakening a longing for more: more colour and courage in public space design, more vision in urban planning, and more willingness to transform. The festival sees itself as a catalyst for a vision of urban development.
Fritz51 Concrete Festival
between, on and with concrete
[26 September - 18 October]
At the Fritz51 Betonfestival, visual art meets the sound of prefabricated buildings. The Chemnitz Wirkbau will open its doors and honour the art of Eastern Modernism with an exhibition. Just a few steps away, at the Atomino, music and performances will take to the stage.
Concrete blooming festival
The future takes over!
[8 - 12 October]
At the Betonblühen Festival, young people from Chemnitz show how loud, creative and diverse their city can be. Five days full of concerts, art, discussions and hands-on activities - completely free of charge and at the city's best locations.
Planting festival: Harvest
Plant, care and celebrate
[19 - 26 October]
On the spade, get set, go! apple trees will be planted in Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture Region during the week-long planting festival under the motto "Harvest". There will also be an extensive accompanying programme. The planting festival is part of the Chemnitz 2025 main project Living Neighbourhood, which focuses on a green city and coming together in nature.
