Culture Calendar: September 2025

TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE

September in the DACH region is buzzing! Think open-air cinema under riverbank tents, cobbled squares turned into wine villages, and forest paths lined with vintners inviting you to have a sip. From alpine concert halls to firelit rivers and traditional fairgrounds alive, it’s a month where every corner hums with excitement.

21ST FESTIVAL OF GERMAN FILM, LUDWIGSHAFEN AM RHEIN (20 AUGUST – 7 SEPTEMBER)

The 21st edition of Germany’s second-largest film festival will once again transform Parkinsel on the Rhine into a pop-up cinema village. Organised as a tented landscape on the riverbank, the festival brings together film-makers, actors and audiences for open-air and indoor screenings and discussions. It’s a meeting place for German cinema lovers, showcasing award-worthy features and promising newcomers.

www.festival-des-deutschen-films.de

Festival des Deutschen Films (Festival of German Film), Ludwigshafen am Rhein. Photo: Arthur Bauer

STUTTGARTER WEINDORF, STUTTGART (21 AUGUST – 6 SEPTEMBER)

For nearly five decades, the city’s Marktplatz, Schillerplatz and Kirchstraße have become the wine village for this friendly festival. Around 30 hosts offer regional delicacies and hundreds of Württemberg wines, creating a cosy setting to sample local varietals and hearty Swabian dishes.

www.stuttgarter-weindorf.de

Stuttgarter Weindorf. Photo: Stuttgarter Weindorf

GENUSSMEILE, VIENNA WOODS (6 – 7 SEPTEMBER AND 13 – 14 SEPTEMBER)

Each September, the Vienna Woods Thermal Region becomes the so-called longest bar in the world. On two consecutive weekends, the 15 kilometre walking trail along the first Vienna water pipeline transforms into a culinary promenade, with vintners serving wine, apple and pear cider as well as regional snacks at stalls set amid vineyards. Admission is free, and visitors are encouraged to stroll, taste and linger until sunset.

www.thermenregion-wienerwald.at/genussmeile

POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair, 2024. Photo: Clara Wenzel-Theiler

BERLIN ART WEEK, BERLIN (10 – 14 SEPTEMBER)

Marking the start of Berlin’s art season, this five-day festival turns galleries, museums and project spaces across the city into a hub for contemporary art. It will feature exhibitions, performances, screenings and workshops involving more than 100 contributors. The programme ranges from cutting-edge installations to open studios and an art fair, inviting visitors to explore Berlin’s creative scene.

www.berlinartweek.de

Between Bridges, Sofia Reyes, At Night the Sun also Rises, Detail, 2023. Photo: Sofia reyes.

ZERMATT MUSIC FESTIVAL & ACADEMY (11 – 29 SEPTEMBER)

Set beneath the Matterhorn, this classical music festival combines concerts with an intensive academy for young musicians. Led by the Scharoun Ensemble of the Berlin Philharmonic, it hosts orchestral and chamber concerts, master classes and workshops. Founded in 2005, it brings together the academy, the Scharoun Ensemble, ensembles from the Valais region and renowned soloists, offering audiences intimate musical experiences in a spectacular alpine setting.

www.zermattfestival.com

RHEIN IN FLAMMEN, OBERWESEL (13 SEPTEMBER)

Lovingly decorated riverboats sail past the Loreley cliff while fireworks light up the Middle Rhine valley on this special day in September. Oberwesel wine market opens form lunchtime, offering more than 150 wines and live music. As night falls, a flotilla of around 50 illuminated ships glides along the Rhine before a musically choreographed firework display over the river. It’s a beautiful spectacle not to be missed.

www.rhein-in-flammen.com

Oktoberfest. Photo: © München Tourismus, Tommy Loesch

OKTOBERFEST, MUNICH (20 SEPTEMBER – 5 OCTOBER)

The world’s most famous beer festival returns for its 190th edition and the legendary Theresienwiese fairgrounds will, once again, fill with giant beer tents, rides and food stalls serving pretzels, Grillhendl (roast chicken) and other Bavarian specialties. Visitors don Dirndls and Lederhosen and toast with one-litre steins, while parades and traditional brass bands keep the atmosphere festive. What’s not to like?

www.oktoberfest.de

Festival des Deutschen Films (Festival of German Film), Ludwigshafen am Rhein. Photo: Arthur Bauer

CANNSTATTER VOLKSFEST, STUTTGART (27 SEPTEMBER – 13 OCTOBER)

Established in 1818, Cannstatter Volksfest has grown into one of the world’s largest and most vibrant folk festivals. Its wide range of attractions draws over four million visitors each year to Stuttgart. For two weeks, the 25-hectare Cannstatter Wasen fairground on the banks of the Neckar transforms into a popular gathering place, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together.

www.cannstatter-volksfest.de