• What is on offer at the Bamberg Sandkerwa 2024?
• The program at a glance
• The most important information about the visit

The five-day Bamberg Sandkerwa has been taking place in Bamberg’s historic old town on the last weekend in August since 1951. According to the organizers, over 200,000 visitors come every year to one of the most beautiful and largest church festivals in Bavaria. Kerwa is the Franconian term for church fair. The consecration of the St. Elisabeth Church, located in the sand, is celebrated. The Sand area is the oldest settlement in Bamberg. The 74. Sandkerwa you can from Thursday 22 August to Monday 26 August 2024 We have put together the most important information about the popular Bamberg Folk Festival for you.

What is on offer at the Bamberg Sandkerwa 2024?

The Sandkerwa 2024 starts on Thursday 22 August with the Keg tapping by the Mayor of Bamberg Andreas Starke and ends on Monday 26 August with fireworks. At the Wednesday 21 August there will be a pre-show at 7 p.m. Festive service in the church of St. Elisabeth. Before the Sandkerwa the election of the Sandmadla The jury will select the winner from the applicants, who will then accompany the most important events on all days of the Kerwa as a lucky charm.

Travel comfortably with Deutsche Bahn – Info & Booking

The celebration will take place at the Regnitzin the so-called Sand areaas well as on St. Mark’s Square and the street Am Kranen. At Bamberg’s St. Mark’s Square you will find a Amusement park with rides. Live music are available at Leinritt, Elisabethenplatz and Katzenberg. The varied Music program offers folk and brass music, rock and pop, boogie or big band swing.

In the Bamberg Sandkerwa programme you will find Franconian traditions as the Paradessetting up a Church fair tree or the cock crow. And, as an absolute highlight on Sunday, the historic Fishing jousting of the Bamberg boatmen’s and fishermen’s guild in Little Venice. The focus, however – as befits a folk festival – is of course the Beer. Around 20 breweries from Bamberg and Upper Franconia are there. For the first time, there will be no marquee at the Sandkerwa in 2024. But instead the Festival garden at Leinrittdirectly on the Regnitz with a view of Little Venice and the Old Town Hall.

The 2024 programme at a glance

Thursday, 22.08.2024
13.00 / 14.30 Children’s afternoon in the festival garden at Leinritt with the Bamberger Kasperl
6.00 p.m. Opening of the 74th Bamberg Sandkerwa in the festival garden at Leinritt

Friday, 23.08.2024
5.30 pm Concert at St. Mark’s Square
5.45 p.m. Procession to the church fair tree, from St. Mark’s Square – St. Mark’s Street – St. Mark’s Bridge – Lower Sand Street – Upper Sand Street – Kasern Street – Leinritt
6.00 p.m. Installation of the church fair tree in front of Little Venice with building tradesmen’s guilds
Afterwards proclamation of the sand shooting king / queen 2024

Saturday, 24.08.2024
2.30 p.m. School and youth fishing tournament on the Regnitz
3:00 p.m. Organ concert for the Sandkerwa in the Imperial Cathedral of Bamberg (extra charge)

Sunday, 25.08.2024
9.30 a.m. Festive service at Elisabethenplatz
From 11.00 am morning pint in the festival area
2.30 p.m. Parade for the 70th Fisherman’s Tournament, from Steinertstrasse – St. Mark’s Square – Kapuzinerstrasse – Am Kranen – Obere Brücke – Karolinenstrasse – Herrenstrasse – Obere Sandstrasse – Sandbad to the banks of the Regnitz
3.00 p.m. 70th Fisherman’s Tournament on the Regnitz

Monday, 26.08.2024
3.00 p.m. Children’s cockfight at St. Mark’s Square
5.45 p.m. Parade to the Hahnenschlag, from the Obere Brücke – Geyerswörthplatz – Schranne – Lugbank – Karolinenstraße – Herrenstraße – Obere Sandstraße to Elisabethenplatz
6.00 p.m. Cockfight in front of St. Elisabeth Church
10 p.m. Closing fireworks with music on the Regnitz

The most important information about visiting the Bamberg Sandkerwa

• Venue: Sandstrasse, 96049 Bamberg
• Plan of the festival grounds
• Getting there: If possible, come with the Public transportbecause the city will be full. Bamberg is on the ICE high-speed line Munich–Nuremberg–Berlin. There are regular connections with regional trains and S-Bahn trains from the greater Nuremberg area. From the Bamberg district, the Sandkerwa ExpressThe round trip costs 10.00 euros. Parking by car: Paid parking garages available, Underground car park An der Weberei 5, ERBA-Insel or Bamberg Mitte underground car park at Untere Königstraße 30. Cycles: Carrying bicycles is prohibited on the church fair grounds from 8 p.m.
• Opening hours 2024: Stalls open Thursday 3pm to 1am, Friday 1pm to 1am, Saturday and Sunday 11am to 1am, Monday 1pm to 1am. Music ends daily at 11pm, drinks close at 12.30am, closing time at 1am.
• Entry: Admission to St. Mark’s Square is free. Rest of the Kerwa area: From 6 p.m. you need a festival badge (if you are older than 14 years). The badge costs €2.50 per day, or €6.00 ​​for the entire Sandkerwa weekend. You can get it at the Advance booking offices or the five Box office (recognizable by large yellow balloons).
• Accessibility at the Sandkerwa
• The special service of the city of Bamberg: Fountain with free drinking water for filling. You can find them here: Grüner Markt (pedestrian zone in front of Karstadt), Am Kranen (at the boat dock), Am Alten Rathaus (on the Domberg side), Am Domplatz (on the wall down to the city), ERBA Bridge (on the cycle path to Gaustadt), ERBA Island (at the playground near Sams traffic lights), Am Troppauplatz (Uni Feldkirchenstraße)

The best hotels – info & booking