7 Reasons to visit Frankfurt
The German city’s exciting events calendar is attracting GCC leisure markets
From riverside festivals to music-led celebrations, Frankfurt boasts a year-round events calendar, bringing together residents and visitors for open-air gatherings filled with food, music and culture. These events make easy additions to itineraries, providing an insight into Frankfurt beyond its financial core. Here are the key events to book flights for.
Green Sauce Festival
Now in its 17th year, the Green Sauce Festival is a nine-day festival held at Rossmarkt featuring 56 restaurants from across Frankfurt, each presenting their versions of the traditional German delicacy, Grüne Soße, or Green Sauce. The dish combines cold herbs including parsley, chives, cress and sorrel, typically served with boiled eggs and potatoes. Judges and guests taste entries daily, selecting winners before an overall champion is crowned. Visitors can sample classic recipes and creative twists, alongside international food, live entertainment and communal dining in a lively open-air setting. For more information, visit gruene-sosse-festival.de
Location: Green Sauce Festival, Rossmarkt, Frankfurt
Date and time: 1 to 9 May; 7:15pm to 10:45pm with the show starting at 8pm
Entry: From €58 (US$69) to €96 (US$114) depending on category
Wäldchestag Festival
Wäldchestag brings Frankfurt residents to the city’s Stadtwald forest each spring for a vibrant celebration of music, food and tradition. Often described as the city’s ‘unofficial national holiday,’ the centuries-old event takes place over the Whitsun weekend, a Christian holiday tied to Pentecost and observed 50 days after Easter. Drawing generations of locals into the woods for time outdoors away from the city, the five-day event features fairground rides, live entertainment and long communal tables. For more information, visit Wäldchestag
Location: Wäldchestag, Oberforsthaus Frankfurt Stadtwald
Date and time: 22 to 26 May; 5pm to 1am Friday, 12pm to 1am Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 12am Monday and Tuesday
Entry: Free
Rooftop Day
This one-day event opens a network of rooftops across Frankfurt for a one-day programme spanning hotels, restaurants and event spaces. The city-wide occasion combines music, culture and food with relaxed rooftop settings, offering new vantage points over Frankfurt’s skyline, including spaces that are typically inaccessible to the public. A map of participating venues will be available, and reservations or entry fees may be required for certain locations. For more information, visit Rooftop Day
Location: Multiple venues across Frankfurt
Date and time: 6 June; 4pm to 10pm
Entry: Admission prices vary by venue
Mainfest Festival
Mainfest brings one of Frankfurt’s longest-running summer festivals to life along the River Main. Set against the backdrop of the skyline, the event combines food stalls, fairground rides and riverside dining with traditional contests, including the Fischerstechen, where participants attempt to knock opponents off boats using padded poles. Free to attend, the festival unfolds along the central embankment near Römerberg, blending local tradition with a scenic, easy-to-access waterfront setting. For more information, visit Mainfest
Location: Mainfest, River Main embankment, Frankfurt
Date and time: 31 July to 8 August; 12pm to 12am Friday 31 July and Saturday 1 August, 12pm to 12am Sunday 2 and Monday 3 August
Entry: Free
Riverfront fairground for Mainfest
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Sommerwerft
Frankfurt’s beloved open-air performing arts event, Sommerwerft, an international theatre festival on the river, returns to the banks of the River Main for its 25th anniversary. Spanning 17 days, the festival has developed from an independent initiative into one of Germany’s flagship outdoor cultural events, attracting more than 110,000 visitors annually. More than 200 artists and groups come together to present a diverse programme of music, dance, theatre and poetry. The anniversary edition also features Blue Lab, a five-day programme aimed at raising awareness for river and ocean sustainability through the arts. For more information, visit Sommerwerft
Location: Weseler Werft
Date and time: 24 July to 9 August
Entry: Free
Performances at Sommerwerft
Autumn Dippemess
Closing out the summer season is the Autumn Dippemess folk festival, a final opportunity to experience Frankfurt’s fairground rides, food stalls and entertainment before autumn arrives. Held at Festplatz am Ratsweg, the event offers classic attractions, games and seasonal treats such as roasted almonds. Catering to families, the festival hosts a dedicated children’s funfair every Tuesday, with special offers on selected rides and stalls. The twice-yearly festival will next return in spring 2027. For more information, visit Autumn Dippemess
Location: Festplatz am Ratsweg
Date and time: 11 to 27 September; 3pm to 11pm Tuesday to Thursday, 3pm to 12am Friday, 2pm to 12am Saturday, 12pm to 12am Sunday
Entry: Free
F&B at Autumn Dippemess
Christmas Market
The Frankfurt Christmas Market stretches through multiple neighbourhoods, bringing more than 230 decorated stalls together across the old town. Visitors can browse seasonal décor, handmade gifts and Christmas delicacies from around the world, including Frankfurt’s signature sweet marzipan pastry, Bethmännchen. On Mainkai, a dedicated children’s market offers holiday crafts, festive photo opportunities and live entertainment. Bookable walking tours and experiences provide another way to explore the festivities in more detail. For more information, visit Frankfurt Christmas Market
Location: Römerberg, Mainkai, Paulsplatz, Friedrich-Stoltze-Platz, Hauptwache and Roßmarkt
Date and time: 11 November to 22 December; 10am to 9pm Monday to Saturday, 11am to 9pm Sunday
Entry: Free
Rides at the Christmas Market
For more information on Frankfurt, visit Connecting Travel’s dedicated Frankfurt hub and visitfrankfurt.travel/en
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