Venues

The Hauptmarkt: centre of the city, and heart of Bardentreffen. Here, right next to the picturesque Church of Our Lady, the festival’s biggest stage is set up. From here, you can walk to all surrounding festival venues in a maximum of 10 minutes. If you want to meet people you know, this is the place to go. If you like it quiet, you might want to avoid the Main Market Square in the evening, it gets really crowded then.

World music in the park: for many visitors, Insel Schütt is the most beautiful festival venue. Embraced by two arms of the River Pegnitz and embedded in trees, this stage seems to be set in a park, an airy alternative.

The dilapidated charm of this convent church which was destroyed in World War II adds to the special appeal of the venue. Only the foundations and parts of the east choir remain, creating a space with very special acoustics for music requiring particular attention in the midst of a busy festival. Magic moments with moving singers and rapt audiences are not unusual.

For many years now, on the square behind sumptuous St Lawrence’s Church, in cooperation with Musikzentrale Nürnberg, the regional music scene has presented itself, showcasing both young talents and tried and tested old hands and local stars.

In the Sebald part of the Old Town, just below Nuremberg Imperial Castle, next to the Old City Hall, there is St Sebaldus’ Church. The slight slope of the adjacent square makes this a wonderful scenario for a festival stage.

With 300 seats, Kreuzigungshof (Crucifixion Courtyard) is the smallest of all venues for the bards. The picturesque courtyard is part of the late medieval Heilig-Geist-Spital which is partially built across the River Pegnitz. During the festival, concerts are held here on Saturday and Sunday. The surrounding sandstone walls shield both audiences and artists from the backdrop of city sounds and create an intimate atmosphere for the concerts played here.

On Trödelmarkt you don’t feel as though you are in the centre of a city of half a million inhabitants. The houses are narrow, with small details, mostly only one to two floors high. This village-like atmosphere makes the venue especially attractive. On the festival Saturday and Sunday, you can listen to the performances while sitting on the cobblestones in the afternoon or dancing in front of the stage in the evening or – if you are lucky enough to know one of the residents – sitting on their terrace with a premium view of the scene.

Every year, many street musicians invite passers-by to stay a while to enjoy their performances. Two years ago, the Street Music Stage was created, in cooperation with its main sponsor, Sparda-Bank Nürnberg. It has matured into a very popular musical playground both for street musicians from the region and singer-songwriters from home and abroad.