Next dates
2027 dates not yet announced — typically around May. We're watching and will update this page when they land.
Quick answer
Frühlingsfest Neumarkt is a volksfest in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Bavaria. It runs from May 13–17, 2026. 48th edition around the Große Jurahalle — Lammsbräu Anstich, Frühlingsmesse, and the famous Eselrennen.
48th Neumarkt spring Volksfest — Lammsbräu tent energy, Frühlingsmesse, family Friday, and Sunday’s Eselrennen.
Neumarkt's 48th Frühlingsfest runs 13–17 May 2026 at the Jurahalle fairgrounds, opened by Oberbürgermeister Markus Ochsenkühn with a Lammsbräu Helles Anstich; a Maß runs €10.70 in 2026. Expect rides and hall entertainment, a Christi-Himmelfahrt Gottesdienst in the Große Jurahalle (Thu 10:00), Friday half-price family rides (14:00–19:00), weekend Frühlingsmesse, and Sunday's Streichelzoo plus the legendary Eselrennen.
The full story
Neumarkt's Frühlingsfest is the spring Volksfest of Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, running five days around the Große Jurahalle and marking its 48th edition in 2026. Oberbürgermeister Markus Ochsenkühn opens the run with an Anstich of Neumarkter Lammsbräu Helles — a genuinely local brewery pour rather than a generic tent beer — and a Christi-Himmelfahrt morning service in the Große Jurahalle gives Ascension Thursday a more traditional start before the fairground programming resumes.
The weekend layers in a separate Frühlingsmesse trade fair in the adjoining Kleine Jurahalle, running alongside the standard rides and tent entertainment, and Friday's half-price Familiennachmittag (14:00–19:00) gives families a dedicated discount window. The closing Sunday brings a Streichelzoo and the festival's signature Eselrennen — a donkey race now in its own 21st edition, a distinctive, non-generic touch that sets this fest apart from a standard beer-and-rides Volksfest. Neumarkt sits on the rail corridor between Nürnberg and Regensburg, making it a plausible stop on a broader Upper Palatinate itinerary. See Frühlingsfest Neumarkt page or explore Upper Palatinate.
On Tap
- Local focus
- The 48th Frühlingsfest around the Große Jurahalle, opening with a Lammsbräu Anstich and featuring the Frühlingsmesse and the famous Eselrennen.
- What to try
- Time your visit to the Eselrennen — it's the signature event locals talk about.
- Best for
- Visitors who want a long-running regional fest with a quirky local tradition, not just a beer tent.
- Bavaria On Tap take
- Lammsbräu on tap and a donkey race make the 48th edition of this fest more distinctive than most spring Frühlingsfeste.
Practical tips
The English-language details German fest pages usually skip.
- Nearest station
- Neumarkt (Oberpfalz) Bahnhof — local walk/bus to Große Jurahalle / Festplatz area.
- From Munich
- RE/RB via Nürnberg to Neumarkt (Oberpfalz), then local transfer to the Jurahalle grounds.
- Kids / family
- Fri 15 May 2026 Familiennachmittag 14:00–19:00 half-price rides; Sunday Streichelzoo and Eselrennen.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Neumarkter Frühlingsfest in 2026?
- 13–17 May 2026. Opening Anstich with Neumarkter Lammsbräu Helles on Wednesday 13 May.
- What are the family highlights?
- Friday 15 May Familiennachmittag 14:00–19:00 with half-price rides. Sunday features Streichelzoo / Tierschau and the traditional Neumarkter Eselrennen; weekend Frühlingsmesse in the Kleine Jurahalle and outdoor grounds.
- How much is a Maß?
- The 2026 Maß costs €10.70.
- Where is the festival centered?
- Around the Große Jurahalle / Volksfestplatz in Neumarkt i.d.OPf., with a Biergarten and standard fairground attractions.
- Is the Neumarkter Frühlingsfest the same as Munich's Frühlingsfest?
- No — this is Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz's own, much smaller regional festival, separate from Munich's larger, differently-dated Frühlingsfest.
- Family-friendly
- Indoor / rain-friendly