Sailing regatta, beach festival and autumn palace festival: event highlights 2026

Cheering high-performance catamarans against a backdrop of chalk cliffs at the international sailing regatta ‘SailGP’, getting swept up in the moment by DJs and live acts on Kühlungsborn beach, or enjoying concerts and culinary delights in palaces and manors: a 2026 holiday to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will not disappoint. Familiar and new events attract lots of visitors to the region. The following is a selection of highlights between the Baltic Coast and the Mecklenburg Lake District. Further features are listed in the event calendar of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern tourism association under auf-nach-mv.de.

From May: Schwerin Palace Festival
As part of the Schwerin Palace Festival, an annual summer festival for theatre and music, visitors can enjoy opera, concerts and ballet in the state capital from 28 May to 19 July. The programme includes, among many other highlights, a ballet gala in a theatre tent near Schwerin Lake, a performance of the ‘Threepenny Opera’, as well as palace concerts and a picnic concert by the Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle.
Further information: mecklenburgisches-staatstheater.de

From May: environmental photo festival ‘horizonte zingst’
From 29 May to 7 June, the Baltic spa of Zingst on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula will host the 19th environmental photo festival ‘horizonte zingst’. In 2026, the focus topic is ‘MENSCH’, examining human beings in their complexity not just as individuals, but as part of a larger whole. During the annual photo festival, which promotes a dialogue between photography, environmental awareness and society, visitors can exchange viewpoints at exhibits and workshops. Photography enthusiasts can also take advantage of the accompanying photography market from 4 to 6 June to explore photography trends and admire innovative photography equipment.
Further information: horizonte-zingst.de

From June: ‘Open Gardens’ in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
As part of the state-wide ‘Open Gardens’ initiative, a number of private and public gardens and parks will be accessible from 13 to 14 June. The eponymous association invites visitors to engage in direct dialogue with the owners of the green spaces. In the autumn, there will be a second round of Open Gardens from 12 to 13 September. Visitors will be able to spot the participating gardens by the colourful watering cans placed at the garden gates.
Further information: offene-gaerten-in-mv.de

From June: three-month Festspielsommer festival in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
About 120 concerts will be performed between 13 June and 12 September as part of the Festspielsommer classical music summer festival. The events will take place at special locations in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, among them manors, factory halls, palaces, churches or in the open air. In 2026, the Armida Quartett will play a key part in the classical music summer festival as the Prize Winner in Residence.
Further information: festspiele-mv.de

From June: Störtebeker Festspiele
During the Störtebeker Festspiele festival, the play ‘Likedeeler’ will be performed in Ralswiek on the Island of Rügen on one of the largest open air stages in Europe from 20 June to 5 September. Tickets for the 32nd season can be reserved at stoertebeker.de or ordered by phone at +49 3838 31100.
Further information: stoertebeker.de

From July: ‘BEATS&WAVES’ beach festival in Kühlungsborn
Tourismus GmbH Kühlungsborn is organising the ‘BEATS&WAVES’ beach festival from 31 July to 2 August 2026. Music lovers can look forward to international DJs and live acts from the house and electronic scene right on the Baltic seashore.
Further information: kuehlungsborn.de

August: 35th Hanse Sail in Rostock
From 6 to 9 August, the largest maritime fair in the Northeast, the Hanse Sail, has scores of guests flocking to the Hanseatic city of Rostock. From Thursday to Sunday, the 35th annual Hanse Sail fair offers unforgettable experiences like sailing on traditional ships. Between Rostock harbour and Warnemünde, a variety of markets, concerts and exhibits are scheduled. The planning for the anniversary celebration is underway.
Further information: hansesail.com

August: sailing regatta ‘SailGP’ in Sassnitz
After the successful inaugural event in the summer of 2025, which was sold out with about 13,000 visitors, the second edition of the international sailing event ‘SailGP’ will take place on 22 and 23 August 2026 in Sassnitz on the island of Rügen. Altogether, the sailing regatta will visit 12 other stations in addition to Sassnitz, among them Abu Dhabi, Sydney and New York. During the competition, 13 national teams will face off in F50 catamarans against the backdrop of the local chalk cliffs, reaching top speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour. One of the teams is the German crew headed by two-time Olympic bronze medal winner Erik Heil. His team is supported by multiple Formula 1 world champion and co-owner Sebastian Vettel. For tickets to watch the event from the pier in Sassnitz, visit sailgp.com. The new title sponsor of the Germany Sail Grand Prix 2026 is ROCKWOOL.
Further information: sailgp.com

From September: Usedom Music Festival
The Usedom Music Festival from 19 September to 10 October is the perfect event for lovers of classical music. Concerts are performed at special locations, among them churches on the island, Stolpe Castle and the Peenemünde Power Plant, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s largest industrial monument. This year, the concert series will focus on music from Sweden.
Further information: usedomer-musikfestival.de

October: ‘KUNST HEUTE’ (Art Today)
Exhibits, guided tours and performances: at the 19th annual ‘KUNST HEUTE’ event from 3 to 11 October, art enthusiasts can visit more than 100 art-related locations in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, such as studios, sculpture parks, palaces and churches. The initiative is designed to promote the direct exchange between artists and guests. ‘KUNST HEUTE’ is a joint project of the Berufsverband Bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Professional Association of Visual Artists in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), the Verband der Kunstmuseen, Galerien und Kunstvereine (Association of Art Museums, Galleries and Arts Associations), the LiteraturRat Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Literature Council) and the Verein der Schlösser, Guts- und Herrenhäuser (Association of Castles, Manors and Mansions) in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as well as the Nordkirche church association.
Further information: kunstheute-mv.de

From October: Schlösserherbst
The Verein der Schlösser-, Guts- und Herrenhäuser (Association of Castles, Manors and Mansions) will hold its autumn palace festival Schlösserherbst from 24 October to 8 November. During this festival, selected manors and mansions in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will open their doors for cultural events, concerts and culinary experiences.
Further information: auf-nach-mv.de

Images to download:

In 2026, the SailGP will take place in Sassnitz for the second time. Photo: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP

Timothy Ridout, artistic director of Festspielfrühling, photo: Jiyang Chen

Environmental photo festival “horizonte zingst”, photo: David Garbe

KunstOffen, photo: MV-T/Petermann

Hanse Sail, photo: TZRW, Taslair