FAQ

“Elbzauber – The Open-Air Festival on the River” transforms the Elbe into a stage for a unique open-air experience combining music, light, and water. On four stages, an orchestra, a band, and four solo artists come together to create a joint performance against the backdrop of Dresden’s Old Town.

“Elbzauber – the Open-Air Festival on the River” takes place in downtown Dresden, on and along the Elbe River. The centerpiece is a floating stage set against the backdrop of the historic Old Town. It is complemented by two additional performance venues on ships and a stage on land.

The anniversary event celebrating “190 Years of Saxon Steamship Navigation” will take place on September 5, 2026. The open-air show itself begins at 8 p.m. and ends around 10 p.m.

This is a first—never before has there been an event on and along the Elbe River featuring four stages—one of them on the water—all in use at the same time. The combination of stages—an LED cube with video projections on all four sides—along with top-tier artists and the illuminated Old Town backdrop makes it truly unique. The city itself becomes part of the production.

The lineup features global superstar Howard Carpendale, internationally acclaimed soprano Camilla Nylund, jazz singer Atrin Madain, and Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth. They will be joined by the Dresden Boys’ Choir, the German Film Orchestra Babelsberg, and a band.

River tickets (starting at €160) offer an experience aboard our ships with video and audio broadcasts and a perfect view of the stage on the water. Land tickets (starting at €57) allow you to enjoy the open-air event on the Filmnächte grounds with a view of the stage there, the LED broadcast on the water stage, and the ships and the illuminated Terrassenufer in the background.

A combo ticket (€111) allows you to attend both the Elbzauber Open-Air at the Filmnächte grounds and the Grand Advent Concert on December 18 at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion.

The stage program lasts about two hours. It begins at 8 p.m. and ends around 10 p.m.

Will the event take place regardless of the weather?

The “Elbzauber” anniversary event is an open-air event. It will take place regardless of the weather. In the event of extreme weather conditions, we reserve the right to modify or postpone the event for safety reasons.

"Elbzauber" is an open-air event and will take place regardless of the weather. In the event of extreme weather conditions, we reserve the right to modify or postpone the event for safety reasons.

Yes, there are discounts for children, and accessible seats are also less expensive. You can find them listed with the tickets for the Filmnächte venue. 

The event is accessible on foot, by bike, by bus and train, and by car. Parking is available on the Old Town side at Pirnaischer Platz, among other locations, and on the New Town side on Wigardstraße and Theresienstraße. The nearest tram stops are served by lines 3, 4, and 7 (on the Old Town side, the “Theaterplatz” stop; on the New Town side, the “Neustädter Markt” stop).

The entrance to the Filmnächte grounds is located on the Augustusbrücke side of the event area.