In addition to the opportunity to go shopping until midnight, the Festival will feature an exciting programme comprising street art, concerts, theatre, exhibitions, gastronomic treats, installations and much more besides. Every arcade will focus on an individual theme while the participating retailers will also present their shops in a unique atmosphere. Visitors will therefore be able to experience the unique nature, history and architecture of the Leipzig arcades at first hand.
Among the participating arcades are Mädler Arcade, Speck's Hof & HansaHaus, Städtisches Kaufhaus, Höfe am Brühl, Strohsack Arcade, Oelssner's Hof and Messehof, but also Karstadt and Galeria Kaufhof.
Special theme "Trade - Markets - Fairs"
The long trading tradition and the 850th anniversary of Leipzig Fair are intrinsically linked to the city and its arcades. "Trade - Markets - Fairs" will therefore be the special theme during this year's Arcade Festival. Leipzig Fair, the main partner of the 6th Leipzig Arcade Festival, issues a cordial invitation to attend interesting activities following that motto at four historical locations.
Grand opening on the market square
The market will form an important part of the Leipzig Arcade Festival for the first time. This year, the "Grand Opening" at 18.00 will be entirely dedicated to the anniversary of Leipzig Fair and its origins due to Leipzig's unique location at the intersection between Via Regia and Via Imperii. Historical covered wagons will converge from all directions onto the market where illuminated helium balloons will symbolically re-enact the crossing of the important European trading routes.
Throughout the evening minstrels, knights and fire shows will revive the period around 1165 when Leipzig began its rise to become a trade fair metropolis after it was awarded market rights by Margrave Otto the Rich.
More information
Friday, 4 September 2015
6 p.m. until Midnight