Shopping Sundays 2026: Where to shop in Hesse!

Shopping Sundays 2026: Where to shop in Hesse!

A breath of fresh air is blowing through the Hessian shopping streets, as the first dates for Sunday shopping in 2026 have already been set. While shops in Frankfurt remain closed - due to legal disputes that have been causing a stir for some time - other cities have already made plans to offer customers a special shopping experience. OP online reports on the current situation and the appointments secured in the surrounding cities.

In Wiesbaden, the organizers have already promised two shopping Sundays. March 22nd will be marked with the Easter market and September 27th with the autumn market and the city festival. Offenbach, on the other hand, plans to use May 31, 2026 for Offenbach Week, so that shopping on Sundays can also be possible in this city.

A look at the other cities

Darmstadt can also score points: two shopping Sundays are planned here for the coming year. On April 26th, citizens can visit the “Darmstadt Mobil” mobility exhibition and the spring trade fair. Another date is set for September 6th on the occasion of the Darmstadt Wine Festival. Gießen has also given some thought and is planning May 3rd for “Sport in the City” and October 4th for the Krämermarkt, although the latter has not yet been applied for.

In beautiful Hanau the situation looks completely different. Since a lawsuit in 2017, there are no longer any Sunday shopping hours there. Friedberg also fell short of the coveted date. Kassel, on the other hand, will be ready to open its doors on April 12th with the “Spring-Freyheit” and on November 1st with the “Autumn-Freyheit”.

• Wiesbaden: 22. März (Ostermarkt), 27. September (Herbstmarkt und Stadtfest)
• Offenbach: 31. Mai (Offenbacher Woche)
• Darmstadt: 26. April (Mobilitätsausstellung), 6. September (Darmstädter Weinfest)
• Gießen: 3. Mai (Sport in der City, bereits beantragt), 4. Oktober (Krämermarkt, noch nicht beantragt)
• Kassel: 12. April (Frühlings-Freyheit), 1. November (Herbst-Freyheit)

Legal framework

But it's not just the cities' plans that are of interest; the legal basis surrounding shop opening times in Hesse also plays a major role. As the IHK Offenbach clarifies, sales outlets may be open on working days between midnight and midnight. However, shops must generally remain closed on Sundays and public holidays, although there are exceptions for certain sectors.

Kiosks, gas stations and bakery sales outlets have the privilege of being open for limited hours during these times. Congregations can also approve up to four Sundays open for shopping per year, although sales must take place outside of main church service times. The legal framework is clear, but there is still a standstill, for example in Frankfurt, while other cities are pioneers.

In summary, one can say that the Hessian cities are positioning themselves well and want to offer their residents a colorful range of Sunday offers - with the aim of combining shopping pleasure and a pleasant atmosphere. It will be interesting to see how these dates are accepted in practice next year.