Rhine Bank Festival: City run and mega show despite the summer heat!

Rhine Bank Festival: City run and mega show despite the summer heat!

On the last weekend in June, Ludwigshafen once again enjoyed a great festival. The Rhine embankment festival, which took place from June 27th to 29th, 2025, offered a lot of highlights for visitors young and old despite the oppressive heat. Every year the festival attracts tens of thousands of residents and guests, and the organizers from Ludwigshafener Kongress- und Marketinggesellschaft mbH (LUKOM) were very satisfied with the event overall.

The “Palatinate Summit Meeting” kicked off on Friday evening, with bands like Woifeschdkänisch and Grand Malör providing a great atmosphere from 6 p.m. On Saturday the time had come: over 950 runners dared to take part in the 26th Ludwigshafen City Run despite temperatures of over 30 degrees. The route led from the old shipyard hall at Zollhofhafen over the Rhine promenade to the Parkinsel and back. Nico Steißlinger from ABC Ludwigshafen and Steffi Dietz from the Rheinpfalz Police Headquarters were the first to reach the finish line. Particularly noteworthy was TSG Friesenheim, which had the largest group of runners with over 100 participants.

Festivities for the whole family

The organizers created great enthusiasm among the little guests. Parents and children flocked to the children's festival at the German Unity Square, where drinks and shady places were particularly in demand. From 2:30 p.m., the little revelers were able to enjoy a colorful program with hands-on activities and a mascot parade. This was rounded off by the German State Philharmonic of Rhineland-Palatinate, which organized a classical open-air on Sunday at 11 a.m.

According to the organizers, over 20,000 visitors are expected every year, and interest was great this year too. The wine lounge on Ludwigsplatz, with delicacies from BASF trainees and live music from artists such as the duo “Ear Candy” and Marion La Marché, was a popular meeting place. On Saturday and Sunday the doors to the lounge were open and invited people to linger.

Sports and culinary delights

Another highlight was the street food mile, which started on Friday at 5 p.m. and offered fresh, international specialties on Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. For the athletes there was not only a pleasant atmosphere, but also two water stations and a shower facility on the park island to refresh themselves after the run. The “city running angels” also provided the runners with enough water and support during the competition.

The city run itself is one of the most traditional running events in the region and has been inspiring people since 1996 with its various distances, ranging from the Bambini run to the fun run. This year too, the best groups of participants were honored in various categories, and registering together was a thoroughly positive experience for the participants.

In conclusion, it can be said that the 2025 Rhine Bank Festival was a complete success, despite the heat. Christoph Keimes from LUKOM drew a positive conclusion and underlined the diversity of the program, which not only focused on sport but also on culinary delights. The people of Ludwigshafen are already looking forward to the next festivities.

For more detailed information about the festival and the events that will take place in the coming years, those interested can take a look at the reporting from Rhine Palatinate, Ludwigshafen24 and Weekly newspaper reporter throw.