In 2026, the festival takes places from May 8 to July 31. (Designed by Stripes Staff)
Roughly 90 minutes from the KMC and less than an hour from Wiesbaden, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were born in Hanau, Germany, in the late 1700s. The brothers and their fairy tales left such an impression on Germany and the world that Hanau is also known as the “Brüder-Grimm-Stadt” (Brothers Grimm City).
The brothers spent their childhood years in the city before their father was transferred elsewhere for work. Unfortunately, their childhood home, along with much of the city center, was bombed in 1945. However, today, there is a memorial stone across from where the house stood in the Freiheitplatz.
Die Brüder Grimm Festspeile, or The Brothers Grimm Festival, premiered in 1985 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the brothers’ births. (mkoudis (123RF))
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You can also visit the national monument, which was erected in 1896, depicting the brothers in the market square. This statue is considered the starting point of the “German Fairy Tale Route” which runs from Hanau to Bremen.
“Fun Fact: Since 1983, Hanau has awarded the very prestigious “Brothers Grimm Prize for Literature” in honor of the brothers.”
Die Brüder Grimm Festspeile, or The Brothers Grimm Festival, premiered in 1985 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the brothers’ births. Since then, over one million people have attended this event. This award-winning festival occurs annually from May through July. Today, it features five different plays every year, with three fairy tale adaptations commissioned (one play with music, one dramatization and one musical). In 2025, the shows included “Rapunzel,” “The Bremen Town Musicians,” “Tschick,” “Burnbury. Being Serious is Everything” (known as “The Importance of Being Ernest” in English) and “Hansel and Gretel.”
“Fun Fact: In 2025, 50 people volunteered to crochet the six-meter-long handmade braid that makes up Rapunzel’s hair. These people were randomly chosen from over 1,000 people who signed up to volunteer.”
In addition to the performances, the festival also provides the community with a supporting program so you can get in on the fun all summer long. Cheer for your favorite football team in the Fairy Tale Cup match, enjoy guided tours or take part in workshops (they have them for adults and kids).
For announcements about the 2026 festival and to purchase your tickets, go to festspiele-hanau.de.
While you are in town, there is plenty to do before and after your festival activities.
You can live out your own fairy tale at the Philippsruhe Castle. The castle is home to Hanau’s History Museum, a courtyard terrace restaurant and, for those who really want to feel royal, a more upscale restaurant inside the castle’s vaulted cellar. Make your reservations to visit the castle and/or eat at schlossphilippsruhe-hanau.de.
While you are in town, there is plenty to do before and after your festival activities. (austler (123RF))
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Continue the fantasy of childhood wonder at The Hessian Doll and Toy Museum, which features interactive stations and create-your-own exhibits along with a variety of permanent as well as temporary exhibitions. Much like how Hanau connects with the Grimm brothers, the city also leans into the local history of this museum, which grew from the personal collection of local resident Gertrud Rodemann. Note that the museum is closed on Mondays.
Conclude your fairytale adventure by meeting all of the forest creatures at Wildpark Alte Fasanerie Klein-Auheim. See over 300 animals that inspired your favorite stories, such as the European wolf (no grandmother glasses or cloaks included), forest goats, red deer, otters, bison and lynx.
In 2026, the festival takes places from May 8 to July 31.
