Ischa Freimaak! Every year for the past almost thousand years, once the summer is over, Bremen starts preparing to host one of the largest festivals in Europe. Let's take a look at it!
What is Freimarkt?
For almost 1000 years during the lost two week of October the “5th season of Bremen” starts, with the celebrations leading to Freimarkt. Taking place every year since 1035, Freimarkt is one of the longest running traditions in Germany. For 17 whole days, one of the largest festivals in Europe and the largest funfair of Northern Europe takes place in Bremen, drawing about 4 million people to Bremen every time. It hosts over 50 amusement park rides, more than 300 different carnival games, hundreds of food venues, live music, beer gardens, and performances, taking up the entire 100,000 meter square Bremer Bürgerweide. A smaller version with around a dozen stalls and couple of rides is set up in the Marktplatz at the heart of the old city, simultaneously, called „the small Freimarkt“.
My visit in 2024
I go to Freimarkt couple of times every year with a few friends to see what is new, eat a crepe, and ride a few rides. This year, unfortunately, I was particularly short in time, as I was leaving for a long research expedition soon after the Freimarkt opens. Yet, I managed to organise a visit with a few friends on my last night in Bremen, as a farewell get-together. It was very fun! I will be back next year, of course.