The Honky Tonk Festival isn’t so much a one-time event as a musical road show that tours through dozens of German cities annually. The program varies slightly in each place it stops. On Saturday, 50 bands, disc jockeys and dancers will perform at more than 30 venues throughout Schweinfurt. The city’s clubs and outdoor stages will vibrate with the sounds of blues, jazz, rock, salsa, reggae, ska, hip-hop, folk, country, swing and more.
Schweinfurt has a special place on the tour schedule, as the festival was born there. The event is organized by the Blues Agency, which experienced its first big success with Schweinfurt’s first Honky Tonk Festival in 1993. Building on that success, the company began exporting the concept to other parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Honky Tonk Festivals have proven they can pull in the numbers — one of Leipzig’s previous gigs drew 40,000, and Schweinfurt has seen as many as 15,000 attend.
To get in on this year’s event in Schweinfurt, buy a wristband for 12 euros in advance at the city’s Sparkasse, Burger King, Galeria Kaufhof, Touristinfo 360° or a participating pub. On the night of the festival, the wristband will cost 14 euros. It will provide entry to all outdoor stages and venues hosting musical acts. Learn more at www.honky-tonk.de. (German only).
