International Africa Festival in Würzburg
The Africa Festival has run since 1989 and is the largest and oldest festival for African music and culture in Europe. More than 7,500 musicians and artists from 56 countries across Africa and the Caribbean have played in Würzburg, drawing over 2.5 million visitors between them.
Alongside the concerts, the bazaar is worth the trip on its own: African instruments, art and craftwork, textiles and food stalls from across the continent. The festival runs over four days in late spring and is organised by the Afro Project association, which puts its proceeds into cultural and charitable projects in Africa.
From 2026 the festival left the Mainwiesen meadows on the bank of the Main, where it had been held for decades. The evening concerts now take place in the Congress Centrum, with an open stage and the bazaar in and around the town hall courtyard, which puts the whole festival within walking distance of the old town.
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the traditional region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria.
Würzburg is about 120 kilometres from Frankfurt am Main, to west and Nuremberg (Nürnberg), to east.
Würzburg spans the banks of the river Main in the region of Lower Franconia in the north of the state of Bavaria, Germany. The heart of the town is on the locally eastern (right) bank. The town is enclosed by the Landkreis Würzburg, but is not a part of it.
The centre of Würzburg is surrounded by hills. To the west lies the 266 metre Marienberg and the Nikolausberg (359 m) to the south of it. The Main flows through Würzburg from the south-east to the north-west.
Due to its central position Würzburg is an important traffic hub. Here is the interchange of Autobahn highways A3 (Cologne – Frankfurt – Würzburg – Nuremberg) and A7 (Hamburg – Hanover – Kassel – Würzburg – Ulm) as well as the start of A81 (Würzburg – Heilbronn – Stuttgart).
The city's main station is a central hub for long-distance and regional services. Würzburg lies at the southern end of the Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line and offers with InterCityExpress and InterCity frequent connections to cities such as Cologne, Frankfurt, Hanover, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg and Vienna. In addition to main station there are the two regional stations Würzburg-South and Würzburg Zell.
The Main river flows into the Rhine and is connected to the Danube via the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. This makes it part of a trans-European waterway connecting the North Sea to the Black Sea.
Learn more about the International Africa Festival in Würzburg
Also, check our list of the best hotels in Würzburg and book your stay during the event.
