Mainzer Johannisnacht
We’d like to thank everyone who made Johannisnacht 2026 possible, organized it, and helped make it a success—as well as all the visitors. We hope you enjoyed it!
Save the date: The next St. John’s Night will take place from June 25 to 28, 2027.
Mainzer Johannisnacht
In 1968, the year of the 500th anniversary of Johannes Gutenberg's death, Karl Delorme, then head of the social affairs department and himself a trained printer, launched the folk festival. Since then, the memory of the great inventor Johannes Gutenberg has been celebrated.
Artists’ market and creativity
Johannisnacht stretches along the banks of the Rhine from the Kaisertor to the Weintor and from Fischtorplatz via Liebfrauenplatz to Schillerplatz. In addition to carousels and other rides, there is an artists' market along the banks of the Rhine. The market offers handmade products and a variety of creative ideas in the areas of jewellery, clothing, decoration and gifts: Artists’ market
Street artists
Look forward to an extra-large, colorful program featuring talented artists. “Flying Street Art” is making its debut in Mainz with its aerial walk acts. Madame Prrr delights as a tuba-playing cloud — and Simon Höneß with his rolling piano! Musical entertainment is provided by the bagpipers of Moguntia Pipes & Drums, the Sunshine Coconuts, and the street dance group “NOSOUNDEXPERIENCE” from Freiburg. The Zebra Stilt Theater impresses with its height and typographic costumes. Another artist taking up the Gutenberg theme is Jörn Kölling. With his theater bicycle, he performs a portrayal of Gutenberg’s life. And back again — the Companie les Contes d’Asphaldt with the fire-breathing dragon.
Medieval Gutenberg games
Since the Johannisnacht is dedicated to Johannes Gutenberg and his ingenious invention of the printing press, the festivity pays homage to medieval folklore. One of the most popular events is the so-called “Gautschen”, a medieval custom where people are forcefully “baptised” in a large barrel of water. Back during Gutenberg’s days, this custom was performed to symbolically cleanse young printers of the sins of their apprentice years. Today, this splashy ritual takes place in front of an audience on the Gutenberg stage with people from printing-related jobs being baptized. Beware – the water is ice-cold!
In addition, you can visit the book market on the Schillerplatz and Ballplatz squares, where you can browse through a large selection of antique books.
Sailing regatta and running event
Sports enthusiasts can watch the regatta on the Rhine or strap on their running shoes and take part in the Johannisnacht run, which crosses the river three times – hence its name Mainzer Drei-Brücken-Lauf powered by BioNTech.
A perfect mix of theatre, live music and cabaret
Apart from street art and medieval folklore, you can enjoy theatre performances, cabaret and fools on the many squares of the city or listen to lots of live music on the many stages in the city centre.
Family fun along the Rhine
The riverside around the Kurfürstliches Schloss offers an amusement park featuring a merry-go-around for children, a Ferries wheel and fast and fun rollercoasters for all ages. A variety of booths provides food and drinks, including first-class local wines. At night, the whole area is illuminated.
Johannisnacht delights with a peaceful festive atmosphere despite the intense heat
Four hot days, four hot nights: the weather had visitors to this year’s Johannisnacht in Mainz breaking a sweat. The traditional “Gautschen” ceremony provided some relief on Saturday afternoon—at least for the 26 new members and honorary member Markus Kohz of the International Gutenberg Society in Mainz. In 2025, he had printed the world’s largest Bible page, thereby drawing international attention to Mainz, the city of Gutenberg.For further information, please consult mainz.de
