Events
ULRICHSHOF Family Festival 2026
08.08.2026 - 09.08.2026
Two days of music, hands-on activities, discovery and spending time together: the second ULRICHSHOF Family Festival took place in Zettisch on 8 and 9 August.
Photos: Gregor Raab, Michaela Lankes, Darina David
Following last year’s successful debut, the 2026 festival was extended to a full weekend for the first time – featuring a varied daytime programme for children and families, as well as two evening events for adults. For ULRICHSHOF’s junior manager Nikolaus Brandl, who launched the festival together with Florian Mühlbauer from Vogel.Wuid, what makes it special is above all the location and the concept: the celebrations take place not on just any festival field, but right in the heart of the ULRICHSHOF grounds – where horses usually graze and families spend their holidays.
Short distances, activities for different age groups and deliberately scheduled breaks between programme items make the festival a real experience. As soon as they entered, every guest was delighted to receive a goodie bag containing snacks and vouchers. The fact that the concept brings generations together was also evident amongst the visitors: one family even enjoyed the festival together, with children, parents and grandparents all taking part.
I thought it was really cool – it was loads of fun, and the crowd really went wild and partied!
Nilsen
Music, join in, a brilliant atmosphere
On the main festival stage, Rodscha from Cambodia & Tom Palme, Nilsen, the DONIKKL Crew and the Singende Bauernhof provided music, dancing and a lively atmosphere. Lena Kinderfragen had everyone racking their brains with her interactive quiz show. Presenter Vanessa Meisinger hosted the afternoon programme.
The artists themselves were also thrilled. “I thought it was really cool; it was massive fun – the crowd really rocked out and partied,” said Nilsen after his performance. For him, it doesn’t matter whether there are ten, a hundred or a thousand people in front of the stage at a concert: what counts is the atmosphere – “and that was there from start to finish”. Singer Rodscha also summed up the concept of the weekend: “This is a very special festival because it offers a cracking programme for young and old alike, put together with a lot of heart.” He particularly liked the relaxed atmosphere and the new stage: “We think the venue is brilliant; the stage blends in so well with this beautiful area, as if it had always been there.”
But by no means did everything take place in front of the stage. Bouncy castles, a gem hunt, henna art, face painting, glitter tattoos, a wheel of fortune and numerous other activities transformed the site into a huge adventure zone. In the height of summer heat, water features, parasols and shaded areas provided a chance to cool down and take a breather.
More shade, chips & fun
After the first festival, the organising team had gathered feedback from visitors and used it to identify specific changes for the second edition. Nikolaus Brandl is clearly proud that lessons were genuinely learnt from this – as well as the fact that the festival was organised by a small core team working alongside the various hotel departments. Many of this year’s changes stemmed directly from guest feedback – ranging from more shade and seating to, as Brandl adds with a wink, “plenty more chips”.
Feedback gathered on the day shows that these improvements went down well with visitors. A family from Laaber drew a clear conclusion when comparing this year’s event directly with the first one: “We were here for the first family festival too, and this time it’s even better!” The extra parasols, water features and the food were particularly well received. Their young son was especially delighted with the music and the snacks from his goodie bag. A family from the Freyung-Grafenau district had travelled there specifically to see Rodscha and Tom. They particularly praised the relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere: “It’s so cosy here, not overcrowded and not stressful at all.” Guests from Baden-Württemberg also discovered the festival via Rodscha and Tom’s Instagram channel whilst on holiday in the Bavarian Forest. Their verdict: a “brilliant idea” that they would recommend to others – and they plan to come back next year.
Between cost calculations and children’s laughter
For the organisers, the festival also presents a challenge: putting together a programme of events that stands out in terms of quality whilst remaining affordable for families. It is precisely this balance between aspiration and reality that Brandl describes as one of the greatest challenges of recent months. To achieve this, decisions were made that were certainly bold from a business perspective. Ultimately, the key factor was ensuring that families went home feeling thoroughly satisfied.
Brandl experienced one such special moment during the DONIKKL Crew’s performance. When suddenly not only the children but also the dads were jumping around on stage, it became clear to him: “You can’t plan moments like that.” For him, this is precisely the essence of the festival – creating memories that last beyond the actual day of the event. Not simply “We went to a festival”, but, for example, the moment when your own child dances in front of the stage on their own for the first time. “Families carry images like that with them for years,” says Brandl.
In the evening, the stage belonged to the adults
Following the family programme, the festival site was transformed once again on both days. On Saturday, the Bavarian rock band D’Hundskrippln got the crowd partying, whilst on Sunday, Christian Bumeder – alias Bumillo – provided a humorous end to the weekend with his comedy cabaret show “Meister Bumeder”.
For Nikolaus Brandl, Saturday evening in particular was one of his personal highlights. After the family programme in the afternoon, the field had completely changed: neighbours, regulars and couples from the local area were all celebrating together to the sounds of D’Hundskrippln. That special energy, he said, when Bavarian music meets an audience that’s simply in the mood for a good evening, was “absolutely brilliant” for him.
A festival with lots of organisers
The two days of the festival were the result of many months of preparation. Alongside Nikolaus Brandl and Florian Mühlbauer, the ULRICHSHOF events team and numerous staff members from various hotel departments were involved. Partners and artists also made a significant contribution to the success of the weekend.
For Brandl, it is precisely this collaboration that is crucial: the family festival is not an external event held on the hotel grounds, but is organised by the ULRICHSHOF team itself. The trust of partners and artists is something that is actually built up over many years – and is all the more valuable for the event.
After the festival is before the festival
So what’s next? One thing is already certain: the ULRICHSHOF Family Festival will continue. Before deciding on the date and format for 2027, the organising team – just as they did after the inaugural event – would first like to analyse the feedback from visitors and use this to determine the next steps. Ultimately, for Nikolaus Brandl, it’s all about the memories created over the weekend. If the ULRICHSHOF Family Festival is the place where families experience such shared moments, “we’ve done our job”.
You can find all the latest news about the ULRICHSHOF Family Festival at ulrichshof.com/familienfestival. You can also sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest news for 2027.
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