The Libori festival in Paderborn is a nine-day celebration that blends a holy church festival with a massive funfair. This historic event honors Saint Liborius, whose relics arrived here from France in the year 836A.D. For locals, Libori is known as Paderborn’s "fifth season".
The 2026 Libori festival runs from Saturday, 25th July to Sunday, 2nd August.
The Story Behind the Festival
Libori is one of Germany’s oldest and largest folk festivals. In 836.A.D, the bones of Saint Liborius were brought from Le Mans, France, to the Paderborn Cathedral. This act created a bond between the two cities that has survived for over a thousand years.
Today, it is a unique mix of church, culture, and carnival.
What's On: Church events
- The Opening Vesper: Saturday, 25th July at 15:00. Priests raise the golden shrine of Saint Liborius from the cathedral crypt.
- The Solemn Procession: Sunday, 26th July at 09:00. Faithful followers carry the Golden Shrine through the old town streets.
The funfair is huge. It stretches for 1.6Km and will have 150 rides and attractions to enjoy.
- The Fair is on the Liboriberg.
- For city views Try the 55-meter Ferris wheel and brave the 80-meter-tall Jules Verne Tower swing ride.
- Lots of rides for the little ones to try too it is not just about the big thrill rides.
- The fair opens at 14:00 on Saturday and at 11:00 on all other days, closing at midnight.
The Pottmarkt is a traditional market with a history tied to old traveling merchants. Around 138 vendors set up stalls in the historic squares.
- The Pottmarkt is set up in the streets around Paderborn Cathedral and the main Market Square (Marktplatz).
- What to Find: Shop for traditional pottery, household tools, unique spices, and clothes.
- It opens daily from 09:00 to 20:00 (opening at 12:00 on the first Saturday and 11:00 on Sundays).
What's On: The Beer Barrel (Bierbrunnen)
The Bierbrunnen sits right in front of the Town Hall. It is the centre of the festival's social life.
The Tradition: Buy a collectible stoneware beer mug. Bartenders fill the mugs directly from shared beer barrels.
Weekend Hours: Get your pours between 16:30 and 18:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Weekday hours.
What's On: Live Entertainment
You can find free music and street performers at the Rathaus, the small arts square, along Wenstentor and Kamp. Different open-air stages cater to all musical tastes.
- Town Hall Square Stage : Catch the brassy soul band Fatcat on Saturday, 25th July at 21:00.
- Place of Small Arts (Platz der kleinen Künste): Located by the city library. See international street musicians, comedians, and acrobats starting at 15:00 daily. Late-night features alternative live bands at 19:00 and silent discos on both Saturdays at 21:00.
- Grand Finale: Don't miss the massive fireworks display over the city roofs on Sunday, 2nd August at 22:30.
Street closures turn the old town into a pedestrian zone during Libori, making driving a challenge. Use the PaderSprinter Bus services and the Park and Ride to help travel easier.
Park & Ride Shuttle
Avoid downtown traffic completely by using the official PaderSprinter P+R Service.
Park for free at the large Almepark lot on the Heinz-Nixdorf-Ring.
- The Shuttle: Buses run every 15 minutes directly to the downtown Westerntor hub.
- Hours: Active on both Libori weekends, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 01:00.
- Cost: A round-trip ticket costs €2.00 for adults and €1.00 for children.
If you drive into the city, spaces are limited tap/click on the image below to expand the parking map.
You do not need to worry about getting stranded at Libori. Late night services to Sennelager on the N1 route from Westentor to Sennelager run into the night with a late extension from Thursday to Sunday.