Press Releases

This year marks the 300th anniversary of the first performance in Leipzig of Johann Sebastian Bach's St John Passion, a monumental work first performed under Bach's direction at St Nicholas Church on Good Friday, 1724. During the Good Friday service, Bach performed his Passio secundum Johannem with the Thomanerchor (St Thomas Boys Choir), one of the oldest boys’ choirs in the world stretching with a history spanning more than 800 years. The St John Passion is a pivotal work in Bach's oeuvre, interweaving the Gospel of John's account of the Crucifixion with chorales and freely composed texts. This earliest known Passion by Bach demonstrates his profound musical and theological insight.

With 1,979,968 arrivals and 3,826,957 overnight stays, Leipzig recorded a year-on-year increase of 16.2 per cent in arrivals and 13.6 per cent in overnight stays compared to the previous year, according to the Saxon State Statistics Office. This means that Leipzig has even significantly exceeded the results of the record year 2019, with 1,929,694 arrivals and 3,602,857 overnight stays. This makes 2023 the best year for tourism in Leipzig's history to date.

A new German premiere in Leipzig: the 360° panorama "The Cathedral of Monet – Freedom of Painting" can now be seen at the Panometer Leipzig for the next two years. Painted in the Impressionist style, the work takes visitors back to Rouen in France in the 19th century. Yadegar Asisi is breaking new ground in his oeuvre: for the first time, a panorama has been painted entirely in oil on canvas before being digitally enlarged and printed onto fabric for a 360-degree installation. With Impressionism, Asisi has dedicated himself to one of the most important artistic periods of our time and offers an insight into his own 30-year artistic career. At the same time, the Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig is presenting an immersive digital art exhibition on Monet that follows the two main elements of Impressionism: colour and light. The digital show, called “Claude Monet: Master of Colours and Lights", is a perfect complement and will be on display until June 2024.

Many interesting occasions invite you to visit the city of Leipzig and the region. Here you will find a selection of press releases from companies and institutions that provide an occasion for a trip to Leipzig. During the International Tourism Exchange (ITB) in Berlin from 5 to 7 March 2024, you will find brochures and information about the LEIPZIG REGION at our counter at the TMGS stand, which is a partner of the German National Tourist Board. Hall 27, Stand: 201

International guests in Leipzig can discover the city in a new way. With several new digital city tours in English, visitors are guided through special corners of the city individually and at their own pace. Over the past few months, Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH (LTM), together with partners such as Droid Solutions and the Office for Economic Development of the City of Leipzig, has developed the app "Explore Leipzig – City Tours", which is now available for free download in German and English from the Google Play Store and the App Store (Android or iOS). In addition, three new digital tours have been added to the Leipzig travel guide on the SmartGuide platform, available in German, English and Czech. These new tours complement the existing digital offerings of the Notenspuren App, which follows in the footsteps of Leipzig’s great composers. In terms of outdoor activities such as hiking and biking, LTM works together with two of the most popular outdoor apps worldwide – outdooractive and komoot – to showcase the variety of tours and tracks available in the region.

A recent survey by the European Commission ranked Leipzig as the fourth most liveable city in Europe in 2023, reinforcing its impact as an attractive destination. There will be plenty to do in Leipzig in 2024: traditional trade fairs, art festivals, sporting events and concerts with a wide range of music will encourage people to visit Leipzig. The following overview shows a selection of the most important tourist events in 2024. Starting this year, all permanent exhibitions in the city’s museums will be free of charge. So when coming to Leipzig for an inspiring event, guests should plan to stay longer to experience the diversity of the museums. Visitors can use the free app “Explore Leipzig” for individual digital city tours and purchase the Leipzig Card for special offers and unlimited travel on public transport. Please check the organiser’s website before travelling to find out the latest information of the relevant events.

Last week saw the final draw to determine which teams will meet in the qualifying round for the European Football Championship in the summer of 2024. The host city of Leipzig will welcome the following teams in the three group stage matches: Portugal will play the Czech Republic on 18 June 2024, the Netherlands and France will meet on 21 June 2024, Croatia will play Italy on 24 June 2024. The Round of 16 match between the winners of Group D and the runners-up of Group F will also take place at the Leipzig football stadium on 2 July 2024.

It is this time of the year: the scent of mulled wine and roasted almonds fills the air, while magical lights and handicrafts can be admired. The Leipzig Christmas Market runs from 28 November to 23 December 2023 and its tradition dates back to 1458. This makes it the second oldest Christmas market in Germany after the Dresden Striezelmarkt in the capital of Saxony. Just like 500 years ago, the Leipzig Christmas Market blends harmoniously into the fascinating historical backdrop of the city centre and offers numerous culinary specialties, making it an ideal destination for Christmas shopping and coming together with beloved ones. With more than 300 originally decorated stalls it is one of the largest and most beautiful Christmas markets in Germany.

Leipzig has served as a film location for various Hollywood movies, such as Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, which was filmed in the Leipzig Region, or Marvel's Captain America: Civil War, which took place at Leipzig/Halle Airport. This year, Leipzig will be back on the big screen when the Monument of the Battle of the Nations (Völkerschlachtdenkmal), or “Völki” as the locals call it, is featured in the new Hunger Games prequel.

Thirty-four years ago, the Berlin Wall came down and unforgettable images were sent around the world. But history was also made on the streets of Leipzig in autumn 1989 – exactly one month earlier. On 9 October 1989 in Leipzig, the decisive demonstration for freedom and democracy stayed peaceful and paved the way for the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989 as well as the reunification of Germany.