The st. katharina open air has taken place for more than 20 years and is therefore a permanent feature of the Nuremberg festival scene, drawing visitors from the entire region. The ruins are also a venue during the Blue Night and the Bardentreffen, which takes place at the end of the st. katharina open air.

Magical place for open air concerts

As the stage for the Tafelhalle open air concert and theater series, the ruins of St. Catherine’s Church create their own special magic. Visitors may be reminded of adventure stories or fairy tales from their childhood. For many people from Nuremberg, the ruin is a still-visible reminder of the terrible bombing during World War II.

The Gothic basilica once was part of St. Catherine’s Abbey, which was known throughout Europe for its one-of-a-kind library. After the Reformation, the abbey was barred from taking on new novices. The enclosing wall and cloister of the abbey also remain; today they are part of the city library. From 1620 to the end of the 18th century, the Nuremberg Meistersinger held their singing competitions in St. Catherine’s Church. There’s hardly a place more steeped in history for concerts and plays in Nuremberg.