LEIPZIG ZEIGT COURAGE

In the organizer's words:

On the eve of 1 May, the square in front of the Moritzbastei will once again become the stage for a festival that has shaped Leipzig for almost three decades: "Leipzig Shows Courage" will enter its 29th round in 2026 - as an open-air concert for democracy, diversity and solidarity. Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung is once again the patron of the event, which is organized on a voluntary basis by the socio-cultural center Anker e.V. and the team around Sebastian Krumbiegel.

Schedule on April 30

It all starts at 16:00 with the Market of Democracy: associations, initiatives and projects from Leipzig present their work - a good time to get into conversation before the concert. The stage program starts at 5:30 pm, with Tim Thoelke and André Herrmann leading the evening. The official event ends at around 10 p.m. - those who still haven't had enough can head straight to the after-show party at Moritzbastei.

The 2026 line-up

Team Scheisse

The Bremen punk band has been something of a favorite shit in the German-speaking indie scene for a few years now. What began in 2020 with the self-published debut "8 Hobbies für den sozialen Abstieg" has grown into four studio albums to date - most recently "20 Jahre Drehorgel" was released in 2025. They are signed to the KitschKrieg label Soulforce Records, in 2022 they were named "Most Hopeful Newcomer" at the Pop Culture Awards, and their single "Schmetterling" now has over five million Spotify streams. Between snotty punk and surprisingly poetic moments, they deal with everything from helicopter parent madness to criticism of the Bundeswehr - live, it's loud, fast and never where you'd expect it to be.

MOLA

MOLA is the Munich-based indie pop project led by singer Isabella Streifeneder and producer Markus Sebastian Harbauer. The band became known in 2021 with "Vino Bianco" - the Italo-pop collabo with Roy Bianco & Den Abbrunzati Boys - and the debut album "Schnee im Sommer". This was followed by the Panic Prize from the Udo Lindenberg Foundation, several nominations for the Pop Culture Prize and festival appearances at Lollapalooza, Deichbrand and Open Flair, among others. The third album "Liebe Brutal" was released in September 2025 and reached number 90 in the German charts. Between soul ballads, indie rock planks and Italo crooning, Streifeneder delivers lyrics that honestly and unpretentiously tell the story of a young woman's life - including songs such as "Mama", which deal openly with female self-determination.

Savvy

Savvy - real name Leon Knauer - comes from Berlin-Friedrichshain and moves between underground rap and new school hip hop with pop influences. In 2019, he founded the label "245 Hoodlove" with three friends and released his debut album "245" in the same year. He is closely associated with the BHZ environment - in fact, he shot some of the first BHZ music videos himself before concentrating on his own music. He completed his album trilogy with the albums "Keine Angst", "Pass auf dich auf" and most recently "Keine Angst, ich pass auf mich auf" (December 2025). What sets him apart: vivid lyrics, a warm voice and a thoughtful approach to the realities of his generation - far removed from short-lived hype.

Gruppa Karl-Marx-Stadt

From the Chemnitz underground, on the road since 2013: frontman Alexey Potiy came to Chemnitz from Omsk in Siberia as a teenager and founded a band there with fellow musicians from the Ore Mountains that is dedicated to "Balkandisko". Trumpet, saxophone, drums and an oversized bass balalaika - plus original compositions with a charming accent and cover songs to sing along to. They are now a quintet with four studio albums, most recently "Oldschool" (2025). If you fancy ska, Latin, funk and a rhythm between Eastern Europe and the dance floor, this is the band for you.

Public Transport (newcomer slot)

The traditional newcomer slot at the festival has been won by the band Public Transport - indie rock from Leipzig, Berlin & Weimar, who emerged from the newcomer contest at ANKER. They open the evening for the bigger acts.

What it's all about

"Leipzig Shows Courage" was founded in 1997 in response to right-wing marches and has been a fixed date in Leipzig's spring calendar ever since. The festival sees itself as a political and musical commitment to democracy, human rights and non-violent coexistence - and not as a lifestyle event with attitude branding. The fact that it has been run on a voluntary basis for almost 30 years and remains free of charge is a conscious decision: Access should be low-threshold, the program diverse, the message clear.

How to get there

The Moritzbastei is centrally located on Kurt-Masur-Platz - take the streetcar to Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz or Augustusplatz, from there it's just a few minutes' walk. You can find connections via the LeipzigMOVE app or directly from Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe.