In the middle of the town of Bad Vilbel (in the northern part of the spa gardens), the remains of a moated castle stand on the banks of the Nidda. This was once the residence of the Knights of Vilbel and served as the official seat of the Electoral Mainz administration from 1581 to 1796. The oldest parts of the castle date back to the 12th century.

In 1986, the idea was developed to open an open-air theatre in the ruins of this moated castle. In the summer of 1987, the first Bad Vilbel Castle Festival took place. Due to the good response to the festival, it was decided to make it a regular event.

In 1990, the offer of an annual in-house production was expanded to include several events: a children's theatre, literary matinees and, for the first time, the Ettlingen Castle Festival. Since 1995, the Burgkeller has also been used for performances. Since 2011, theatre for children and families has been expanded as a new focus - with in-house productions from three different genres: opera, musical and drama.

You can find more information and the calendar of events for the wonderful Castle Festival here: Culture in Bad Vilbel.