Dresden – Sold out – Friday, Saturday, Sunday!
“Extreme”, sings pop star Roland Kaiser (71) on the banks of the Elbe in Dresden. He is giving five concerts here this year – two were in July and three are now in August.
The “Kaisermania” is legendary, all tickets were gone after a few minutes in advance. 36,000 Kaiser fans are coming to the banks of the Elbe this weekend alone. It is the mighty tourist magnet for the Saxon state capital. There is no comparable open-air series like this one.
But what happens next? Completely unclear! Suddenly there is even talk of the end.
Schlager star Roland Kaiser (71) at his performance in July in Dresden
Kaiser concert organizer Dieter Semmelmann (57): “We are now in the situation that we can currently only plan until 2025 and have no security for 2026. If we can no longer implement it in this form, we will have to look for an alternative location.”
Because the city of Dresden is suddenly planning to advertise the festival in 2026 throughout Europe. The organizers (PAN GmbH) invented and established the “Filmnächt am Elbufer” in 1991 – not the city of Dresden, especially since the festival also takes place on a property owned by the Free State.
According to a city council decision from June 2023, the film nights idea could now go to someone else. Reason: everything will be advertised, including weekly markets. Insiders report a debate about envy: People want more of the success – i.e. money – but the city doesn’t want to take the risk (flood cancellations or a rainy summer).
Unique backdrop: The Film Nights have been held on the banks of the Elbe in Dresden since 1991
The “Kaisermania” was started in 2003 and became a cult over many years.
Organizer legend Semmelmann: “Dresden and the ‘Kaisermania’ belong together. With the current popularity, Roland Kaiser could play anywhere in Germany. If we are no longer valued here, we can go somewhere else. But I can’t understand why people want to give up a long-term collaboration.”
After the departure of one of the three Film Nights founders a few years ago, Semmel Concerts took over his shares. The Kaiser organizer is therefore directly connected to the film nights. Recently, hundreds of thousands have been invested in a new stage foundation and roof.
Semmelmann to BILD: “Nobody knows what the city really wants. So far nobody has spoken to us specifically. We ask ourselves the question of the background. If the city thinks they’re getting too little rent, maybe we should talk.”
Dieter Semmelmann (57) is Germany’s organizer legend
Politicians have already been warned. Only 500 meters further on the banks of the Elbe, the popular and successful Palais Sommer at the Japanese Palais – a free festival for visitors – was also unnecessarily advertised by officials and reassigned in 2022. The new organizer offered more, his festival was a total flop with visitors.
As BILD learned, Roland Kaiser is concerned about the impending end of the film nights, but is still hoping for a quick solution.