The weekend of 4–5 July 2026: LVB’s thank-you campaign, tens of thousands at Klassik airleben, and five HCL world champions

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Yes, it’s true: the trams in Leipzig are running again! The nightmare of black joint sealant is over. Out of relief and gratitude, the LVB has announced a seven-day thank-you campaign for the coming week. The Gewandhaus Orchestra also said thank you: it brought the season to a close with the traditional ‘Klassik airleben’. Although the HCL women’s handball team had long since finished their season, five of them still had a mission to fulfil: to become world champions! The LZ summarises the key events from the weekend of 4–5 July 2026 in Leipzig and beyond.

LVB launches thank-you campaign

Leipzig has done it: after a week of tram service disruptions, the final section of Line 2 will finally resume operations from Monday. This means all trams will then be running as usual – or rather, as scheduled in the construction plan. There is great relief at Leipzig Transport (LVB). They are now launching a special campaign to thank passengers for their patience and understanding.

“Anyone travelling with a valid ticket can take one additional person with them free of charge on all journeys on LVB buses, trams and Flexa shuttles within fare zone 110 (Leipzig). The offer applies to all ticket types – from single tickets and season tickets to the Deutschlandticket, JOB ticket or semester ticket. Journeys on S-Bahn services and regional trains (RE/RB) within the city limits are excluded,” the LVB announced today in a press release. This promotion will run for a full week, from 6 to 12 July 2026.

“With our 2-for-1 promotion, we want to give something back on the spur of the moment and offer an extra incentive to use public transport together with family, friends or neighbours during the first week of the holidays,” says Sandy Brachmann, Head of Marketing at LVB. According to the company, 550 volunteers played a key role in removing the joint sealant that had run onto the tracks during the heatwave and subsequently set there. The people of Leipzig played an active part in three major relief operations.

Tens of thousands at “Klassik airleben”

It is probably Leipzig’s biggest picnic event – and at the same time the one with the highest-calibre musical accompaniment. On Friday and Saturday, “Klassik airleben” took place for the 17th time in Leipzig’s Rosental. Around 20,000 to 30,000 people packed together every evening with their picnic blankets on the large Rosental meadow to listen to the renowned Gewandhaus Orchestra perform, with free admission. For the orchestra, this annual open-air concert marks the traditional conclusion to its concert season – and is also a wonderful gesture to the people of Leipzig.

Under the baton of its conductor, Vasily Petrenko, the Gewandhaus Orchestra presented a number of works this year designed to bring a taste of the British Proms atmosphere to the ‘Fair City’. ‘Proms’ stands for ‘Promenade Concerts’, at which the audience was originally able and allowed to walk around during the concert. The ‘BBC Proms’ is a world-famous, eight-week series of classical music concerts still celebrated in London every summer.

So whilst Prosecco and meatballs tantalised the taste buds of the Leipzig audience, classical melodies by George Frideric Handel, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Carl Maria von Weber and Andrew Lloyd Webber – to name but a few of the most famous composers – caressed their ears.

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HC Leipzig with five world champions

Germany’s men’s football team saw their dream of a World Cup title dashed very early on. The black, red and gold junior women’s handball team, however, were able to fulfil that very dream for themselves today. In the final of the U20 World Championship in China, the reigning European champions also defeated the Danish team. After a narrow 15–14 half-time lead, the final score was a fairly clear 33–26. Gold! This means the young DHB women have won all eight of their World Championship matches.

From a Leipzig perspective, it is particularly pleasing that no fewer than five players from HC Leipzig played an active part in this success. Laura Klocke, Jana Walther, Lisa Lammich, Marlene Tucholke and summer signing Emma Niemann scored a total of 68 goals throughout the tournament. “What an incredibly fantastic World Championship. What an outstanding performance! We are incredibly proud of you!” the handball club celebrated on its social media channels. This World Cup title is likely to be worth its weight in gold – in the truest sense of the word – for the confidence of the newly promoted Bundesliga side.

What the LZ reported over the weekend:

‘Watering Can Day’: With “Leipzig waters” at the Entenbrücke

LVB tram services are slowly getting back on track: Expert has begun his damage assessment

The city council met: Left Party motion on land degreasing fails due to the city’s tight budget situation

The city council met: Without an expert report, the city council cannot make a decision on the Capa-Wäldchen at all.

The city council met: No incentives for voluntarily handing in driving licences.

The city council met: What next for the Güterschuppen site at Connewitz S-Bahn station?

The City Council met: After three years, it is finally clear who is responsible for temporary planters in Leipzig

The City Council met: Can Leipzig’s mayor campaign in Berlin for tenancy law that actually protects tenants?

The City Council met: Will the city find a new location for the Forced Labour Memorial?

Other important news:

Exactly 100 years after the NSDAP Reich Party Congress in Weimar, the AfD held its federal party congress just a few kilometres away, in Erfurt. There, the dual leadership of Alice Weidel (81.3 per cent) and Tino Chrupalla (70.0 per cent) was confirmed in office. Partly due to the election of Stefan Möller – a close associate of Höcke – to the federal executive committee, the party, which already has elements of the far right, faces the threat of even greater influence from its ethno-nationalist wing. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated, largely peacefully, against the AfD party conference. The figures vary between 31,000 (police) and 50,000 (Bündnis Widersetzen). Many of them blocked the access roads to the Messe exhibition centre early in the morning. However, as AfD members had already arrived in the middle of the night, the party conference was able to start as scheduled.

The US is celebrating the 250th anniversary of its independence. However, President Donald Trump’s commemorative speech at the ‘Salute to America’ event in Washington, D.C. had to be postponed by around two hours due to the weather. Protected behind bulletproof glass, he warned, amongst other things, against communism in the US and called on Congress to pass laws restricting postal voting.

In front of 1,000 invited guests, US superstar Taylor Swift and ‘Kansas City Chiefs’ footballer Travis Kelce got married at Madison Square Garden in New York. The wedding ceremony is said to have been conducted not by a clergyman but by actor Adam Sandler. Sir Paul McCartney is also said to have made a surprise appearance as a singer at the wedding.

Pope Leo XIV visited the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa. There, he commemorated the fate of the many boat refugees who have drowned at sea and called on the EU to adopt a long-term migration strategy. The Pope laid flowers on the graves of the deceased migrants and paused in silent prayer. He also blessed a commemorative plaque at the jetty in honour of his predecessor, Pope Francis. The jetty now bears his name.