68th Rhineland Marksmen's Day Neuss-Holzheim

The Rhineland Marksmen's Federation Comes to Neuss-Holzheim

Marksmen's days are a unique sporting genre in North Rhine-Westphalia – and the Rhineland Marksmen's Federation (Rheinischer Schützenbund e.V.) is one of Europe's largest sports shooting federations. Every three years, the federation hosts the Rhineland Marksmen's Day, the highlight of the sports shooting club year. In 2026, Neuss-Holzheim will be the host – the first time this Lower Rhine city bears this title. The local organizer is the Holzheim Marksmen's Association (Bürgerschützenverein Holzheim - BSV Holzheim).

Motto 'Making Tradition Tangible'

The motto 'Making Tradition Tangible' aims to show that the marksmen's tradition is not a dusty men's club, but active popular sport and cultural heritage preservation. The patronage has been taken over by NRW State Parliament President André Kuper, with further patrons including NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul and the mayors of Neuss and Dormagen.

Shooting Competitions at Three Ranges

The sporting competitions will take place at three shooting ranges around Neuss: Hubertus-Sportschützen Straberg, SSV 1962 Neuss, and SSV Neuss-Reuschenberg. Events include the Hogrefe Cup, the State Youth King Shooting, and the State King Shooting. The winners will become State Youth King and State King, respectively, and will represent the Rhineland Marksmen's Federation for the next three years. An introductory shooting event for interested individuals is also part of the program – the barrier to taking a shot is set low.

RSB Night with Fireworks and Cover Band

The highlight of the festival weekend is the RSB Night – the big federation party with the cover band FarbTon, a DJ, and spectacular fireworks. The parade on Sunday, featuring participating clubs and their kings, is the most ceremonially important part of the program. This is followed by the 'Zapfenstreich', the ceremonial farewell to the reigning dignitaries.

Neuss as a Marksmen's City – Tradition for Centuries

The choice of Neuss as host is no coincidence: the Lower Rhine city is one of Germany's most important marksmen's cities. The annual Neuss Citizens' Marksmen's Festival (Neusser Bürger-Schützenfest) at the end of August/beginning of September is one of the largest marksmen's festivals in the world, attracting over a million visitors. With the 2026 Rhineland Marksmen's Day, the district of Holzheim gets its stage, which usually stands in the shadow of the grand Neuss Marksmen's Festival.

District Federations from Across the Rhineland

Delegations from all district federations of the Rhineland Marksmen's Federation will come to the Marksmen's Day – from Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Mönchengladbach, the Lower Rhine region, the Bergisches Land, and the Rhein-Erft district. In total, the RSB expects several thousand active marksmen and their companions. The city of Neuss provides the festival grounds, marquee, and parade route.

Travel and Festival Week

The Marksmen's Day is the occasion for an entire festival week leading up to it. The official event days, September 25th–27th, 2026, form the climax. The festival is fully accessible to visitors – the parade, competitions, and marquee program are public. Tickets for the RSB Night are charged separately.