750 Years Menden — Anniversary City Festival

750 Years of Menden's Town Rights

Menden was granted town rights in 1276 – a 750-year history that will be celebrated in 2026 with a unique festival program. Major events, community initiatives, and cultural highlights are spread throughout the entire anniversary year. The peak will be a week-long festival series at the end of August and beginning of September.

Parade on August 30

The grand parade on Sunday, August 30, 2026, is the central moment of the anniversary year. The procession starts at 2 PM on Balver Straße and ends at Neumarkt. Over 4,000 participants from clubs, schools, businesses, and partner cities are expected. More than 100,000 spectators typically line the main street – an experience Menden has never seen in this form before.

Anniversary City Festival September 4–6

The actual anniversary city festival runs from Friday, September 4, to Sunday, September 6, 2026. Three stages throughout the city will host a dense program of music, comedy, and culture. Open Friday 6 PM–12 AM, Saturday 11 AM–12 AM, Sunday 11 AM–8 PM. Clubs, restaurateurs, and initiatives will present themselves, and street food stalls will line the squares.

City Emperor Shooting on August 29

Already on the Saturday before the parade, August 29, 2026, the grand City Emperor Shooting will take place. The Menden shooting clubs will jointly crown the City Emperor of the anniversary year – a special honor that connects club life and city identity.

Year-Long Anniversary Program

Individual events are spread throughout the entire year 2026: concerts, exhibitions, lectures, community initiatives, school and club projects. A commemorative publication, a special exhibition at the City Museum, and an anniversary coin set will accompany the year. The city administration and Stadtmarketing Menden e.V. are coordinating the program.

Registration and Participation

Menden citizens, clubs, and companies were invited to participate in the festival program: Registration for the parade by May 31, 2026, for stage performances and stalls by March 31, 2026. The campaign "One Year, One Festival, One WE" thrives on citizen participation.

Menden – City in the Märkisches Sauerland

Menden (Sauerland) is located in the Märkischer Kreis, in the southern Sauerland region between Iserlohn and Arnsberg. With approximately 53,000 inhabitants, the city is characterized by small and medium-sized industries, cultural life, and an active club structure. The anniversary year 2026 is an opportunity to project Menden's self-confidence into the region and throughout North Rhine-Westphalia.