88th Gaufest Chiemgau-Alpenverband Marquartstein — 100 Years of Gau Founding

100 Years of Chiemgau-Alpenverband

The Chiemgau-Alpenverband was founded in 1926 in Marquartstein — an association of traditional costume and mountain clubs from the Upper Bavarian Chiemgau region (districts of Rosenheim, Traunstein, and Berchtesgadener Land). Today, the association is one of the major Gauverbände (regional associations) of the Bavarian Trachtenverband (Bavarian Traditional Costume Association). The 88th Gaufest in 2026 thus falls exactly on the 100th anniversary of the Gau's founding — and returns to its birthplace, Marquartstein, for this occasion.

Host: GTEV Marquartstein-Piesenhausen

The host of the 2026 Gaufest is the GTEV Marquartstein-Piesenhausen (Gebirgstrachten-Erhaltungsverein - Mountain Traditional Costume Preservation Association), which preserves the traditional Chiemgau costume style. The club has spent several years developing the festival program in coordination with the Chiemgau-Alpenverband.

Ten Days of Traditional Costume Marathon

The festival program spans about ten days from the end of July to the beginning of August 2026:

• July 23 (Thu) — Beer tapping and festival opening
• July 24 (Fri) — Women's Dirndl jumping (traditional competition with Schuhplatteln)
• July 25 (Sat) — Heimatabend with folk dance groups and Schuhplattlers
• July 26 (Sun) — Grand Festival Sunday with approx. 4,000 traditional costume wearers
• July 29 (Wed) — Chiemgau Folk Dance Festival
• August 1/2 — Competitive Schuhplatteln and closing ceremony

Festival Sunday — Highlight with ~4,000 Traditional Costumes

Festival Sunday, July 26, 2026, is the undisputed highlight:

• 8:00 AM — Reception of the clubs in the festival tent
• 9:30 AM — Procession to the music pavilion
• 10:00 AM — Festival service
• 2:00 PM — Grand traditional costume parade with around 4,000 traditional costume wearers from the member clubs of the Chiemgau-Alpenverband and guest clubs from all over Bavaria

Patron: Ilse Aigner

The patron of the 88th Gaufest is the President of the Bavarian State Parliament, Ilse Aigner (CSU, Rosenheim constituency) — herself a native of the Chiemgau region. Her patronage lends the festival the official dignity of a major event with high-ranking political support.

Marquartstein and the Chiemgau

Marquartstein is located in the Achental valley south of Lake Chiemsee, in the Traunstein district, against the backdrop of the Bavarian-Austrian pre-Alps. The municipality is part of the core tourist region "Chiemgauer Alpen" and is famous for its traditional costumes, folk music, and preservation of local heritage. With the 88th Gaufest in 2026, Marquartstein will become the undisputed center of the Bavarian traditional costume world for ten days.