Name: ADV Elefantencup – Drachenbootfestival Berlin-Gatow 2026
Start: 2026-06-13T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-06-14T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Wassersportheim Gatow

ADV Elefantencup

About ADV Elefantencup

Two days of dragon boats on the Havel riverbank in Berlin-Gatow: Saturday open training, Sunday the race for the Elefantencup. The ADV Dragon Boat Cup annually brings together non-profit associations, teams from business and administration, and regular crews from all over Berlin and Brandenburg to the water. The organizer is the Anti-Drogen-Verein e.V., which uses the festival to make its prevention and counseling work visible. Music, street food, and family activities included.

Dates 13 Jun — 14 Jun 2026

Venue Berlin (11000)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

ADV Elefantencup — edition 2026

The 2026 Elefantencup starts on Saturday, June 13, with open training. On Sunday, June 14, the competitive races will take place. Dragon boat teams from non-profit organizations, Berlin authorities, and private crews will compete for the bronze elephant. Accompanying program on the Havel riverbank: live music, street food, family area, stands of the ADV projects. Free admission for spectators.

The 2026 edition features the proven two-day format. On Saturday, the boats are available for open training and taster paddling – also for teams without competitive ambitions who want to try the boat experience.

On Sunday, the official races begin in the morning with heats, followed by semi-finals at noon and the grand finale in the afternoon. Between heats, shorter show races for school classes and youth groups will take place.

The festival program on the bank runs continuously on both days: two live bands each afternoon, DJ sets between acts, five to seven street food stalls, a children's area with craft activities.

Highlights ADV Elefantencup 2026

Presentation of the Elefantencup on Sunday afternoon
Open training on Saturday, also for those without competitive ambitions
Live music and street food on the Havel riverbank
Family and children's area

Programme ADV Elefantencup 2026

Saturday, June 13, 2026 – Training Day

10:00 AM Opening, boat briefing for teams
10:30 AM–5:00 PM Open training on the Havel
2:00 PM Live music on the riverbank stage
6:00 PM Closing evening with barbecue and bar

Sunday, June 14, 2026 – Race for the Elefantencup

9:30 AM Captains' Meeting
10:00 AM Heats
1:00 PM Show races school classes / youth
2:30 PM Semi-finals
4:00 PM Final
5:00 PM Award ceremony – Presentation of the bronze elephant
5:30 PM Closing concert

The final team list and the exact program will be published about a month before the date on anti-drogen-verein.de.

Prices ADV Elefantencup 2026

Free admission for spectators. Team participation upon registration with the ADV.

Practical information

Practical information — ADV Elefantencup

Getting There

Bus 134 (from U Haselhorst or S/U Rathaus Spandau) to Alt-Gatow. By car via Heerstraße (B5) towards Spandau, then Gatower Straße to the Havel riverbank. Parking is limited – arrive early or form a carpool.

Admission

Free for spectators. Team participation requires registration with the Anti-Drogen-Verein.

On Site

Food and drinks at several stalls, live music, toilets, paramedics, family area. Life jackets are provided; swimming skills are required for boat participants.

Contact

Anti-Drogen-Verein e.V., Tel. 030 39 89 60 60, E-mail [email protected].

Sport and Purpose on the Havel Riverbank

The Wassersportheim Gatow is located on the westernmost stretch of the Havel, at the transition between the federal capital and the Brandenburg landscape. For years, the Anti-Drogen-Verein e.V. has hosted its dragon boat festival here, which has long since grown beyond pure racing.

The Elefantencup – A Moving Trophy

The namesake is the bronze elephant, which is presented to the winning crew each year. Participants can include non-profit organizations, Berlin club teams, school classes, government teams, and private crews. The boats are provided; each team needs twelve paddlers, a coxswain, and a drummer. Training takes place on Saturday, racing on Sunday.

Festival Atmosphere Alongside the Races

While the boats race across the Havel, a small but dense program runs along the bank: live music on an open-air stage, street food stalls, Berlin beer garden atmosphere, stands of the ADV's prevention and counseling projects, a family area for children. Those not in the boat can stay by the water all day and enjoy the sun, bratwurst, and competitive cheers.

The Mission Behind the Sport

The ADV has been a central player in addiction support in Berlin-Brandenburg since 1981, based in Moabit. Its dragon boat events originally started as a 25th-anniversary celebration and have developed into an annual tradition. The motto "Accept – Differentiate – Connect" becomes tangible in the festival context: people from different backgrounds sit in the same boat.

Gatow – An Outpost of Berlin

The district of Gatow belongs to the Spandau district and is located on the western edge of Berlin. The British military airport was in operation here until 1994; today, thatched roofs, the village center, Havel views, and water sports clubs characterize the scene. The Wassersportheim is one of Berlin's traditional sports venues on the water, operated under the auspices of the Spandau Office for Schools and Sports.