Name: Bad Schwartau Folk and Marksmen Festival 2026
Start: 2026-06-05T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-06-07T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Festplatz an der Ludwig-Jahn-Straße

Folk and Marksmen Festival Bad Schwartau

About Folk and Marksmen Festival Bad Schwartau

On a weekend in early June, the festival grounds at Ludwig-Jahn-Straße in Bad Schwartau transform into a three-day festival mile: amusement rides and showmen fill the grounds, the large festival tent of the Schwartau Marksmen's Guild is open for the proclamation of the king, DJ Schlager music, and a dance evening. On Sunday, the traditional festival parade winds through the town — one of the oldest folk festivals in the Ostholstein district on the Bay of Lübeck.

Dates 05 Jun — 07 Jun 2026

Venue Bad Schwartau (01055)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Folk and Marksmen Festival Bad Schwartau — edition 2026

The 70th Folk and Marksmen Festival in Bad Schwartau will take place from June 5 to 7, 2026, on the festival grounds at Ludwig-Jahn-Straße. The organizers are the Schwartau Marksmen's Guild v. 1923 e.V. and the City of Bad Schwartau. The official detailed program will follow in spring 2026, but traditionally follows the proven schedule of previous years with the king's proclamation on Friday, shooting competitions and dance evening on Saturday, and the festival parade on Sunday.

As every year, the mayor or city president will officially open the festival on Friday and proclaim the new majesties of the Marksmen's Guild. Saturday will focus on shooting competitions and a family program, while Sunday will feature the grand festival parade and the crowning of the new folk king or queen.

The exact artist program for 2026 will be published a few weeks before the festival date on the Schwartau Marksmen's Guild website and on the city's event page.

Highlights Folk and Marksmen Festival Bad Schwartau 2026

Festival parade through the city center on Sunday afternoon, proclamation of the kings on Friday (Marksmen) and Sunday (Folk), live music with Boerney and Tri Top, Over-30s Party on Saturday evening.

Programme Folk and Marksmen Festival Bad Schwartau 2026

Friday, June 5, 2026 — Opening

Official opening by the City President
Proclamation of the new Marksmen Majesties
DJ Schlager evening in the festival tent until 1:00 AM

Saturday, June 6, 2026 — Shooting, Show, and Party

Morning — Shooting competitions at the shooting range (Ludwig-Jahn-Straße 3)
Midday — Gymnastics show by VfL Bad Schwartau in the festival tent
Afternoon — Dance school performance with Disco Fox workshop
Early Evening — Marching music (Lübeck's Freibeutermukke)
8:00 PM–1:00 AM — Over-30s Party with DJ Guido Eichstädt

Sunday, June 7, 2026 — Festival Parade and King's Crowning

10:00 AM — Marksmen's Breakfast in the festival tent
1:30 PM — Pick-up of the Mayor at the Town Hall, followed by the Festival Parade through Bad Schwartau (traffic regulations approx. 4:30 PM)
6:30 PM–10:00 PM — Live concerts with Boerney and Tri Top
approx. 7:45 PM — Proclamation of the new Folk Queen / Folk King

Prices Folk and Marksmen Festival Bad Schwartau 2026

Festival grounds and parade are freely accessible. Special events in the festival tent (King's Party, Over-30s Party) require admission at the box office.

Practical information

Practical information — Folk and Marksmen Festival Bad Schwartau

Getting There

By car via the A1 (exit Bad Schwartau), then towards the city center. By train via RE/RB to Bad Schwartau, a five-minute walk from the station to the festival grounds.

Admission

Festival grounds and parade are freely accessible. Admission to the festival tent is partly free; special prices apply for certain events (King's Party, Over-30s Party) at the box office.

Traffic Regulations

On Sunday afternoon (approx. 1:30 PM–4:30 PM), parts of the city center will be closed for the festival parade — follow signage.

Tradition since 1923

The Schwartau Marksmen's Guild v. 1923 e.V. organizes the Folk and Marksmen Festival together with the City of Bad Schwartau. With almost 70 editions, it is one of the oldest folk festivals in the Ostholstein district. For decades, the venue has been the festival grounds at Ludwig-Jahn-Straße, south of the city center — a classic folk festival site with a large festival tent, Ferris wheel, dodgems, and food stalls.

Three Days, Three Focuses

Friday is dedicated to the official opening by the mayor and the proclamation of the new marksmen's majesties. DJ and Schlager music kick off the musical program. Saturday features the shooting competition plus a family program — from gymnastics club show acts to dance school performances — and ends with the over-30s party in the festival tent. Sunday opens with the Marksmen's Breakfast in the festival tent, culminates in the grand festival parade through the city center, and concludes with live music from well-known regional artists. The crowning of the new folk king or folk queen takes place on Sunday evening.

Bad Schwartau — Spa Town on the Bay of Lübeck

Bad Schwartau has around 21,000 inhabitants and is a spa town with thermal springs on the southern edge of the Ostholstein district in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, just outside the gates of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. The Folk and Marksmen Festival is one of the town's most important social events — it's where the spa town's bourgeoisie meets North German club tradition.

What's on Offer

Amusement rides and showmen's businesses line up on the festival grounds; the marksmen's festival tent offers live entertainment and catering, along with candy, snack, and souvenir stands. On Sunday afternoon, the festival parade proceeds from the town hall through Eutiner Straße to the festival grounds, with marching bands, clubs, and festively decorated floats.