Berner Ollenfest
Village festival with dragon boat races and torch swimming on the Ollen
About Berner Ollenfest
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Berner Ollenfest al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Water Sports and Wesermarsch Culture
The Berner Ollenfest is more than a classic village festival: it is a celebration that puts the geographical peculiarity of the Wesermarsch – the connection between land and water – at its center. The venue is the Ollen, a small river that flows through the municipality of Berne and fills the festival with life. Dragon boat races, canoe polo, stand-up paddling competitions, and the nighttime torch swimming transform the otherwise quiet stream into a dynamic stage.
Dragon Boat Races with the Underwater Dragons
The sporting centerpiece is the dragon boat racing. The local Underwater Dragons compete against teams from the region, supplemented by club teams and spontaneously formed crews. The races proceed through several heats to the final on Sunday afternoon. The sport is accompanied by cheering crowds, music from the shore, and commentary from loudspeakers. Those who want to paddle themselves can sometimes join guest teams.
Torch Swimming and Live Music
The highlight of Saturday evening is the torch swimming: hundreds of swimmers with torches, inflatable rings, and lights form a glowing chain on the Ollen. This is followed by live music, dance performances, and a convivial evening in the festival tent. The Berner-Ollenfest-Gemeinschaft e.V., an association of dedicated citizens, has been organizing the festival for years with great volunteer effort.
Berner Ollenfest — edition 2026
2026 Edition
The 2026 edition continues the recent series of Ollenfests. In recent years, the Berner-Ollenfest-Gemeinschaft has continuously developed the format and added new program elements.
Atmosphere by the Water
The Ollenfest regularly attracts several thousand visitors. The mix of sporting competition, evening light spectacle, and musical supporting program makes it one of the highlights in the event calendar of the southern Wesermarsch.
Programme Berner Ollenfest 2026
2026 Program
The exact program for 2026 will be published by the organizer in the spring. The structure follows the proven key points of previous years:
- Saturday Morning — Opening, first heats of the dragon boat races
- Saturday Afternoon — Canoe polo, stand-up paddling competitions, dance performances
- Saturday Evening — Torch swimming on the Ollen, followed by live music in the festival tent
- Sunday Morning — Frühschoppen (morning pint) and further heats
- Sunday Afternoon — Dragon boat finals, award ceremony
- Catering stands, family area, children's play activities
Free admission. Donation box for the organization.
Highlights Berner Ollenfest 2026
- Dragon boat races with the Underwater Dragons
- Torch swimming on the Ollen on Saturday evening
- Live music, dance performances, and canoe polo
- Village festival atmosphere with family program
Prices Berner Ollenfest 2026
Practical information — Berner Ollenfest
Getting There
Berne is located in the southern Wesermarsch between Bremen and Oldenburg. Access is via the federal highway B 212. From Bremen, Berne can also be reached by ferry across the Weser (Ferry Berne-Farge). Parking is signposted near the festival grounds.
On Site
The event area extends along the Ollen with a festival tent, stage, and catering stands. Several access points to the water allow for close-up viewing of the races.
Catering
Bratwurst, fries, international specialties, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks are offered by clubs and stall operators.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
Max. 5 photos, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Each suggestion is reviewed by our team before being published.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Berner Ollenfest al mejor precio.
Sponsored link