Bremen Ice Bet / Ice Bet Festival

The 2026 edition brought a new donation record: €766,760.50 were raised for the German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecked Mariners — the highest sum ever achieved. The sea rescuers themselves provided a special moment: shortly before the daughter boat CHRISTIAN ferried the Ice Bet tailor across the Weser, they rescued a woman from the river. The Ice Bet tailor traditionally made sharp-tongued comments on national and Bremen politics.

The 197th Bremen Ice Bet in 2026 followed the two-stage custom maintained since 1828: first the public Ice Bet ceremony on the Weser bank, then the private Ice Bet Festival at the Congress Centrum Bremen.

Tuesday, January 6, 2026 — Ice Bet Ceremony at Punkendeich

• The acting Ice Bet tailor Peter Lüchinger checked with a 99-pound iron whether the Weser was frozen at Punkendeich
• Result: “De Werser geiht!” — the Weser is flowing
• The tailor was ferried across by the daughter boat CHRISTIAN of the German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecked Mariners (DGzRS)
• Special moment: Shortly before the crossing, the sea rescuers saved a woman from the Weser
• The tailor's traditional sharp-tongued address on national and Bremen politics to the audience on the riverbank

Saturday, January 17, 2026 — 197th Ice Bet Festival in the Hansesaal of the Congress Centrum Bremen

In front of around 800 invited guests, the banquet followed the ritual developed over almost 200 years:

• Festive reception in the Hansesaal
• President's speech of the Ice Bet
• Toasts to Germany and Bremen
• Honoring of deserving members
• Musical contributions and cabaret
• Classic Kohl-und-Pinkel-Essen (kale with Pinkel sausage, Kassler pork, and caramel potatoes) — the traditional Bremen winter dish
• Handover of the donation sum to the DGzRS

Result 2026 — Record Donation

With €766,760.50, the 2026 Ice Bet achieved the highest result ever collected for the German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecked Mariners — a significant increase compared to €607,764 the previous year.

• 197th edition of the Bremen Ice Bet, practiced since 1828
• Record donation of €766,760.50 for the sea rescuers (DGzRS) — highest amount ever
• Tailor Peter Lüchinger with the traditional verdict “De Werser geiht!”
• Extraordinary rescue of a woman from the Weser by the DGzRS just before the ceremony
• Ice Bet Festival with Kohl-und-Pinkel meal for 800 guests at the Congress Centrum

Getting There

The Ice Bet ceremony on January 6th takes place at the Punkendeich on the Osterdeich, between Bremen's city center and the Weserstadion, easily accessible on foot or by tram and bus. The Ice Bet Festival is held at the Congress Centrum Bremen, directly on the Bürgerweide behind the main train station.

Good to Know

The Ice Bet ceremony on the riverbank is public and free — hundreds of onlookers watch the spectacle every year. The Ice Bet Festival at the Congress Centrum is a private gala event. Proceeds benefit the sea rescue service (DGzRS).