12. Brötzinger Frühlingsfest

12th Edition of the Pforzheim District Volksfest

Brötzingen is one of Pforzheim's most populous districts in the western part of the city. The annual Frühlingsfest is one of the largest district Volksfeste in the Pforzheim district — in 2026, it's the 12th edition, running from Thursday, April 9, to Monday, April 13. The organizer is Jörg Augenstein, who manages the festival as an amusement operator; around 30,000 visitors are expected over the five days.

Barrel Tapping by the Mayor

The festival opens on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 6:00 PM with the ceremonial barrel tapping by Pforzheim's Mayor Peter Boch. This traditional Swabian-Badenese Volksfest opening marks the start of the official festival week. In the preceding days, showmen set up their rides and stalls; from Thursday evening onwards, the festival is in full swing.

Amusement Rides and Program Highlights

The amusement park program includes, among others, the Wellenflug — one of the largest chain carousels with a wave motion — the Musikexpress, a classic children's carousel, and the Feuersteinpiste, as well as numerous game stalls, shooting galleries, candy stalls, and food vendors (bratwurst, fries, candied almonds, occasional Romanian specialties). The highlight of the festival week is the Schlager concert with Vincent Gross on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 7:00 PM — Vincent Gross is one of the most famous contemporary Swiss Schlager stars. The Schlager Sunday also coincides with a Sunday with open shops in Pforzheim's city center.

Preparation and Traffic Planning

Starting April 2, 2026, Postparkplatz will be closed to regular traffic for setup. Bus routes will be rerouted, and Kirchenstraße will be temporarily altered. The City of Pforzheim advises that using public transport is particularly recommended during the festival days; the city bus will serve the rerouted lines.

Pforzheim and the Brötzingen District

Pforzheim, with around 130,000 inhabitants, is a district-free city in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located at the transition between the Black Forest and Kraichgau. Known as the "Gold City" for its jewelry and watch industry. Brötzingen, one of the western districts, has developed its own identity with its Frühlingsfest and other festivals. The festival is strategically coordinated with other spring markets in the region (Karlsruhe-Durlach, Bietigheim) — showmen can tour consecutively or in combination, which maintains the quality of participating businesses.