71st Fasnachtsumzug Ludwigshafen

Joint Parade of Two Cities

The Fasnachtsumzug Ludwigshafen-Mannheim is a special feature of the German carnival landscape: two cities – separated by the Rhine, but belonging to the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region – alternately celebrate a joint parade in their city centers. The annually rotating host role gives each city the stage in turn; in 2026, Ludwigshafen is up.

71st Edition

With its 71st edition, the parade is among the traditional carnival events in Southern Germany. The close connection to the Palatinate Fasnacht and the Rhenish carnival shapes the choice of themes, float construction, and costume traditions.

Route

The parade starts in 2026 at 1:11 PM at the intersection of Rheinallee, Wittelsbachstraße, and Schwanthalerallee. It will proceed through Ludwigshafen's city center, ending around 4:30 PM at Rhein-Galerie. Approximately 36,000 spectators are expected along the route, who will be showered with candy, confetti, and carnival paraphernalia.

24 Floats, 2,000 Participants

About 24 floats with thematic motifs, political satire, club themes, and costume groups make up the parade. Over 2,000 active participants march along – carnival societies, princess guards, music bands, dance groups, youth guards. The largest single group is the Karnevalsgesellschaft Löwenjäger Ludwigshafen with 140 members.

Carnival Tradition in the Metropolitan Region

The carnival tradition of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region combines Rhenish-Franconian and Palatinate influences. Alongside the Mainz Rosenmontagszug (Rose Monday Parade) and the carnivals in Cologne and Düsseldorf, the Mannheim-Ludwigshafen parade is one of the major Southern German carnival dates.