Name: Fastnacht in Franken — Generalprobe 2026
Start: 2026-02-05T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-02-05T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Mainfrankensäle Veitshöchheim

Fastnacht in Franken

About Fastnacht in Franken

»Fastnacht in Franken« is the largest and most successful Fastnacht (Carnival) broadcast of Bayerischer Rundfunk. Since 1988, BR has annually broadcast the gala session of the Fastnacht-Verband Franken from the Mainfrankensäle in Veitshöchheim — with over four million viewers nationwide. The public dress rehearsal takes place one day before the live broadcast: the audience experiences the four-hour show of cabaret, music, high-performance dance, and Franconian wit in its entirety before the television broadcast. The coveted tickets are allocated by lottery.

Dates 05 Feb — 05 Feb 2026

Venue Veitshöchheim (09679)

Prices —

Status Finished

Edition 2026

Fastnacht in Franken — edition 2026

The dress rehearsal for "Fastnacht in Franken" 2026 took place on February 5 in the Mainfrankensäle Veitshöchheim, one day before the live broadcast on February 6, 2026, at 7 PM on BR. The approximately four-hour show of cabaret, music, high-performance dance, and Franconian wit reached nearly 2.9 million viewers nationwide during the live broadcast, with around 1.8 million in Bavaria. Minister-President Markus Söder praised the edition as "sensational."

The dress rehearsal for "Fastnacht in Franken" 2026 took place on February 5, 2026, in the Mainfrankensäle Veitshöchheim — one day before the live broadcast on Friday, February 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM on Bavarian Television.

The audience experienced the complete, approximately four-hour show in its entirety: a mix of top-class cabaret, music, high-performance dance, and Franconian character. The live broadcast was watched by nearly 2.9 million people nationwide, with around 1.8 million in Bavaria alone. Minister-President Markus Söder praised the edition as "sensational.".

Highlights Fastnacht in Franken 2026

Dress rehearsal for the largest Fastnacht broadcast by BR
Four-hour show of cabaret, music, and dance
Live broadcast on the following day (February 6)
Nearly 2.9 million viewers nationwide for the live broadcast

Programme Fastnacht in Franken 2026

2026 Schedule

Thursday, February 5, 2026 — Public dress rehearsal at the Mainfrankensäle Veitshöchheim, complete show in full length (approx. four hours)
Friday, February 6, 2026, 7:00 PM — Live broadcast on Bavarian Television (BR)

The gala session of the Fastnacht-Verband Franken consisted of cabaret/stage speeches, musical performances, guard and show dances, and Franconian character scenes. The specific order of the individual acts corresponds to the association's current session program; an official, complete list of participants is not published in advance (no names mentioned without source).

Prices Fastnacht in Franken 2026

Ticketed event; tickets were allocated exclusively by lottery via the Fastnacht-Verband Franken (application period from Ash Wednesday to September 30 of the previous year).

Practical information

Practical information — Fastnacht in Franken

Getting there

The Mainfrankensäle are located in Veitshöchheim, easily accessible from Würzburg by train and road.

Tickets

Allocation exclusively by lottery via the Fastnacht-Verband Franken (application period from Ash Wednesday to September 30 for the following year).

Date

Dress rehearsal takes place one day before the live broadcast on BR (during the Fastnacht season, in January or February depending on the year).

The largest Fastnacht broadcast in Franconia

»Fastnacht in Franken« is the gala session of the Fastnacht-Verband Franken and has been broadcast on Bayerischer Rundfunk since 1987, annually since 1988 from the Mainfrankensäle in Veitshöchheim. With over four million viewers nationwide, it is considered the most successful broadcast on Bavarian television.

The Dress Rehearsal

The public dress rehearsal takes place one day before the live broadcast. Here, the audience experiences the complete, approximately four-hour show in its entirety — a mixture of top-class cabaret, music, high-performance dance, and Franconian character. For many fans, the dress rehearsal is the actual live experience.

Tickets via Lottery

Tickets for the dress rehearsal and live broadcast are in high demand and are allocated by lottery. Online applications run from Ash Wednesday to September 30 for the following year; winners are notified before Christmas.

Veitshöchheim — Fastnacht Capital in Lower Franconia

Veitshöchheim, near Würzburg, is located in the district of Würzburg, Bavaria. Due to decades of television broadcasts, the municipality is inextricably linked with Franconian Fastnacht.