Name: Glückstädter Matjeswochen 2026
Start: 2026-06-11T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-06-14T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Marktplatz und Binnenhafen Glückstadt

Matjeswochen Glückstadt

About Matjeswochen Glückstadt

Since 1968, the Hanseatic city of Glückstadt has celebrated the start of the Matjes season every year on the second Thursday in June — and for four days, nothing in the city on the Elbe is more important than the Glückstädter Matjes. Around 100,000 visitors celebrate the 59th edition of the Matjeswochen from June 11th to 14th, 2026, with live music on the harbour and market square stages, the Open Ship Mile, a duck race with 2,000 rubber ducks, a Matjes Mile with a flea market, and historical Matjes-walk guided tours.

Dates 11 Jun — 14 Jun 2026

Venue Glückstadt (01061)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Matjeswochen Glückstadt — edition 2026

The 59th Glückstädter Matjeswochen will be celebrated from June 11th to 14th, 2026. Opening on Thursday at 4:00 PM in the market square with Matjes tasting by Mayor Rolf Apfeld, Friday duck race at 6:01 PM, Saturday and Sunday Matjes Mile flea market, live music on the market and harbour stages.

2026 Programme

The 59th edition of the Glückstädter Matjeswochen starts on Thursday, June 11th, 2026, with the Matjes tasting at 4:00 PM in the historic market square: Mayor Rolf Apfeld and VGV representative Heike Püster traditionally open the new season with the first bite of Matjes. Four days of festival programme follow.

2026 Highlights

Thursday, June 11th, 4:00 PM — Opening and Matjes tasting in the market square
Friday, June 12th, 6:01 PM — 26th Glückstädter Duck Race: 2,000 rubber ducks race down the Fleth (Round Table Glückstadt)
Saturday, June 13th, 9 AM–6 PM — Matjes Mile Flea Market
Sunday, June 14th, 9 AM–5 PM — Matjes Mile Flea Market
Sunday, June 14th, 10 AM–5 PM — Children's Flea Market at Norderfleth
All 4 Days — Live music on the market and harbour stages (Rock, Pop, Shanty, Folk music)
All 4 Days — Open Ship Mile along the harbour promenade
Thursday and Friday, 2:00 PM — Matjes-walk guided tour through the history of herring processing (€10)

Highlights Matjeswochen Glückstadt 2026

Matjes tasting Thursday 4:00 PM market square; 26th Glückstädter Duck Race Friday 6:01 PM with 2,000 rubber ducks; Matjes Mile Flea Market Saturday and Sunday.

Programme Matjeswochen Glückstadt 2026

Thursday, June 11th, 2026

2:00 PM — Matjes-walk guided tour (Meeting point Tourist Info, €10)
4:00 PM — Official opening and Matjes tasting in the market square
From 5:00 PM — Live music on market and harbour stages

Friday, June 12th, 2026

2:00 PM — Matjes-walk guided tour
6:01 PM — 26th Glückstädter Duck Race on the Fleth (2,000 rubber ducks)
From 5:00 PM — Live music

Saturday, June 13th, 2026

9:00 AM–6:00 PM — Matjes Mile Flea Market (City Centre)
All Day — Harbour Games, Open Ships
Evening — Main concerts on harbour and market square stages

Sunday, June 14th, 2026

9:00 AM–5:00 PM — Matjes Mile Flea Market
10:00 AM–5:00 PM — Children's Flea Market at Norderfleth
Afternoon — Closing concerts

Prices Matjeswochen Glückstadt 2026

Free admission to the entire festival grounds. Matjes-walk guided tour €10. Food, drinks, and boat trips are charged individually.

Practical information

Practical information — Matjeswochen Glückstadt

Getting There

By car via the A23 (exit Itzehoe-Nord), then B5 towards Glückstadt. By train from Hamburg to Glückstadt (Regional Express, approx. 70 min) — the station is right on the outskirts of the city. Parking in the city centre is scarce during the Matjeswochen; use park-and-ride services.

Admission

Free admission. Food, drinks, boat trips, and guided tours are paid for on-site. Matjes-walk guided tour: €10.

On Site

The market square and inner harbour are the central festival areas. The Matjes Mile with flea market extends throughout the city centre. Restaurants serve Matjes in all variations — from the classic Bismarck to modern interpretations.

A Hanseatic City Celebrates its Herring

Glückstadt — the fortress and harbour city founded in 1617 on the Elbe — has been a centre for herring processing for centuries. The Glückstädter Matjes, still hand-processed today according to a traditional recipe, is a protected geographical indication. In 1968, the then-mayor Manfred Bruhn initiated the Matjeswochen — and since then, the city has celebrated the start of the Matjes season every year on the second Thursday in June as a major Volksfest (public festival).

Opening and Tradition

The opening ritual is a spectacle in itself: On Thursday at 4:00 PM, dignitaries gather in the historic market square for the Matjes tasting — the first Matjes of the season is ceremonially tasted. Mayor Rolf Apfeld and VGV representative Heike Püster officially open the festival. After that, the whole city goes full throttle for four days.

What You'll Experience

Market and Harbour Stage with live music — Rock, Pop, Shanty, Folk music — throughout all four days
Open Ship Mile — historical and modern ships can be boarded along the harbour promenade
Harbour Games — water competitions and maritime hands-on activities
Matjes Mile with Flea Market — city centre flea market on Saturday (9 AM–6 PM) and Sunday (9 AM–5 PM)
Children's Flea Market — Sunday (10 AM–5 PM) at Norderfleth
Duck Race — 26th edition, Friday, June 12th, 6:01 PM: 2,000 rubber ducks race down the Fleth, organised by Round Table Glückstadt for charitable purposes
Matjes-walk Guided Tours — on Thursday and Friday at 2 PM for €10, a walk through the history of herring processing

Glückstadt in the Steinburg District

Glückstadt is located in the Steinburg district in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, directly on the Elbe, about 60 km northwest of Hamburg. The historic fortress with its hexagonal layout, the inner harbour with the Matjes factories, and the old town make the Hanseatic city one of the most distinctive places on the Lower Elbe. During the Matjeswochen, the city is in a state of emergency — restaurants, guesthouses, and the surrounding area are booked out weeks in advance.