Kaarst Total — The most beautiful city festival on the Lower Rhine

Kaarst Total — the largest city festival on the Lower Rhine

Kaarst Total describes itself as "the most beautiful city festival on the Lower Rhine" – and with over 100,000 expected visitors over two days, it is indeed one of the largest free city festival events in North Rhine-Westphalia. On September 5th and 6th, 2026, the festival celebrates its 25th anniversary. A quarter of a century of city festival in a row – that's quite an achievement for a sponsor-supported event format.

Four Stages, Non-Stop Entertainment

Three central stages define the festival grounds around Neumarkt, Matthias-Claudius-Straße, and Maubisstraße:

• Sparkassen-Bühne (Savings Bank Stage) – the main stage (Saturday and Sunday)
• Hügen-BMW-Timmermanns-Bühne (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
• Autohaus-Moll-Bühne (Moll Car Dealership Stage) – Pop, Rock, Cover (Saturday and Sunday)

The 2026 program will be announced successively. Classics from previous editions included artists like Loona, Maffaypur (Peter Maffay tribute), Olaf Henning, The Voice of Tina (Tina Turner tribute), Der letzte Schrei, Booster, BerGluft – a relaxed mix of Schlager, cover bands, and Lower Rhine acts.

Weekend Program Classics

What sets Kaarst Total apart from a "normal" city festival are the established ritual elements that have become cult over the years:

• Musical Frühschoppen of the Kaarst Marksmen – Sunday morning, combining the city festival with the local marksmen's tradition
• Open-Air Church Service – Sunday morning, ecumenical, right in the middle of the festival grounds
• Top-Class Fireworks Display – the visual highlight of the weekend
• Classic à la Kaarst – a classic car show with vintage vehicles in the city center, attracting classic car fans from all over the Lower Rhine
• Promenade with street food, cocktail bars, and Lower Rhine cuisine
• Free Children's Activities – face painting, crafts, interactive stations

150 Partners and €0 Admission

The model is remarkable: over 150 regional companies, associations, and institutions support the festival. No admission fee. No tickets. No cash at the entrance. A broad base of sponsors – from car dealerships and energy providers to bakeries – makes this format possible. The organizer is the association Kaarst Total e.V., which has achieved 25 years of continuity.

Kaarst — A Medium-Sized City in the Rhein-Kreis Neuss District

Kaarst, with around 44,000 inhabitants, is located in the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district, immediately west of Düsseldorf. It is well-connected via the A57 and A52 motorways. The 2026 city festival, marking its 25th edition, falls within a period where Kaarst has established itself as a vibrant medium-sized city on the Lower Rhine. It's a date known throughout the Lower Rhine region's calendar.