Karneval Neuss – Kappessonntagszug

The Kappessonntagszug — Neuss Karneval at its best

The Kappessonntagszug is Neuss's grand Karneval parade on the Sunday before Rose Monday. On February 15, 2026, the parade will set off punctually at 1:11 PM — the assembly of the around 2,500 participants begins much earlier on Oberstraße: the head of the parade forms up at the district administration building (Kreishaus), the tail at the civic centre (Stadthalle).

What parades through Neuss?

The parade consists of three classic components of a Rhenish Karneval procession:

• Walking groups — costumed clubs and city districts participating on foot
• Dance troupes — Majorettes, guard dancers, show dance groups from Neuss Karneval societies
• Music bands — brass bands, drum corps, pipe bands
• Floats and parade wagons — around 30 large, often satirically painted wagons with candy throws

The Parade Route 2026

The parade starts on Oberstraße and proceeds through the following streets in Neuss city centre: Zollstraße, Friedrichstraße, Breite Straße, Drususallee, Benno-Nußbaum-Platz, Erftstraße, Büttger Straße, Hermannsplatz, Kapitelstraße, Krefelder Straße, Niederstraße, Büchel, and Markt, before dispersing again on Oberstraße. The best spots are traditionally around the market square, at St. Quirinus Minster, and on Krefelder Straße.

"Kappes" — where does the name come from?

The name "Kappes" is the Lower Rhenish word for white cabbage. For centuries, Neuss was known as the "Kappes-Stadt" (Cabbage Town) — the fertile floodplains of the Erft river produced an abundance of sauerkraut raw material. The parade's name is thus a self-ironic reminder of the town's agricultural past. The "Kappes-Helmut" remains one of the iconic figures of Neuss Karneval to this day.

Karneval in Neuss — on the doorstep of Düsseldorf

Neuss, one of the largest towns on the Lower Rhine with around 156,000 inhabitants and the seat of the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district, cultivates its own distinct, confident Karneval — consciously alongside Düsseldorf Karneval, not in its shadow. The Karnevalsausschuss Neuss e.V. (KA), founded as an umbrella organisation for Neuss Karneval societies, coordinates the season and organises the Kappessonntagszug.

Karneval Weekend 2026 in Neuss

The Kappessonntagszug is part of the entire Neuss Karneval season: The town hall is already in a frenzy on Weiberfastnacht (Women's Carnival Day, Feb 12th), and the Veilchendienstagszug (Rose Monday Parade) takes place on Veilchendienstag (Feb 17th) — but Kappessonntag remains the day with the largest public turnout.