Karneval Niederkassel — Carnival Parades 2026

Six Carnival Parades in Six Districts — Niederkassel's Rhenish Specialty

Niederkassel is a small Rhenish town between Bonn and Cologne with around 39,000 inhabitants — and in Karneval, one of the densest event locations in the Rhineland. Instead of a single large parade, each of the six historically distinct village districts celebrates its own Karneval parade: Lülsdorf, Uckendorf, Rheidt, Mondorf, Niederkassel-Ort, and Ranzel. In 2026, the festival runs from Thursday, February 12th to Tuesday, February 17th — five days of Karneval with a packed parade schedule.

Six Parades in Detail

Each district has its own Karneval societies, its own traditions, and its own date. The 2026 parade order:

• Lülsdorf — Saturday, February 14th, 2026, 1:30 PM: Kick-off to the weekend with Niederkassel's first Karneval parade.
• Uckendorf — Saturday, February 14th, 2026, 3:30 PM: Two hours after Lülsdorf, the second parade takes place, also on Saturday.
• Rheidt — Sunday, February 15th, 2026, 12:11 PM: A classic nod to 11:11 — Rheidt's Karneval Sunday parade starts shortly after noon.
• Mondorf — Monday, February 16th, 2026, 1:11 PM: Rose Monday parade in the Mondorf district — the start of the Rose Monday block.
• Niederkassel-Ort — Monday, February 16th, 2026, 2:11 PM: One hour after Mondorf, the parade in the town's main district follows.
• Ranzel — Tuesday, February 17th, 2026, 2:30 PM: Shrove Tuesday parade in Ranzel as the festival finale.

The time intervals are no coincidence: many Schützen (marksmen) and dance societies march in multiple parades, moving from one to the next — a logistical masterpiece by Niederkassel's Karneval families.

'Jecke Tage' on Rathausplatz

Parallel to the district parades, the 'Jecke Tage' festival runs from February 12th to 16th, 2026 on Rathausplatz in the main town of Niederkassel — a central Karneval hub featuring:

• Stage program with local Karneval bands, dance troupes, and MCs
• Food stalls with Reibekuchen (potato pancakes), Bratwurst (sausage), fries
• Mulled wine, beer, and Karneval cocktails
• Karneval atmosphere for everyone not directly participating in the parades

'Jecke Tage' offers the central meeting point for Karneval families from all six districts — and for visitors from neighboring Bonn, Cologne, and the region.

Niederkassel — Six Districts, One Karneval Family

Niederkassel consists of six districts that were historically independent villages on the Rhine, only united into a town in 1969. Each district has its own Karneval tradition, its own society, its own prince/princess election — and after the town's founding, rather than consolidating, the diversity was explicitly preserved. This makes Niederkassel's Karneval unique compared to other Rhenish municipalities that prefer a central parade.

Traffic Restrictions

During Karneval week, extensive traffic restrictions apply — parking bans in the districts from February 9th until Ash Wednesday, road closures along the parade routes. The town warns: closures cannot be lifted immediately after the parade due to necessary street cleaning. Vehicles in no-parking zones will be towed. Arrival by public transport or bicycle is strongly recommended.