Kehl Carnival

Kehl Carnival — Carnival at the Rhine Border Crossing

The Kehl Carnival is one of the most important carnival events on the southern Baden Upper Rhine and, at the same time, a cross-border encounter with Alsace. Kehl is located directly on the right bank of the Rhine opposite Strasbourg — the nearby major city in Alsace with its own carnival traditions is part of the carnival cosmos of the Kehl Carnival. The traditional weekend consists of two parades — the Night Parade on Saturday evening and the Grand Parade on Sunday. The organizer is the Förderverein Kehler Fastnacht e.V..

Night Parade February 7, 2026 — 6:11 PM

The Night Parade symbolically starts at 6:11 PM (in carnival, the "11" is the magic number). Illuminated floats, torchbearers, glowing costumes, and LED installations transform the main street into a nocturnal carnival kaleidoscope. More atmospheric and intimate than the Sunday parade — many families and lovers of the nocturnal atmosphere prefer Saturday evening.

Grand Parade February 8, 2026 — 1:30 PM

The Grand Parade on Sunday is the main event. Starting at 1:30 PM, the 89 registered groups will assemble from noon onwards along the staging streets. A total of about 3,500 costumed participants will march through the city center. The diversity of groups is great:

• Fanfarenzug Kehl e.V. — the local main group
• Groups from Baden-Württemberg — Swabian-Alemannic wooden mask tradition
• Alsatian Carnival Groups — French carnival energy
• Guggemusiken from Markgräflerland and Switzerland
• Float groups with thematic satirical floats

Approximately 30,000 spectators line the route. After the parade, the groups disperse throughout the city center and continue celebrating in bars, restaurants, and on the market square.

Kehl — City at the Rhine Border Crossing

Kehl (around 36,000 inhabitants, Ortenaukreis, AGS 08317) is located directly on the Rhine, which forms the German-French border here. The city is connected to Strasbourg via the European Bridge and has been part of Strasbourg's functional metropolitan area for decades. The German-French connection is defining — many Kehl residents work in France, and many Strasbourg residents visit Kehl. The Kehl Carnival reflects this dual identity: Swabian-Baden carnival canon plus a French carnival component.