Ketscher Backfischfest
73rd edition on the Rhine — ten days of festival tent, wine tavern, amusement park, and the famous Backfisch specialty from the Rhenish-Hessian municipality
About Backfischfest Ketsch
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73 Years of Backfischfest on the Rhine
The Ketscher Backfischfest is one of the most traditional Volksfeste in the Kurpfalz region and will celebrate its 73rd edition in 2026. Over ten festival days from July 31 to August 9, the event brings more than 150,000 visitors to the Rhenish-Hessian municipality of Ketsch — an impressive number for a community of around 13,000 inhabitants. The Backfischfest is thus the identity-defining summer event of the Rhine municipality Ketsch.
The Specialty — Rhenish Backfisch
The namesake of the festival is the Rhenish specialty Backfisch: fillets of river or sea fish (traditionally carp, today often sea fish like Alaska pollock) coated in beer batter and deep-fried. Thousands of portions are sold per day at the Backfisch stands along the festival mile — usually with fries or bread. The festival thus celebrates a culinary tradition that is particularly cherished in the Kurpfalz and on the Middle Rhine between Mannheim, Worms, and Mainz.
Festival Tent, Wine Tavern, Amusement Park
The festival grounds are divided into several areas. The large festival tent is the musical highlight — live music daily with local and national bands, dance music until late into the night. The wine tavern offers a quieter atmosphere with wines from the Palatinate and Rhenish Hesse, as well as regional specialties. The amusement park with rides, carousels, a Ferris wheel, and a children's area completes the offerings for families and young people.
Festival Sunday with Parade, Family Day, Frühschoppen
Key program points include the festival parade on Sunday with floats, traditional costume groups, clubs, and showmen, the Frühschoppen on several Sundays with brass bands from the region, and the family days with reduced ride prices. The opening evening traditionally features the tapping of the first keg and a ceremonial speech; the closing fireworks mark the end of the ten festival days.
Ketsch — Rhine Municipality in the Rhein-Neckar District
Ketsch, with around 13,000 inhabitants, is a municipality in the Rhein-Neckar district in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located on the right bank of the Rhine between Mannheim, Schwetzingen, and Heidelberg. Its location on an old Rhine arm shapes the community's identity — and the Backfischfest celebrates precisely this identity. The proximity to the major cities of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region attracts visitors from all over southern Germany, from Frankfurt to the French border. The festival is part of the dense Volksfest landscape of the Kurpfalz, which is richly populated in summer with the Schwetzingen Festival, Mannheim Carnival Market, Heidelberg Castle Festival, and Backfischfest.
Backfischfest Ketsch — edition 2026
2026 Program — Ten Festival Days on the Rhine
The 73rd edition of the Ketscher Backfischfest follows the decades-old dramaturgy: Opening on July 31 with the tapping of the first keg and ceremonial speech, ten festival days with daily catering and amusement park, festival parade on Sunday, closing fireworks on the last evening. The detailed program with live music acts, Frühschoppen bands, and family day activities will be published by Ketscher Backfischfest e.V. before the festival on backfischfestketsch.de.
Characteristic is the mix of Volksfest and culinary experience: The Backfisch stands along the festival mile celebrate the Rhenish fish tradition; the festival tent and wine tavern complement the spectrum from a robust Volksfest to refined wine enjoyment.
Programme Backfischfest Ketsch 2026
Friday, July 31, 2026 — Opening
- Tapping of the first keg and ceremonial speech on the opening evening
- Opening of the festival tent, wine tavern, and amusement park
- Live music in the festival tent
Saturday, August 1, 2026
- Festival tent with live music until late at night
- Backfisch stands, catering at the wine tavern and amusement park snack bars
Sunday, August 2, 2026 — Festival Parade
- Grand festival parade through Ketsch with floats, traditional costume groups, clubs, showmen
- Frühschoppen with brass band
- Family program in the amusement park
August 3–8, 2026 — Festival Week
- Daily live music in the festival tent
- Family days with reduced ride prices
- Amusement park with rides for all ages
- Backfisch specialty stands throughout
Sunday, August 9, 2026 — Closing
- Last festival day with amusement park and festival tent
- Closing fireworks in the evening
Highlights Backfischfest Ketsch 2026
- 73rd edition of the traditional Backfischfest
- Over 150,000 visitors in 10 festival days
- Rhenish Backfisch in beer batter — festival specialty
- Large festival tent with daily live music
- Wine tavern with Palatinate and Rhenish Hessian wines
- Amusement park with rides, carousels, Ferris wheel
- Grand festival parade on Sunday with floats and traditional costume groups
- Closing fireworks on the last festival evening
- Free admission
Prices Backfischfest Ketsch 2026
Free admission. Food and drinks at the festival tent, wine tavern, and snack stands at market prices. Backfisch portions typically €8–€12. Rides €3–€7 per ride. Family days with reduced ride prices.
Practical information — Backfischfest Ketsch
Getting There
By car via the A 6 (exit Schwetzingen-Hockenheim) or A 5 (exit Walldorf/Wiesloch), then take the L 599 to Ketsch. By public transport via S-Bahn/Stadtbahn from Mannheim or Heidelberg to Schwetzingen, then bus 717 to Ketsch. Shuttle service during the festival.
Opening Hours
July 31 to August 9, 2026. Festival tent typically from 5 PM on weekdays, from 11 AM on weekends — until approx. 1 AM. Amusement park similar times. Exact daily opening hours will be announced on backfischfestketsch.de.
Contact
Backfischfestverein Ketsch e.V., Tel. +49 6202 615 79 (Wednesdays 6–7 PM), [email protected].
Admission
Free admission. Food, drinks, rides, and Backfisch portions at market prices.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place Backfischfest Ketsch
Festgelände am Rhein
Schwetzinger Straße / Festgelände, 68775 Ketsch