Kirmes Kalkar-Wissel

Kirmes in the Wissel Village Center

Wissel is a district of the town of Kalkar in the Kleve district on the lower Rhine. The 2026 Kirmes runs on Sunday, July 12, and Monday, July 13 — the Lower Rhine tradition of holding the Kirmes over a weekend and start of the week is continued here. The venue is the festival tent on Wissel's market square, in the historic village center. The organizer is the local marksmen's brotherhood.

King's Shooting on July 4

A week before the actual Kirmes — on Saturday, July 4, 2026 — the king's shooting will take place. Assembly is at "beim Schwan" at 2:45 PM to pick up the reigning queen. The shooting itself begins at 3:30 PM in the parking lot of the community center. Whoever makes the decisive shot will become the new marksmen's king for a year and will be the focus as the royal couple at the Kirmes.

Lower Rhine Marksmen Tradition

The Kleve district association organizes the coordination of the marksmen's festivals on the lower Rhine. Wissel is one of dozens of marksmen's and fair festivals in the district between Kleve, Emmerich, Goch, and Kalkar. The combination of marksmen tradition (king's shooting) and fair elements (rides, festival tent) has been standard here for decades.

Festival Tent on the Market Square

The festival tent on Wissel's market square forms the center of the Kirmes. Live music (local bands and cover sets) plays on the stage, refreshments are served at the tables, and showman stalls and smaller rides are set up outside. The proclamation of the king, the king's dance, and the festival finale follow the traditional Rhine-Lower Rhine pattern.

Kalkar on the Lower Rhine

Kalkar, a small town of around 14,000 inhabitants in the Kleve district, is known for the late Gothic St. Nicolai Church (with its significant carved altars) and the Wunderland Kalkar (former fast breeder reactor, now amusement park). Wissel is one of the smaller districts with its own village identity and its own marksmen's brotherhood.