Laurentiuskirmes Bergisch Gladbach

184 Years of Tradition on Konrad-Adenauer-Platz

The Laurentiuskirmes is the oldest and largest Volksfest in Bergisch Gladbach. First documented in 1842, it enters its 184th edition in 2026. It owes its name to Saint Laurentius, the patron saint of Bergisch Gladbach, whose parish church stands right next to the festival grounds in the heart of the city center. For generations, the venue has been Konrad-Adenauer-Platz — the central square located between the pedestrian zone, the town hall, and the Laurentius Church.

Date 2026 — August 8th to 11th

The 2026 fair runs for four days from Saturday, August 8th to Tuesday, August 11th. The festival calendar traditionally follows the weekend around St. Lawrence's Day (August 10th), which is also the high feast day of the parish church.

Opening with Showmen's Fair and Keg Tapping

This is one of the most distinctive moments in the Bergisch Gladbach festival calendar: On Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, the Schaustellermesse (showmen's fair) takes place in St. Laurentius Church — a joint service for the showmen families and the community, with a liturgical blessing of the stalls and rides. Afterwards, there's a joint breakfast for the showmen in front of the church. At 12:00 PM, the official opening of the fair on Konrad-Adenauer-Platz takes place with the traditional Fassanstich (keg tapping ceremony) — and while Bergisch Gladbach celebrates, the bell of St. Laurentius announces the festival far beyond the city.

Program and Rides

Over the four festival days, around 50 showmen transform Konrad-Adenauer-Platz and adjacent streets into a classic Volksfest: Ferris wheel, dodgems, carousels of all sizes, haunted and amusement rides, shooting galleries, lottery stalls, and a wide range of food stalls from bratwurst and fries to almonds, gingerbread hearts, and cocktail bars. Family-friendly areas with children's rides characterize the daytime hours, while in the evenings, the fair attracts a younger crowd from the Bergisches Land region. The showmen distribute free chips for carousel rides during the festival — a small gesture to loyal guests.

Fireworks on Tuesday Evening

The traditional conclusion on Tuesday evening, August 11th, 2026, is the spectacular fireworks display over Konrad-Adenauer-Platz — the moment when the showmen bid farewell to their guests from Gladbach. Thousands of spectators gather in the city center for the pyrotechnics, and the city marketing department expects tens of thousands of fair visitors over the four days each year.

Bergisch Gladbach — District Capital in the Bergisches Land

Bergisch Gladbach is the district capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis and, with around 113,000 inhabitants, one of the largest medium-sized cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. The city is located east of Cologne on the edge of the Bergisches Land — a commuter town on the one hand, and a city with its own traditions on the other. The Laurentiuskirmes, along with the Pfingstkirmes (Whitsun Fair, similar in format to the Laurentiuskirmes), is the central traditional element in the city's festival calendar and represents the community-based, club-supported self-image of this urban society. The fair has been registered as Intangible Cultural Heritage of the city since 2025.