534th Lübbecke Civic Riflemen's Festival

534th Lübbecke Civic Riflemen's Festival 2026 — Tradition since 1492

From June 12th to 14th, 2026, the Lübbecke Civic Riflemen's Battalion will celebrate its 534th edition — one of Germany's most traditional and oldest civic riflemen's festivals. The Battalion was founded in 1492, the same year Columbus reached America. It is "the oldest civic association in our city", according to the Battalion's self-description — a tradition maintained without interruption for over 500 years.

Program — three days with historic command handover

Friday, June 12th — Battalion March-in and Commers

• 6:45 PM — Battalion march-in on the Market Square
• 7:10 PM — City march to the festival grounds
• 8:00 PM — Commers (internal Battalion event)

Saturday, June 13th — Festival Parade and Crown Prince Shooting

• 3:45 PM — Battalion march-in and Grand Festival Parade
• 5:15 PM — Crown Prince Shooting (main discipline of the Battalion tradition)
• 8:00 PM — Evening party with live band

Sunday, June 14th — Command Handover and City March

• 11:00 AM — Historic Command Handover (highlight of the festival)
• 11:45 AM — Final city march of the Battalion
• 12:30 PM — Camp activities

Free admission on Saturday and Sunday.

Decorating of Tonstraße — the preparatory ritual

Starting as early as June 9th, 2026, the citizens of Lübbecke will begin decorating Tonstraße — the main street leading to the festival grounds. Pennants, garlands, emblems, and company flags will be hung — a ritualistic act that gets the entire city into the festival spirit days before the festive weekend.

16 Companies — the structure of the Battalion

The Lübbecke Civic Riflemen's Battalion is divided into 16 companies — each with its own tradition, captain, and flag. Growing up in Lübbecke almost always means having a company in the family. Membership is not mandatory to celebrate at the riflemen's festival — but the companies form the social backbone of the event.

Lübbecke — the city at the Wiehengebirge

The city of Lübbecke, with around 25,000 inhabitants, is located in the Minden-Lübbecke district (Mühlenkreis) at the southern edge of the Wiehengebirge hills. The riflemen's tradition is so defining here that it is a tourism brand: Lübbecke is a "Schützenstadt" (Riflemen's City), and the Civic Riflemen's Festival is the social event of the year. The city lies between the Teutoburg Forest and the Middle Weser region, with the Wiehengebirge to the south and the Großer Moor to the north. The historic Tonstraße leads from the historic Market Square to Schützenstraße — the parade route of the Civic Riflemen's Festival for centuries.