Maifest Auerberg — Dance into May

Maifest Auerberg 2026 — Dance into May in front of St. Bernhard Church

On Thursday, April 30, 2026, starting at 4 PM, Flensburger Straße in the Bonn district of Auerberg transforms into a district festival site. In front of the historic St. Bernhard Church, the Festausschuss Auerberg hosts its traditional May Festival „Dance into May" — one of the oldest May Eve festivals in northern Bonn.

Program 2026

From 4 PM — Opening

• Beer tapping by the mayor or district representative
• Welcome by the Festausschuss
• First children's program activities

Stage Program

• Kindergarten and school groups: May dances and songs
• Local music bands from the district
• Kölsche Welle — a Kölsch dialect rock band playing Top 40 classics
• Pimock — a cover band with a setlist of rock, pop, and Schlager hits

Maibaumaufstellen (Maypole Raising)

The highlight of the evening: the traditional raising of the Maypole on Flensburger Straße. The pole is decorated beforehand by the associations — ribbons, wreaths, and the Auerberg coat of arms — and erected together with the fire department and many helping hands. A custom celebrated in almost every district of the Rhineland.

Children's Program

• Bouncy castle on the closed street
• Carousel with May themes
• Face painting
• Craft activities with the school groups

Gastronomy

• Barbecue stand with sausages, steaks, fries
• Coffee, cake, waffles
• Beer (Kölsch, Pils), wine, cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks

Festausschuss Auerberg — The Organizers

The Festausschuss Auerberg is an association of the most important Auerberg clubs that jointly uphold the district's traditions:

• Männerreih — a classic Rhenish men's club with Carnival and May traditions
• Siedlergemeinschaft Auerberg — residents' association, organizes district matters
• St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft Auerberg — traditional marksmen's club that also organizes its own festivals

Together, they pool volunteer efforts, logistics, and financial resources to bring the annual May festival to life. Registration for volunteers is via the Festausschuss website bonn-auerberg.de.

St. Bernhard Church — The Venue

St. Bernhard Church is the Catholic parish church of the Auerberg district, built in the 1950s as a district church for the new settlement that emerged after the war. It is named after Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and serves as the spiritual center of the district. The small church and its adjacent forecourt form the natural gathering place for the May festival — centrally located, easily accessible, with enough space for the stage, beer tent, and carousel.

Auerberg — Northern Bonn with History

The district of Auerberg is located in the Bonn district of Beuel, on the right bank of the Rhine, in the north of the city. It was established as a residential settlement in the post-war years on the site of a former farm. With around 6,000 inhabitants, the district is manageable and strongly characterized by club life — marksmen, Carnival, Männerreih, Siedlergemeinschaft, sports clubs. The May festival is one of the most important annual district festivals, bringing together both long-time residents and new inhabitants.