Name: Memminger Fischertag 2026
Start: 2026-07-25T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-07-25T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Stadtbach und Altstadt Memmingen

Fischertag Memmingen

About Fischertag Memmingen

The Memminger Fischertag is one of Southern Germany's most extraordinary traditional festivals. Once a year, the people of Memmingen drain their historic Stadtbach (city stream) and fish it together with nets – whoever catches the heaviest trout is crowned Fischerkönig (Fisher King). The day is listed as intangible cultural heritage in Bavaria and marks the start of the Wallenstein Festival Week.

Dates 25 Jul — 25 Jul 2026

Venue Memmingen (09764)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Fischertag Memmingen — edition 2026

The Memminger Fischertag 2026 takes place on Saturday, July 25. The Stadtbach will be drained, the Memmingen Fishermen's Guild will fish it together, and whoever catches the heaviest trout will be crowned Fischerkönig (Fisher King). The day marks the start of the Wallenstein Festival Week.

As every year, the Memminger Fischertag 2026 begins at dawn. At 6:00 a.m., music bands parade through the old town with a wake-up call, at 6:30 a.m. the fishermen in traditional costume gather. The fishermen's procession starts at 7:05 a.m. and leads via Königsgraben, Schweizerberg, Roßmarkt, Kreuzstraße, and Kramerstraße to Schrannenplatz, where the fishermen's oath is held at 7:30 a.m.

With a cannon shot at 8:00 a.m., the fishing in the Stadtbach begins. The catcher of the heaviest trout is crowned Fischerkönig (Fisher King) in the morning; at 10:00 a.m., the coronation brunch follows in the stadium with the Stadtkapelle Memmingen. In the afternoon, historical camp life is planned at the Grimmelschanze, and in the evening, the Fischerkönig's procession and the Fischerabend (Fishermen's Evening) in the Stadthalle.

Highlights Fischertag Memmingen 2026

Stadtbach fishing starting at 8 a.m., crowning of the Fischerkönig, fishermen's procession through the old town at 7:05 a.m., historical camp life at the Grimmelschanze, Fischerabend (Fishermen's Evening) in the Stadthalle.

Programme Fischertag Memmingen 2026

Saturday, July 25, 2026 – Memmingen Old Town

6:00 a.m. – Wake-up call by music bands through the old town
6:30 a.m. – Gathering of fishermen in traditional costume
7:05 a.m. – Fishermen's procession via Königsgraben, Schweizerberg, Roßmarkt, Kreuzstraße, Kramerstraße to Schrannenplatz
7:30 a.m. – Fishermen's oath on Schrannenplatz
8:00 a.m. – Cannon shot, start of fishing in the Stadtbach
10:00 a.m. – Coronation brunch in the stadium with the Stadtkapelle Memmingen
1:30 p.m. – Follow-up fishing in the Stadtbach by the fishermen's group
2:00 p.m. – Historical camp life at the Grimmelschanze
6:00 p.m. – Procession of the Fischerkönig with entourage
7:30 p.m. – Fischerabend (Fishermen's Evening) in the Stadthalle with the Stadtkapelle

Following: Wallenstein Festival Week from July 26 to August 2, 2026.

Prices Fischertag Memmingen 2026

Watching by the Stadtbach is free. Fischerabend, fishing courses, and Wallenstein program items are ticketed separately. Book in advance via fischertagsverein.de.

Practical information

Practical information — Fischertag Memmingen

Getting There

Car: A7 exit Memmingen-Nord or -Süd. Train: Memmingen station, directly in the center. Traffic regulations in the old town during the Fischertag – arrive early.

Admission

Watching by the Stadtbach is free. Fishing courses, the Fischerabend, and Wallenstein events are ticketed separately.

Contact

Fischertagsverein Memmingen e.V., Am Einlaß 5 ½, 87700 Memmingen, Phone +49 8331 495065, [email protected]

A Stream, a City, a Fishing Day

The Memminger Fischertag is the defining traditional festival of the Upper Swabian imperial city of Memmingen in the Allgäu. Its core is a simple but impactful event: once a year, the historic Stadtbach, which flows through the middle of the old town, is drained in a controlled manner, and hundreds of fishermen – wearers of the traditional costume of the Memmingen Fishermen's Guild – step into it with nets to catch trout. The catcher of the heaviest trout is crowned Fischerkönig (Fisher King) on the same morning.

From the Wake-Up Call to the Fishermen's Evening

The day begins at 6 a.m. with a wake-up call by music bands, followed by the fishermen's procession through the old town. With a cannon shot at 8 a.m., the actual fishing begins. In the afternoon, a historical camp life is scheduled at the Grimmelschanze; the day ends with the procession of the Fischerkönig and the festive Fischerabend (Fishermen's Evening) in the Stadthalle.

What to Expect

6:00 a.m. Wake-up call by music bands
7:05 a.m. Fishermen's procession through the old town
8:00 a.m. Start of fishing in the Stadtbach
10:00 a.m. Coronation brunch in the stadium
2:00 p.m. Historical camp life at the Grimmelschanze
6:00 p.m. Procession of the Fischerkönig
7:30 p.m. Fischerabend (Fishermen's Evening) in the Stadthalle

Kick-off to the Wallenstein Festival Week

The Fischertag directly kicks off the Wallenstein Festival Week – the historical commemoration of the siege of Memmingen by Wallenstein's troops in 1630, featuring camps, ceremonies, and reenactments throughout the old town. Together, these events make Memmingen the most visible traditional festival city in Southern Germany at the end of July.

Memmingen in the Allgäu

Memmingen, a former imperial city in the district of Memmingen, has around 45,000 inhabitants and is considered the 'Gateway to the Allgäu'. The Fischertag has been documented since the Renaissance and is part of Bavaria's intangible cultural heritage. Membership in the Fischertagsverein is a serious distinction – families in Memmingen have often been fishermen for generations and wear the traditional costume with discernible pride.