Öcher Fastelovvendsparade (8th Edition)

Carnival Aachen-Style

Aachen celebrates Fastelovvend — the Rhenish variant of Carnival — with its own tradition. One of its most modern manifestations is the Öcher Fastelovvendsparade, which has been parading through Aachen's city center in full carnival uniform since its premiere as a music parade. In 2026, the 8th edition will take place on Saturday, January 31.

500 Uniformed Participants + 200 Musicians

The scale is impressive:

• 500 uniformed participants from Aachen's major carnival societies march in full ceremonial uniform
• 200 musicians play with drums and trumpets — a true marching music parade

Participating carnival societies include:

• Prinzengarde Brander Stiere
• Rathausgarde Öcher Duemjroefe
• KG Grün-Weiß Lichtenbusch
• KK Oecher Storm
• Stadtgarde Oecher Penn

Aquis Plaza → Elisenbrunnen

The program has two parts. At 1:00 PM, the warm-up begins on the lower level of Aquis Plaza (Aachen shopping center). Afterward, the parade proceeds through the city center to the Elisenbrunnen — Aachen's landmark. An indoor concert from 1:45 PM to 2:45 PM forms the first highlight: all music societies play together — a musical journey through time featuring classic carnival marches, new compositions, and traditional classics.

UNESCO Cultural Heritage Öcher Fastelovvend

The Öcher Fastelovvend — Aachen Carnival — is recognized as intangible UNESCO Cultural Heritage. With its specific customs (Stippeföttche, Aachener Sessionsmotto, awarding of the city's 'Wider den tierischen Ernst' medal), it stands apart from the Carnival traditions of Cologne or Düsseldorf. The Öcher Fastelovvendsparade is its modern, musically accented complement to the traditional Rose Monday parade.

Weather Contingency

In case of very bad weather, the outdoor march may be shortened or canceled entirely. The indoor concert at Aquis Plaza will take place regardless of the weather. Current information is available on aachenerkarneval.de and in the Aachen daily press.

Aachen — The Westernmost Major City

Aachen is located in the far west of North Rhine-Westphalia, on the border with Belgium and the Netherlands. As the Aachen Region, it forms the center of the Euregio Maas-Rhein. With Aachen Cathedral as a UNESCO World Heritage site, RWTH Aachen University as a major technical university, and carnival customs that have evolved over centuries, Aachen is one of the most culturally diverse cities in western Germany.