Ossensamstag – Carnival Parade Osnabrück
48th Ossensamstag – Grand Carnival Parade through Osnabrück City Centre
About Ossensamstag
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Ossensamstag al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Carnival, Lower Saxony Style
Ossensamstag impressively refutes the cliché that carnival is purely a Rhineland affair. For decades, Osnabrück has drawn thousands of revellers to the city centre on Carnival Saturday, proving that the 'fifth season' can be celebrated with gusto even in the predominantly Protestant region of Lower Saxony. The roots of Ossensamstag reach far back; the 48th edition will be celebrated in 2026.
From Kollegienwall to the Market Square
The parade starts at 2:11 PM at Kollegienwall at Neue Mühle and proceeds through the city centre with its historic buildings to the Market Square in front of the Town Hall. Over a route of approximately 90 minutes, spectators will witness the procession of decorated floats, guards, music bands, walking groups, and satirical floats addressing current political and social issues.
Family Zone on Schlagvorder Straße
The BOK places particular emphasis on the family zone on Schlagvorder Straße, which serves as a meeting point for families with children from 1:00 PM to 1:45 PM before the parade begins. Here, families can wait for the parade in a protected area without having to navigate the main crowds.
Town Hall Storming and Closing Party
The climax, around 3:30 PM, is the traditional storming of the town hall on the Market Square: Carnival societies symbolically conquer the city administration, the Carnival President receives the city keys from the Mayor, and a DJ party concludes the day. Thousands of revellers continue to celebrate into the evening in the city centre.
Ossensamstag — edition 2026
The exact parade program for 2026 will be published by the Bürgerausschuss Osnabrücker Karneval e.V. (BOK) in advance of the carnival days. The structure follows the proven key points of previous years: family zone before the parade starts, carnival parade lasting approximately 90 minutes, town hall storming and closing party on the Market Square, followed by reveller activities in the city centre pubs.
Programme Ossensamstag 2026
Schedule – February 14, 2026
- 1:00 PM to 1:45 PM: Family zone on Schlagvorder Straße
- 2:11 PM: Start of the Carnival Parade at Kollegienwall (Neue Mühle)
- Procession of decorated floats, guards, music bands, walking groups
- Satirical floats addressing current topics
- Approx. 3:30 PM: Arrival at the Market Square and Town Hall Storming
- Handover of city keys to the Carnival President
- DJ party and stage show on the Market Square
- Subsequent reveller activities in the city centre pubs
Note
Updates will be posted on osna-helau.de/ossensamstag.
Highlights Ossensamstag 2026
- 48th edition of Osnabrück's largest street carnival
- Carnival parade starting at 2:11 PM
- Family zone on Schlagvorder Straße
- Town Hall Storming and DJ party on the Market Square
- Free admission
Prices Ossensamstag 2026
Practical information — Ossensamstag
Date 2026
Saturday, February 14, 2026 (Carnival Saturday).
Times
- 1:00 PM to 1:45 PM: Family zone on Schlagvorder Straße
- 2:11 PM: Start of the Carnival Parade at Kollegienwall (Neue Mühle)
- Approx. 3:30 PM: Arrival at the Market Square, Town Hall Storming, and DJ Party
Route
From Kollegienwall (Neue Mühle) through the city centre to Osnabrück Market Square.
Getting There
Public transport: Numerous bus lines stop at city centre stations. By car: Car parks in the city centre (e.g., Stadthaus, Theater). Osnabrück Main Station is a 15-minute walk away.
Admission
Watching the parade is free.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
Max. 5 photos, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Each suggestion is reviewed by our team before being published.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Ossensamstag al mejor precio.
Sponsored link