Passau May Fair

Passau and its Dulten — an Old Tradition

Passau, the city of three rivers in southeastern Bavaria, hosts two major folk festivals annually: the Maidult in spring and the Herbstdult in late summer. Both take place at Messepark Kohlbruck on the southern outskirts and are integral to the identity of this major Lower Bavarian city. The Maidult is also the largest spring folk festival in Lower Bavaria and kicks off the Eastern Bavarian folk festival season.

The Dultstadl

With nearly 7,500 seats, the Dultstadl is one of the largest festival tents in Bavaria outside of Munich's Oktoberfest. It hosts live music daily (brass bands, party bands), serves beer from Lower Bavarian breweries, and offers traditional Bavarian cuisine. In addition, other smaller tents and a large amusement park with classic rides (Ferris wheel, roller coaster, bumper cars) and new attractions for the season ensure the complete folk festival atmosphere.

The Eleven-Day Programme

• Opening on Thursday, April 30th, with the ceremonial tapping of the first beer keg
• May 1st (May Day) — First major Family Day
• May 3rd — Traditional costume and marksmen's parade through Passau with brass music
• May 4th — Children's Day and Family Day with reduced prices and circus performances
• May 6th — Business Day
• May 7th — ABBA Night in the Dultstadl
• May 8th — Grand Firework Display at 10:00 PM
• Last day of the festival — Sunday, May 10th

Lower Bavaria and Passau

Passau, an independent city with around 53,000 inhabitants at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers, is a university city and a bishop's seat. The Maidult is one of the important identity-forming events for the city and the surrounding Passau district, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year from all over Eastern Bavaria, neighboring Upper Austria, and the South Bohemian region.