Name: Pfingstkirmes Bergisch Gladbach 2026
Start: 2026-05-23T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-05-26T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Konrad-Adenauer-Platz Bergisch Gladbach

Pfingstkirmes BGL

About Pfingstkirmes BGL

One of the oldest folk festivals in the right-Rhenish Bergisches Land: The Pfingstkirmes Bergisch Gladbach has been celebrated uninterruptedly since 1842. From May 23 to 26, 2026, the city will transform Konrad-Adenauer-Platz into a four-day festival landscape with over a dozen rides for the 184th time. Mayor Marcel Kreutz will open the festival on Whit Saturday at 12:00 PM — and on Whit Tuesday, May 26, a grand fireworks display will provide the traditional conclusion. Free admission.

Dates 23 May — 26 May 2026

Venue Bergisch Gladbach (05378)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Pfingstkirmes BGL — edition 2026

The 184th Pfingstkirmes Bergisch Gladbach 2026 runs from May 23 to 26 at Konrad-Adenauer-Platz. Opening Whit Saturday 12 PM by Mayor Marcel Kreutz, four days of Volksfest with rides, carousels, and fireworks on Whit Tuesday evening. Free admission.

Four days of Pentecost Fair with a classic showman program: Frisbee ride, "Route 66" bumper cars, Musikexpress, 15-meter Ferris wheel, Chaosfabrik (three-story obstacle course), Fairy Tale Express for children. Food stalls with Rhenish specialties, game and lottery stands.

Highlights Pfingstkirmes BGL 2026

184th edition of a fair since 1842
Opening by the mayor with beer tapping
Free ride tickets for children at the start
15-meter Ferris wheel
Grand fireworks display on Whit Tuesday
Free admission

Programme Pfingstkirmes BGL 2026

Whit Saturday, May 23, 2026 — Opening

12:00 PM Official opening with Mayor Marcel Kreutz, beer tapping, ringing of bells
Distribution of free ride tickets for children afterwards
Festival operations until late

Whit Sunday, May 24, 2026

Continuous festival operations
Family program during the day, live music in the evening

Whit Monday, May 25, 2026

Continuous festival operations
Main visitor day

Whit Tuesday, May 26, 2026 — Grand Fireworks

Last day of the festival
Evening: Grand fireworks display to conclude the festival

Rides and Attractions

Frisbee ride
"Route 66" bumper cars with new paintwork
Musikexpress (spinning carousel)
15-meter Ferris wheel
"Chaosfabrik" — three-story obstacle course
Fairy Tale Express for children
Classic carousels and food stalls

Prices Pfingstkirmes BGL 2026

Free admission. Rides and food stalls at typical fair prices. Free ride tickets for children at the opening on Whit Saturday.

Practical information

Practical information — Pfingstkirmes BGL

Getting there

Take the S-Bahn S11 from Cologne Central Station for 25 minutes to Bergisch Gladbach. From the station, it's a 5-minute walk to Konrad-Adenauer-Platz. By car, take the A4 (exit Bensberg) or A1 (exit Burscheid). Parking garages in the city center.

Opening hours

Whit Saturday, May 23 (opening from 12:00 PM) to Whit Tuesday, May 26, 2026, daily. Opening fireworks on Whit Tuesday evening.

Admission

Free entry to the festival grounds and the fireworks display. Individual rides at typical fair prices.

Tip

The fireworks display on Whit Tuesday evening (approx. 10:00 PM–10:30 PM) is particularly worthwhile — best viewed from the festival grounds themselves or from the neighboring Bergisches Löwen-Monument.

Since 1842 without interruption — one of the oldest fairs in the Rhineland

The Pfingstkirmes Bergisch Gladbach is one of the most traditional folk festivals in the Bergisches Land region: It has been celebrated every Pentecost weekend without interruption since 1842 — making it one of the oldest continuously existing fairs in North Rhine-Westphalia. 2026 marks the 184th edition.

Four days of program at Konrad-Adenauer-Platz

Konrad-Adenauer-Platz, with the adjacent Bergisches Löwen-Monument, forms the classic festival area. Over four days (Whit Saturday to Whit Tuesday), rides and stalls are lined up in a manageable, family-friendly format. The official opening takes place on Whit Saturday, May 23 at 12:00 PM — with a beer tapping by Mayor Marcel Kreutz, ringing of bells, and cutting of the traditional first sausage. Afterwards, free ride tickets for children will be distributed.

Highlights and Rides

The program includes numerous fairground classics: a Frisbee ride, the "Route 66" bumper cars with new paintwork, the Musikexpress as a spinning carousel, a nostalgic 15-meter Ferris wheel, the three-story obstacle course "Chaosfabrik", a Fairy Tale Express for children, and several classic carousels. Food stalls offer bratwurst, crêpes, candied almonds, and the Rhenish specialty Rievkooche, along with game and lottery stands.

Fireworks on Whit Tuesday

The traditional conclusion is the grand fireworks display on Whit Tuesday, May 26 in the evening — one of the most beautiful free fireworks displays in the right-Rhenish Bergisches Land. Visitors come from Bergisch Gladbach, Cologne, Leverkusen, and the entire Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis.

Bergisch Gladbach — Capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis

The city of Bergisch Gladbach is the district capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis and is one of the largest medium-sized centers in the right-Rhenish greater Cologne area (North Rhine-Westphalia). With almost 112,000 inhabitants, the city is the largest medium-sized city in the Bergisches Land. The Pentecost Fair has shaped the Bergisch Gladbach Pentecost weekend for almost two centuries and is part of the city's identity.