Rakoczy Festival Bad Kissingen

A Historical Spectacle of European Rank

The Rakoczy Festival is the most traditional and largest folk festival in the town of Bad Kissingen, the famous state spa in the Lower Franconian district of Bad Kissingen in Bavaria. Every year on the last weekend of July, the spa town transforms into a magnificent backdrop of the imperial era: historic costumes, carriages, riders, and costumed extras bring the glamorous past of the world-renowned spa back to life.

The Rakoczy Spring as the Origin

The festival celebrates the rediscovery of the eponymous Rakoczy Spring in 1737. This mineral-rich healing spring founded the rise of Bad Kissingen to a fashionable world spa, where emperors, kings, tsars, and artists from all over Europe took cures in the 19th century. During the festival, numerous extras slip into the roles of these famous historic spa guests and mingle with the visitors.

Festival Ball, Parade, and Fireworks

Highlights include:

• The Rakoczy Festival Ball in the magnificent Regentenbau with historic figures, a festive menu, and dance music
• The grand historic parade on Sunday through the town center and the spa facilities
• The evening Rakoczy Illumination in the Rosengarten
• The grand finale fireworks over the historic spa facilities

Three Days of Festival Culture

In many places in the town – in Luitpoldpark, the Kurgarten, on Rathausplatz, and in the pedestrian zone – concerts, dance performances, interactive activities, and Franconian specialties provide a varied program. The Rakoczy Festival thus combines the historic identity of the spa town with vibrant festival culture, turning the UNESCO World Heritage spa resort into a grand stage for a weekend.