Red Bull Paddelfest Augsburg
Quirky boat race with self-built costume boats in the Olympic ice channel
2026
About Red Bull Paddelfest
Red Bull Paddelfest — edition 2026
The Red Bull Paddelfest 2026 will take place on Saturday, August 1st, on the Olympic ice channel course in Augsburg. Up to 40 teams with a maximum of 160 participants (minimum age 18) will compete in groups of two, three, or four people.
The teams build their own human-powered boats (max. 2 m wide, 4 m long, 2 m high, environmentally friendly, no roof). A jury of athletes and local personalities will judge speed, boat creativity, and costumes. Application and invitation of creative teams until June 14th, construction and trial phase from June 15th to July 31st. The event is free for spectators.
Highlights Red Bull Paddelfest 2026
- Quirky boat race on the 1972 Olympic canoe course
- Up to 40 self-built costume boats
- Jury judges speed, creativity, and costumes
- Thousands of spectators along the course
- Free for spectators, right in the middle of Augsburg
Programme Red Bull Paddelfest 2026
Schedule
- Up to 40 teams, max. 160 participants (groups of 2/3/4, aged 18+)
- Self-built, costumed boats on the ice channel course
- Jury evaluation: Speed, boat creativity, costumes
- Application deadline June 14th, construction phase June 15th–July 31st
Prices Red Bull Paddelfest 2026
Practical information — Red Bull Paddelfest
Date
Annually in summer. 2026: Saturday, August 1st, at the ice channel in Augsburg.
Getting There
The ice channel is located in Augsburg-Hochzoll between Hauptstadtbach and Lech. Travel by train to Augsburg Hauptbahnhof and then by tram/bus towards Hochzoll. By car, take the B17 or A8 (exit Augsburg-Ost).
Admission
For spectators, the event is free and can be followed along the course without registration or a ticket.
Whitewater Spectacle on the Olympic Course
The Red Bull Paddelfest takes place on the Augsburg ice channel – that legendary canoe course built for the 1972 Olympic Games, which remains a venue for international canoe competitions to this day. The approximately 300-meter whitewater course between Hauptstadtbach and Lech in Augsburg-Hochzoll becomes the "Streif of Summer" during the Paddelfest.
Self-Built Costume Boats
The concept is as simple as it is entertaining: Up to 40 teams, with a total of up to 160 participants, build their own human-powered boats – imaginatively designed and costumed. The boats can be a maximum of two meters wide, four meters long, and two meters high, and must be constructed in an environmentally friendly manner. With these floating works of art, the teams plunge into the rushing ice channel.
Speed, Creativity, Costume
A jury of athletes and local personalities judges the teams in three categories: Speed, Boat Creativity, and Participant Costumes. Thus, it's not just about speed, but above all about ingenuity and showmanship – which makes the Paddelfest a crowd-puller.
Augsburg as a Watersports City
The Swabian city of Augsburg has been a center for canoe and whitewater sports since the 1972 Olympic Games. The ice channel and the surrounding Lech district with the UNESCO World Heritage Augsburg water management system make the city a unique venue for a water spectacle that combines sport, creativity, and Augsburg's festival culture.
Where it takes place Red Bull Paddelfest
Red Bull Paddelfest at a glance
History of Red Bull Paddelfest
Edition 2025 Aug 2025Festivals similar to Red Bull Paddelfest
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