Name: Sales & Racing Festival Iffezheim 2026
Start: 2026-10-16T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-18T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Galopprennbahn Iffezheim (Baden-Baden)

Sales & Racing Festival

About Sales & Racing Festival

At Iffezheim Racecourse, the most famous horse racing track in Southern Germany and Baden-Württemberg's most traditional racing venue, the Sales & Racing Festival takes place every October. It marks the crowning finale of the Iffezheim racing season, combining two race days – Friday and Sunday – with the high-stakes BBAG auction. The highlight is the Preis der Winterkönigin (Winterkönigin Prize), one of Germany's most important races for two-year-old fillies. The Oktoberfest Race Day on Sunday adds Bavarian flair, a traditional costume competition, and live music to the racecourse on the edge of the Black Forest.

Dates 16 Oct — 18 Oct 2026

Venue Iffezheim (08216)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Sales & Racing Festival — edition 2026

Tickets →

The 2026 Sales & Racing Festival at Iffezheim Racecourse takes place from October 16 to 18, 2026. Two race days (Friday and Sunday) frame the BBAG auction. The highlight is the Preis der Winterkönigin (€105,000, Group race for two-year-olds) on Sunday. Sunday is also themed as Oktoberfest Race Day with a traditional costume and live music program.

The 2026 edition marks the traditional season finale in Iffezheim. On Friday, October 16, the BBAG auction race will be held with the highest prize money for an auction race in Germany. On Sunday, October 18, the Preis der Winterkönigin follows with 12 eligible two-year-olds, including the still undefeated Kosmische (winner of the Winterkönigin Trial Köln) and Dhaba (winner of the auction race Dortmund). A total of nine races for thoroughbreds will take place over the weekend.

Highlights Sales & Racing Festival 2026

Preis der Winterkönigin on Sunday (€105,000)
Germany's highest-stakes auction race on Friday
BBAG auction alongside the racetrack
Oktoberfest Race Day with traditional costumes and Bavarian music

Programme Sales & Racing Festival 2026

Race Days 2026 – Iffezheim Racecourse

Friday, October 16, 2026 — Race day with Germany's highest-stakes auction race; BBAG auction in the evening
Saturday, October 17, 2026 — BBAG auction all day, no races on the track
Sunday, October 18, 2026 – Oktoberfest Race Day — Race day with the Preis der Winterkönigin (€105,000, 1,600 m, two-year-old fillies); costume competition, Bavarian live music, Oktoberfest catering

Selection of Starters for the 2026 Preis der Winterkönigin

Kosmische (undefeated, winner of the Winterkönigin Trial Köln)
Dhaba (winner of the auction race Dortmund)
Further named fillies according to the official starter list on badengalopp.de

Prices Sales & Racing Festival 2026

Day tickets from approx. €10. Advance booking, boxes, and special packages available via badengalopp.de.

Practical information

Practical information — Sales & Racing Festival

Getting There

By car: A5 exit Rastatt-Süd or Iffezheim, then follow signs for Galopprennbahn. Large parking lots at the racecourse. By train: Baden-Baden station, then bus transfer to the racecourse (special buses on race days).

Admission

Day tickets from approx. €10, reduced rates for children, students, and seniors. Extended packages (boxes, restaurant, champagne area) available for pre-purchase at badengalopp.de.

Dress Code

Smart Casual in the grandstands, more formal attire in the boxes and VIP areas. Traditional attire (Tracht) is explicitly encouraged for the Oktoberfest Race Day.

Iffezheim – Synonym for German Horse Racing

Iffezheim Racecourse, officially operated under the name "Internationaler Club" since 1858, is Germany's most important horse racing venue. It is located on the southwestern edge of the Rastatt district, just a few kilometers from Baden-Baden and the French border. In spring (Spring Meeting), late summer (Große Woche), and autumn (Sales & Racing Festival), it hosts the most significant race days on the German calendar – featuring international horses, international jockeys, and a cosmopolitan audience from the region, France, and Switzerland.

The Idea of the Sales & Racing Festival

The Sales & Racing Festival is the elegant German answer to the summer activities in Newmarket or Deauville: On two race days – Friday and Sunday – races are held on the track, and in between, the BBAG auction takes place alongside the racing, where Germany's most valuable thoroughbred yearlings are auctioned. It is the economic hub of German horse racing: careers and investments are born here.

Preis der Winterkönigin (Winterkönigin Prize)

The highlight on Sunday, October 18, 2026, is the Preis der Winterkönigin – a traditional fillies' race for two-year-olds over 1,600 meters, with a prize of €105,000. In 2026, twelve fillies are eligible to start after the entry deadline, including Kosmische, the still undefeated winner of the Winterkönigin Trial in Köln, and Dhaba, the winner of the auction race in Dortmund. The race is considered the most important benchmark for the best German two-year-olds before the winter break.

Oktoberfest Race Day

Sunday is also dedicated to Oktoberfest: a costume competition, Bavarian live music on the spectator terraces, Weißwurst and pretzel stands, and steins of festival beer. The blend of classic horse racing and popular Oktoberfest flair makes Sunday in Iffezheim one of the season's most charming race days.

Season Finale in Iffezheim

The Sales & Racing Festival marks the end of the racing season at Iffezheim Racecourse. The next major dates in 2026 are the Spring Meeting (June 4–7, 2026) and the Große Woche (August 29 – September 6, 2026). Anyone who has attended a race day in Iffezheim knows: it's a mix of elegance, excitement, business, and folk festival that no other German sports venue offers in this form.