St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft Düsseldorf-Hamm Schützenfest

Shooting Tradition in Düsseldorf-Hamm

Düsseldorf-Hamm is one of the southern districts of the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia — located in district 4, directly on the Rhine between the harbor and Volmerswerth. With around 6,000 inhabitants, Hamm is a manageable district that consciously cultivates its independence — and the Schützenfest is its biggest annual festival. The organizer is the St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft Düsseldorf-Hamm, the traditional association that hosts the festival every year on the first weekend in September.

Möschesonntag — Anticipation Begins

A special feature of Düsseldorf-Hamm: on the Sunday before the actual Schützenfest, the marksmen parade through the district with the "Golden Mösch" — a golden wooden bird. Möschesonntag announces the upcoming festival and brings together the active members of the 14 clubs for the first joint appearance of the festival week.

Torchlight Procession on Saturday Evening

The musical highlight is the torchlight procession on Saturday evening of the festival weekend. The individual shooting clubs spend weeks building artfully illuminated floats that humorously reference local anecdotes and current events — often with a witty political edge. The procession winds through the streets of Hamm and ends at the festival grounds. Almost every one of the 14 clubs has its own drum corps and brass bands — this musical strength makes the Düsseldorf-Hamm shooting parade one of the most impressive in the Rhineland.

Children's Parade — Since 2024

A relatively new tradition: since 2024, there has been a separate children's parade on the Saturday of the festival. The youngest marksmen parade through their district — dressed in their own uniforms — accompanied by the adult drum corps. In this way, the brotherhood revives an old shooting tradition and secures its own future generation at the same time.

Funfair on Nikolaus-Faber-Platz

Parallel to the parade, the family-friendly Schützenkirmes takes place on Nikolaus-Faber-Platz: rides for children and adults, food stalls, beer garden with draft Altbier. The funfair is a connecting element of the festival — open from Thursday evening to Sunday evening, freely accessible.

King's Shoot and New Majesty

As with every Schützenfest, the highlight is the King's Shoot: the new Schützenkönig (and for some years now also a Schützenkönigin) is determined by shooting at the wooden bird on the shooting stand. The new majesty then leads the grand Sunday parade — accompanied by royal adjutants, pages, and the entire brotherhood.

Location and Travel

Düsseldorf-Hamm is located on the southern Rhine bank of the state capital — about 4 kilometers south of Düsseldorf's Old Town. Travel by public transport: U-Bahn line U72 or bus line 726 / 836. By car: A 46 exit Düsseldorf-Wersten or via the Rheinuferstraße. Public transport is recommended — parking spaces are scarce during the festival weekend.