Schützenfest Düsseldorf-Hubbelrath

A Brotherhood from 1635

The St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft Hubbelrath 1635 e.V. bears its founding year in its name. In the 17th century — in the midst of the Thirty Years' War — the brotherhood was founded, supported by the parish and the citizens. Today, it is one of the most traditional marksmen's associations in the Düsseldorf city area and a member of the Interessengemeinschaft Düsseldorfer Schützenvereine (IGDS). With the Anno Santo Cross awarded in 2025, an honor from the Holy See granted only every 25 years and presented in the Basilica of St. Quirin in Neuss, it has underscored its international reputation.

When: May 29 to 31, 2026

The Schützenfest runs from Friday, May 29, 2026, to Sunday, May 31, 2026. Date of the next meeting (preparation): Friday, June 12, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Schützenhaus.

Where: District 7 — Hubbelrath

Hubbelrath is Düsseldorf's easternmost district and belongs to District 7. Here the big city ends — Bergische Landstraße already leads out into the countryside towards Erkrath, Mettmann, and Wuppertal. Those who visit Hubbelrath enter a different world than Düsseldorf-City: scattered fruit orchards, paddocks, half-timbered houses, and the characteristic Rhenish-Bergisches slate-grey. In this rural context, the marksmen's tradition unfolds particularly densely.

King and Queen 2025/26

Currently, Sven and Melanie Winkelhahne represent the brotherhood as King and Queen. During the 2026 Schützenfest, the coronation of the new King and Queen for 2026/27 will be prepared — the king's shot decides who takes over the honor.

Course of a Rhenish Schützenfest

The three-day festival follows a fixed schedule, which is structured similarly in many Rhenish brotherhoods:

• Friday — Festival opening, King's Ball
• Saturday — Grand parade through Hubbelrath with marksmen in uniform, music bands, King and Queen
• Sunday — King's Mass, bird shooting, and proclamation of the new King

Marksmen's Tradition in Rhenish Customs

The marksmen's tradition in the Rhineland has been documented since the Middle Ages. It arose from the need for civil self-defense of the parishes and developed over the centuries into a fixed part of the annual cycle. Today, dozens of marksmen's brotherhoods exist in the Düsseldorf city area — the Hubbelrath brotherhood is one of the oldest.

Exploring Hubbelrath

Those arriving for the Schützenfest will find it worthwhile to take a walk through rural Hubbelrath: scattered fruit orchards, the Hubbelrath Golf Course (home of the German Masters), Heltorf Castle on the edge of the district. The Düsseldorf Schützen- und Heimatfest on the Oberkassel Rhine meadows takes place separately in July — however, the district festivals are the backbone of the vibrant marksmen's tradition in North Rhine-Westphalia.