Speyer Pretzel Festival

The Speyer Pretzel Festival is the second-largest folk festival in the Palatinate after the Bad Dürkheim Wurstmarkt, making it one of Germany's most famous and traditional festivals. Founded in 1910, it boasts a history of 116 years. The 87th edition in 2026 continues this tradition, offering six days of Palatinate festival culture, spectacle, and conviviality.

Highlight: Crowning of the 4th Speyer Pretzel Queen

On Saturday, July 11, 2026, the 4th Speyer Pretzel Queen will be crowned – a representative ambassador for the Pretzel Festival and the city of Speyer for the current year. The Pretzel Queen is a relatively new tradition that adds a modern figure of identification to Speyer's festival culture.

Spectacle: World Record Attempt for Train Pulling

A unique program item is the world record attempt for train pulling on Saturday, July 11, 2026: 111 people will pull a Class 111 diesel locomotive 111 meters. The symbolic combination of numbers – 111 people, Class 111, 111 meters – is the trademark of the Pretzel Festival, combining technical spectacle with Palatinate humor.

Pretzel Festival Parade on Sunday

The Pretzel Festival Parade on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at 1:30 PM is one of the largest parades in Southern Germany. It starts in Burgstraße and proceeds to the festival grounds where the event is set up. Dozens of festively decorated floats, music bands, traditional costume groups, clubs, and guards move through Speyer's city center, past the world-famous Imperial Cathedral and through the historic heart of the city.

Auction of the Festival Picture

On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 12 PM, the traditional auction of the festival picture will take place. Each year, a picture is specially created for the Pretzel Festival and publicly auctioned on the last day of the festival – the proceeds go to a charitable cause.

Six Days of Festival Culture

The Pretzel Festival runs from Thursday to Tuesday and offers a complete folk festival program:

• Festival tent with live music, bands, and DJs every festival evening.
• Amusement park with a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, roller coaster, carousel, and dozens of other rides.
• Food mile with Palatinate specialties, international cuisine, Palatinate wine, and beer.
• Family program with a family day and reduced prices.

Verkehrsverein Speyer Events GmbH

The organizer is Verkehrsverein Speyer Events GmbH, ensuring the professional organization of a festival of this magnitude.

Speyer and the Pretzel

Speyer, with its approximately 51,000 inhabitants, is one of Germany's oldest cities. The Imperial Cathedral – a UNESCO World Heritage site – shapes the city's skyline. The pretzel has been a Palatinate cultural asset for centuries, and the Pretzel Festival honors this baking tradition anew each year.