Name: Tonnenabschlagen Prerow 2026
Start: 2026-07-26T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-07-26T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Ostseebad Prerow

Tonnenabschlagen Prerow

About Tonnenabschlagen Prerow

The Tonnenabschlagen is the major traditional festival of the Baltic Sea resort of Prerow on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula and takes place annually on the last Sunday in July. Riders gallop under a high wooden barrel and try to smash it with a powerful blow. Whoever breaks off the last piece is crowned Tonnenkönig (Barrel King). The festival is supported by the Reitertonnenbund Prerow, which has maintained the tradition since 1913. The custom of Tonnenabschlagen has been recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage on Fischland-Darß-Zingst since 2017 and attracts several thousand spectators every year.

Dates 26 Jul — 26 Jul 2026

Venue Prerow (13073)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Tonnenabschlagen Prerow — edition 2026

The Tonnenabschlagen Prerow in 2026 will take place on Sunday, July 26 – as always on the last Sunday in July. Riders from the Reitertonnenbund Prerow will compete for the barrel, culminating in the crowning of the Tonnenkönig. The competition is accompanied by a folk festival with music and regional specialties.

Tonnenabschlagen 2026

For 2026, the Tonnenabschlagen is scheduled for Sunday, July 26 – in accordance with the fixed rule that the festival always takes place on the last Sunday in July.

The Reitertonnenbund Prerow announces a family festival with lively music and regional specialties for 2026. The focus will be on the equestrian competitions for the barrel: adults and children will compete in separate contests, and at the end, the Tonnenkönig (Barrel King), Stäbenkönig (Rod King), and Bodenkönig (Bottom King) will be crowned. A festive parade and festival activities will round off the day.

Highlights Tonnenabschlagen Prerow 2026

Equestrian competition for the barrel — the traditional highlight
Crowning of Tonnenkönig, Stäbenkönig, and Bodenkönig
Festive parade through the Baltic Sea resort of Prerow
Folk festival with live music and regional specialties
UNESCO-recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage

Programme Tonnenabschlagen Prerow 2026

Program Tonnenabschlagen 2026

The Reitertonnenbund Prerow traditionally publishes the exact hourly program for 2026 shortly before the festival day. The proven sequence of a Tonnenabschlagen includes:

Festive parade of riders and clubs through the Baltic Sea resort of Prerow
Children's equestrian competition — separate contest at the barrel gallows
Adults' equestrian competition — gallop under the barrel, blow by blow until the barrel bottom
Crowning of the Kings — Proclamation of Tonnenkönig, Stäbenkönig, and Bodenkönig
Folk festival — live music, regional specialties, convivial end to the festival

Specific times and the musical supporting program will be announced by the club via tonnenabschlagen.de.

Prices Tonnenabschlagen Prerow 2026

Folk festival with free admission. Catering and festival activities for a fee. Specific admission regulations for individual areas will be communicated by the Reitertonnenbund Prerow in advance.

Practical information

Practical information — Tonnenabschlagen Prerow

Getting There

By car: via the B105 and the Darß exit to Prerow, signposted parking lots on the outskirts. By train: to Barth or Ribnitz-Damgarten, then by bus to Prerow.

Admission

Folk festival with free admission; catering and festival activities on site for a fee.

On Site

Plan for weatherproof clothing, sun protection, and cash. The equestrian competition takes place outdoors; good vantage points are quickly sought after due to the crowds.

An Equestrian Custom with Over a Hundred Years of History

The Tonnenabschlagen is the most famous folk custom of the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula in the Vorpommern-Rügen district. The Reitertonnenbund Prerow was founded as early as 1913 in Prerow; after a war-related interruption, the tradition has been continued uninterrupted since the mid-1920s. The club's chronicle even documents the dignitaries back to the year 1888. This makes the Prerow Tonnenabschlagen one of the oldest and most carefully maintained equestrian customs on the German Baltic Sea coast.

How Tonnenabschlagen Works

The core of the festival is the competition for the barrel: a wooden barrel hangs from a high gallows above the riding course. The riders gallop across the course and strike the barrel with a club. Piece by piece, the barrel is dismantled until finally the last part – often the barrel bottom – is knocked out. The victorious riders are crowned Tonnenkönig (Barrel King), Stäbenkönig (Rod King), and Bodenkönig (Bottom King). Both adults and children compete in their own contests.

UNESCO-Recognized Cultural Heritage

The Tonnenabschlagen on Fischland-Darß-Zingst was added to the national register of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017. The custom combines equestrian skill, village sociability, and a fixed ritual of procession, competition, and crowning of kings – a living piece of North German festival culture passed down from generation to generation.

Folk Festival for the Whole Family

A classic folk festival unfolds around the equestrian competition: a festive parade, hearty music, regional specialties, and festival activities. Over 3,400 spectators followed the events in 2025. The festival is explicitly aimed at locals and holiday guests alike and is a cross-generational summer event.

Prerow and its Equestrian Tradition

The Baltic Sea resort of Prerow is located at the western end of the Darß. In addition to the Tonnenabschlagen, the harbor festival, pier festival, and concert series shape the Prerow summer. But the Tonnenabschlagen is the most traditional date – a day on which the Baltic Sea resort celebrates its own history.