Historic Volksfest Parade Bad Cannstatt

A Parade with Two Hundred Years of History

The Cannstatter Volksfest Parade is the traditional ceremonial procession for the first Sunday of the Cannstatter Volksfest. Its roots date back to 1818 when King Wilhelm I of Württemberg founded the Agricultural Main Festival after famines. The parade — now organized by the Cannstatter Volksfestverein e.V. — forms the ethnographic heart of the Wasen.

Six Thematic Blocks, 105 Groups

In 2026, 105 groups will march through Bad Cannstatt in six thematic blocks: Cannstatt and its Festival (13 groups), Hops, Malt, and Beer (21 groups with brewery horses, beer wagons, maltsters' associations), Swabia and the Three-Country Corner (4 groups from Bavaria, Hesse, Switzerland), Regional and International Guests (8 groups), Regional Traditions and Crafts (41 groups with traditional costumes, shepherd runners, craft guilds), and the Festive Finale (3 groups). Horse-drawn carriages, five-horse brewery teams, and historic floats characterize the scene.

From the Kursaal to the Wasen

The start is around 11 a.m. at the Kursaal Bad Cannstatt. The parade proceeds through the old town with its narrow half-timbered alleys and culminates at the Cannstatter Wasen, where the Volksfest is just beginning its first days. The route and speed are coordinated so that every spectator along the route gets a good view.

Live on SWR and 150,000 Spectators

The parade has been a TV event for decades: SWR broadcasts it live in full length, commented on by experienced presenters. On-site, around 150,000 spectators line the route — families, traditional costume wearers, Volksfest fans from all over Württemberg and beyond. A free, no-cost event in the heart of Stuttgart.

The Cannstatter Volksfest as the Framework

The parade is the centerpiece of a 17-day Volksfest running from September 25 to October 11, 2026 — the 179th edition. With 4 million visitors, the Cannstatter Volksfest is the second-largest Volksfest in the world after Munich's Oktoberfest. The parade is its official, popular spectacle — the opening on the preceding Friday (keg tapping) is the economic kickoff.