Name: Wallfahrt Kevelaer 2026
Start: 2026-05-01T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-11-30T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Marienbasilika und Wallfahrtsbezirk Kevelaer

Wallfahrt Kevelaer

About Wallfahrt Kevelaer

Kevelaer on the Lower Rhine is Northwestern Europe's most important Marian pilgrimage destination. Over a million pilgrims visit the small town annually between May and November. The 2026 season is themed "Making Space" — pilgrimages, diocesan days, major masses, and processions shape six months of religious, cultural, and tourist programs centered around the Chapel of Grace.

Dates 01 May — 30 Nov 2026

Venue Kevelaer (05154)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Wallfahrt Kevelaer — edition 2026

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The 2026 season runs under the motto "Making Space" from May 1st to November 30th. Opening by Archbishop Udo Markus Bentz of Paderborn. Highlights: Diocesan pilgrimage of the Knights of Malta (June 13th), pilgrimage procession of the Diocese of Mainz (November 23rd–25th), pilgrimage of Rees–Kevelaer (August 29th–30th). Over one million pilgrims expected.

The 2026 pilgrimage season will be opened on May 1st by Archbishop Udo Markus Bentz of Paderborn — the start of a six-month season full of pilgrimages and processions. The season motto "Making Space" will shape sermons, Way of the Cross meditations, and the pilgrimage prayer.

Numerous pilgrim groups from German dioceses, associations, and religious orders will be welcomed through the pilgrimage office. Daily masses, confessions, and devotions take place in the Marienbasilika and the surrounding pilgrimage district. The accompanying cultural program — organ concerts, readings, exhibitions — also runs throughout the season.

Highlights Wallfahrt Kevelaer 2026

Season opening with Archbishop Bentz, Diocesan pilgrimage of the Knights of Malta, pilgrimage procession of the Diocese of Mainz, pilgrimage of Rees–Kevelaer, motto "Making Space".

Programme Wallfahrt Kevelaer 2026

Season Opening — May 1st, 2026

Opening pilgrimage with Archbishop Udo Markus Bentz (Paderborn)

Major Pilgrimages 2026

June 13th — Diocesan pilgrimage of the Knights of Malta
August 29th–30th — Pilgrimage of the Rees–Kevelaer region
November 23rd–25th — Pilgrimage procession of the Diocese of Mainz
Weekly association, diocesan, and parish pilgrimages (season calendar)

Daily Devotions and Masses

Marienbasilika: Eucharistic celebrations, Way of the Cross, Marian devotions
Chapel of Grace: Confessions, personal prayer
Candle Chapel: Pilgrim candles, devotions

Full season calendar and pilgrim registration at wallfahrt-kevelaer.de.

Prices Wallfahrt Kevelaer 2026

Participation in masses and devotions is free. Pilgrim candles, devotional items, and pilgrim guides are available for a donation or purchase price at the pilgrim shop.

Practical information

Practical information — Wallfahrt Kevelaer

Getting There

Kevelaer train station (RE 10) is accessible from Düsseldorf, Krefeld, and Kleve. By car, take the A57 (exit Sonsbeck or Goch). Large pilgrim parking lots are located directly in front of the basilica.

Pilgrimage

Group pilgrimage registration via the pilgrimage office: +49 2832 93380. Individual pilgrims can join daily masses and devotions at any time.

Accommodation

Several pilgrim houses and hotels are located in the town center. Early booking is recommended during high season (May–October).

Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted

The pilgrimage to Kevelaer dates back to 1642: At that time, the merchant Hendrik Busman heard a voice urging him to build a chapel at this spot. It was dedicated to the image of Mary of Luxembourg, the "Comforter of the Afflicted." Since then, people from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and many other countries have made pilgrimages to this place. The pilgrimage town of Kevelaer is located in the district of Kleve, North Rhine-Westphalia, in the flat Lower Rhine region near the Dutch border.

A Season, Not a Single Festival

What distinguishes the Kevelaer pilgrimage from a classic festival: It is not a weekend event, but a continuous program over six months. From May 1st to November 30th, daily masses, confessions, and devotions take place, along with weekly themed pilgrimages for entire parish communities, dioceses, associations, and religious orders. Over a million pilgrims visit Kevelaer each season — making it the largest and most visited pilgrimage site in the German-speaking world.

Motto 2026: "Making Space"

Each pilgrimage season in Kevelaer has its own motto, issued by the pilgrimage director. For 2026, it is "Making Space" — a reference to the feeling of confinement that many people experience in times of financial, ecological, and political crises. The pilgrimage prayer, the Way of the Cross meditations, and the season's sermons will address this motto. The aim is to "create a space where hope, comfort, and courage can become possible again."

Lower Rhine Festival Culture

Unlike some Mediterranean pilgrimage sites, Kevelaer is unusually quiet, almost bourgeois. The pilgrim shops around the chapel square sell devotional items, Lower Rhine specialties, and books. Cafés, hotels, and restaurants thrive on the season; the Marienbasilika, built in the late 19th century in Neo-Gothic style, dominates the cityscape. The pilgrimage shapes the entire year — and cultural offerings are associated with it: concerts, exhibitions, the traditional concert on the Seifert organ of the basilica, one of Europe's largest church organs.

Highlights 2026

The 2026 season will be opened on May 1st by Archbishop Udo Markus Bentz of Paderborn. Important dates include the diocesan pilgrimage of the Knights of Malta on June 13th, the pilgrimage of the Rees-Kevelaer region on August 29th–30th, and the pilgrimage procession of the Diocese of Mainz from November 23rd to 25th. In addition, there are numerous smaller association and parish pilgrimages, which are listed in the season calendar at wallfahrt-kevelaer.de.