Zug der fröhlichen Leute Cottbus

Helau from Lusatia

The Zug der fröhlichen Leute is the crown of Cottbus carnival and one of the most spectacular carnival parades east of the Elbe. Since 1993, it has paraded through the city center of the Lusatian metropolis every year during the carnival season — and with around 3,000 participants and over 60 themed floats, it is the largest and most cheerful of its kind in East Germany. Those familiar with the Rhineland carnival will find the East German answer here: less backroom dealing, more Lusatia, but with the same love for costumes, floats, and candy throwing.

33rd Edition on February 8, 2026

In 2026, the 33rd edition will take place on Sunday, February 8, 2026. Important: The date has been moved forward by a week compared to the usual schedule — the originally obvious second half of February would have clashed with the memorial ceremonies for the 81st anniversary of the destruction of Cottbus on February 15, 1945. The city and the Cottbus Carnival Club have therefore decided to postpone it.

Route and Schedule

The start is traditionally at 1:11 PM (carnival fans know the significance of the eleven minutes) at Berliner Platz. The parade moves through the Cottbus city center — past the Spreewald-Center, through Bahnhofstraße and Spremberger Straße — to the main grandstand in front of the Staatstheater. There, a duo of presenters will moderate the floats, the audience can expect candy, and will respond with a hearty "Cottbus Helau". The event runs until approx. 4:55 PM.

3,000 Participants, 60 Floats, One City

The floats are built over a year by carnival clubs from Cottbus, Lusatia, and Saxony. The themes for 2026 — as usual — are a mix of political satire (state politics, federal politics, Lusatian structural change), regional references (Spreewald gherkin, FC Energie, Sorbs/Wends), and costume classics. Dance groups, Funkenmariechen (carnival dancers), Guards, marching bands — everything that makes up German street carnival is represented in Cottbus.

Cottbus — Lusatian Metropolis

Cottbus is the second-largest city in Brandenburg and the economic and cultural center of Lower Lusatia. The bilingual region (German/Sorbian-Wendish) and its proximity to the Spreewald give the carnival a special regional flair. For those unfamiliar with the city: You can reach it with the RE2 train from Berlin in under 1.5 hours, then walk to the city center and be right in the middle of the action.