Next dates
2027 dates not yet announced — typically around September. We're watching and will update this page when they land.
Quick answer
Passauer Herbstdult 2026 runs 4–13 September at Messepark Kohlbruck in Passau, the autumn counterpart to the city's spring Maidult. Grounds entry is free; rides, food, and drink are paid separately. Opening Friday 4 September includes a Happy Hour with half-price large rides from 15:00 and the ceremonial keg tap in the DultStadl at 16:00 — in 2026 performed by newly elected Oberbürgermeister Andreas Rother, in office since 1 May 2026, his first Herbstdult opening as OB. The fair's roots trace to a 1164 bishop's market charter, making it older than the Dult traditions of Munich, Landshut, or Regensburg. Highlights include Monday 7 September's Kinder- und Familientag and Wednesday 9 September's fireworks at 21:30.
- Best for
- Visitors touring Passau's "three rivers" Altstadt who want an authentic, mid-scale autumn Dult stop rather than a Munich-scale beer-tent crowd — families drawn by the Monday half-price ride day, beer travelers curious about a market tradition older than Munich's own Dult, and Munich-based day-trippers willing to budget a real half-day of train travel each way. Less suited to visitors expecting to walk to the fairground from the historic old town, since Messepark Kohlbruck sits about 5 km out and requires a bus.
- Booking urgency
- No grounds ticket exists to book — entry is free and unticketed throughout the run. The one thing worth arranging ahead is a table: reservations go directly through each tent's own Festwirt (the DultStadl takes free reservations with no minimum spend), not through the City of Passau, so contact the tent you want before a Friday or Saturday evening visit, and earlier still for the Wednesday fireworks night.
Passau's autumn Dult at Messepark Kohlbruck — beer tents, Dultstadl, family Monday half-price rides, and Wednesday fireworks.
The Passauer Herbstdult is the autumn counterpart to the Maidult, staged at Messepark Kohlbruck with the Dultstadl, beer tents, rides, and a goods market. Opening Happy Hour and a dedicated family Monday keep the fairground accessible; reserve tent seats directly with the Festwirte if you want a table.
The full story
The Passauer Herbstdult runs Friday 4 through Sunday 13 September 2026 at Messepark Kohlbruck on the western edge of Passau, the autumn counterpart to the city's spring Maidult. Grounds entry is free; visitors pay only for rides, food, and drink. Opening day builds through the afternoon — a Happy Hour with half-price large rides from 15:00, a Dulteinzug procession of honored guests at 15:30, and the ceremonial keg tap in the DultStadl at 16:00. In 2026 that tap belonged to Oberbürgermeister Andreas Rother, elected that March and in office only since 1 May 2026 after succeeding longtime OB Jürgen Dupper — his first Herbstdult opening in the role, and a genuinely new chapter for a very old tradition.
That tradition runs deep. On 26 January 1164, Bishop Konrad I of Passau granted the city's residents the right to hold a fourteen-day annual market "for eternity," a charter signed by the bishop and fifteen cathedral canons. It makes Passau's Dult lineage older than Munich's first documented Dult in 1310, Landshut's Bartlmädult in 1338/39, and Regensburg's Dulten in 1389. The original summer market later shifted to autumn, forming the direct root of today's Herbstdult, while the separate spring Maidult descends from a different market first recorded in 1666. Both fairs left Passau's city-center Klostergarten for Messepark Kohlbruck in 2004, after a citizens' referendum to move them out of the crowded old town.
On the ground, the DultStadl anchors the beer-tent side of the fair alongside six other Schankbetriebe, with roughly 6,000 to 7,500 seats between them depending on how tents and beer gardens are counted — book a table directly with the individual Festwirte, since the City of Passau doesn't take reservations itself. Monday 7 September is Kinder- und Familientag, with half-price rides and stilts performers from 15:00, and Wednesday 9 September's Mädelsabend closes with fireworks at 21:30. Messepark Kohlbruck sits about 5 km from the historic Altstadt, so plan on a bus rather than a walk once you arrive. From Munich, allow about 2.5 to 3 hours by train to Passau Hbf, usually with one change, then a short bus ride or a 13–15 minute walk to the fairground. Casual dress or Tracht both work; bring a light jacket for riverside September evenings. See Passauer Herbstdult or explore Lower Bavaria.
History
The Passau Dult tradition traces to 26 January 1164, when Bishop Konrad I of Passau granted the city's residents the right to hold a fourteen-day annual market 'for eternity' — a charter signed by the bishop and fifteen cathedral canons. That makes it older than Munich's first documented Dult (1310), Landshut's Bartlmädult (1338/39), and Regensburg's Dulten (1389). The original summer market later shifted to autumn, forming the direct root of today's Herbstdult, while the separate spring Maidult descends from a different market first recorded in 1666. Both fairs left the city-center Klostergarten for Messepark Kohlbruck in 2004, after a citizens' referendum to move them out of the crowded old town.
On Tap
- Local focus
- Beer tents and the big Dultstadl at Messepark Kohlbruck in Passau.
- What to try
- The Dultstadl tent alongside the fairground rides.
- Best for
- Visitors touring the three-river city who want an autumn Dult stop.
- Bavaria On Tap take
- Tents and rides at Kohlbruck, Passau's answer to a full-scale autumn Dult.
Practical tips
The English-language details German fest pages usually skip.
- Nearest station
- Passau Hbf, then local bus toward Messepark / Kohlbruck
- From Munich
- About 2.5–3 hours by train to Passau Hbf, usually with one change (the fastest confirmed connection runs roughly 2h46m), then a short local bus or a 13–15 minute walk to Messepark Kohlbruck.
- Reservations
- Tent seating only via the individual Festwirte — the City of Passau itself does not take reservations.
- Kids / family
- Kinder- und Familientag Mon 7 Sept with half-price rides and kids' entertainment. Wednesday fireworks at 21:30.
- What to wear
- Casual or Tracht; bring a light jacket for riverside September evenings.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Passauer Herbstdult 2026, and who taps the first keg?
- 4–13 September 2026. Opening Friday 4 Sept from 15:00, with a half-price-ride Happy Hour and the ceremonial keg tap in the DultStadl at 16:00 — performed in 2026 by Oberbürgermeister Andreas Rother, who took office 1 May 2026 succeeding Jürgen Dupper and was tapping his first Herbstdult keg as OB. Closing Sunday 13 Sept, 11:00–22:00.
- Is entry free?
- Yes — grounds entry is free, with no ticket listed on the official Dult site. Rides, food, and drinks are paid individually; the Friday opening Happy Hour offers half-price large rides from 15:00 to 16:00.
- How do I get to Passau from Munich, and how long does it take?
- Plan on about 2.5 to 3 hours by train to Passau Hbf, usually with one change — the fastest confirmed connection runs roughly 2 hours 46 minutes. From the station, take a local bus toward Messepark/Kohlbruck; the fairground is about 5 km from Passau's historic Altstadt and isn't walkable from there.
- Where exactly is the fair, and can I reserve a table?
- Messepark Kohlbruck, on Passau's western edge. Table reservations go directly through each tent's individual Festwirt — the City of Passau itself does not take bookings — with the DultStadl offering free reservations and no minimum spend.
- What are the family highlights?
- Monday 7 September is Kinder- und Familientag (roughly 11:30–19:00), with half-price rides, stall deals, and stilts performers from 15:00. Wednesday 9 September's Mädelsabend closes with a fireworks display at 21:30.
- How old is the Herbstdult tradition, and is it really older than Munich's?
- Yes. Passau's market rights trace to 26 January 1164, when Bishop Konrad I granted the city a fourteen-day annual market charter — predating Munich's first documented Dult (1310), Landshut's Bartlmädult (1338/39), and Regensburg's Dulten (1389). That original summer market later shifted to autumn, forming the direct root of today's Herbstdult.
- Family-friendly
- Free entry
- Reservation recommended