Next dates
2027 dates not yet announced — typically around April. We're watching and will update this page when they land.
Quick answer
Passauer Maidult is Passau's spring Dult (folk festival) at Messepark Kohlbruck, running 30 April to 10 May 2026 with beer tents including the Dultstadl, rides, and a Warenmarkt.
Passau's spring Dult at Messepark Kohlbruck — Dultstadl, beer tents, rides, and market stalls (2026: 30 Apr–10 May).
The Passauer Maidult opens the city's Dult season at Messepark Kohlbruck with the large Dultstadl, additional beer tents, carnival rides, and a traditional market. Uniquely to Maidult (not the autumn Herbstdult), the first festival Sunday brings a large Trachten- und Schützenumzug — a costume-and-rifle-club parade through the historic Altstadt with roughly 100 groups and 3,000+ participants, billed by Passau Tourism as Bavaria's second-largest festival parade. The 2026 Maidult runs 30 April–10 May. Reserve tent seats directly with the Festwirte if you want a guaranteed table.
History
Maidult has its own lineage, separate from the autumn Herbstdult's 1164 episcopal charter: it descends from the 'Krügermarkt zu St. Nikola,' first documented in 1666 near the Jakobskirche, which relocated to the Kleiner Exerzierplatz in 1816 and was formally established as the 'Passauer Maidult' in 1871 after St. Nikola's incorporation into Passau. Both Dulten moved to today's Messepark Kohlbruck in 2004, after a 2000 citizens' referendum against the old downtown site.
On Tap
- Local focus
- Passau's spring Dult at Messepark Kohlbruck, with beer tents including the Dultstadl plus a Warenmarkt and rides.
- What to try
- Start in the Dultstadl for the core beer-tent experience before browsing the Warenmarkt stalls.
- Best for
- Passau visitors who want a proper Dult beer tent alongside a goods market.
- Bavaria On Tap take
- The Dultstadl anchors this spring Dult — it's the beer-tent heart of a fest that's otherwise market and rides.
Practical tips
The English-language details German fest pages usually skip.
- Reservations
- Festzelt seat reservations only via the individual tent hosts, not via Stadt Passau.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Passauer Maidult in 2026?
- 30 April–10 May 2026 at Messepark Kohlbruck. Because Maidult has already finished for the year, the organizer's homepage currently promotes the next event, Herbstdult (4–13 September 2026).
- Where is it held?
- At Messepark Kohlbruck in Passau. The Dultstadl (about 7,500 seats) and other Festzelte are the beer-hall anchors; rides and a Warenmarkt surround them.
- Do I need a reservation?
- Grounds entry is typically open; seat reservations in the Festzelte go only through the individual tent hosts, not through the City of Passau.
- Where do I confirm dates next year?
- Check the official event page. When Maidult is current, the homepage shows its dates and opening hours; afterward it switches to covering Herbstdult, the next event in the season.
- How is Maidult different from Passau's autumn Herbstdult?
- Same city, same organizer, same Messepark Kohlbruck venue — but different origins and different signature events. Herbstdult traces to a 1164 episcopal market charter; Maidult's own lineage runs through an antecedent market documented in 1666, formally becoming the 'Passauer Maidult' in 1871. Only Maidult has the Trachten- und Schützenumzug parade on its first Sunday.
- Free entry
- Indoor / rain-friendly
- Reservation recommended