Next dates
2027 dates not yet announced — typically around May. We're watching and will update this page when they land.
Quick answer
The 63rd Volksfest Velden ran 29 May–8 June 2026, Friday through Monday, on the town's Volksfestplatz — one of the longer-running Volksfeste in Lower Bavaria, dating to 1957.
- Best for
- Lower Bavarian Volksfest visitors wanting an official multi-day Festplatz programme in Velden an der Vils.
- Booking urgency
- Check for Festzelt reservation notices closer to the date.
63rd Volksfest Velden — 29 May–8 June 2026 on the Festplatz.
Velden's Volksfest is an 11-day Lower Bavarian Festplatz fair with a heated Festzelt, a full fairground, and a calendar of civic 'honor days' — dedicated afternoons for local authorities, associations, and businesses. The 63rd edition ran 29 May–8 June 2026, Friday through Monday, opening with a market-square keg-tapping and procession to the grounds. Not to be confused with Velden am Wörthersee, an unrelated Austrian lakeside town.
The full story
Volksfest Velden is an 11-day Lower Bavarian Festplatz fair, running from the opening Friday through the second Monday, with the 2026 edition set for 29 May–8 June. Volksfest Velden traces to 1957 — the first Festwirt and patron are named for that inaugural edition — making it one of the longer-established Volksfeste in the region, even though the 2026 edition is only the 63rd rather than the 70th its calendar age would otherwise suggest; at least two editions, 2020 and 2021, were cancelled during the pandemic.
The festival opens with a market-square keg-tapping and procession to the Festplatz, a ritual that's anchored the opening for decades, then runs through a full calendar of civic "honor days" — dedicated afternoons for local authorities, associations, and businesses — alongside a motorcycle blessing, horse races, and a midweek children's afternoon with reduced ride pricing. The heated Festzelt pours a single named house beer from a long-established regional family brewery, founded in 1864, with wine and wheat beer also on offer; that brewery's own nearly two centuries of history, like the town of Velden's own roughly 1,250 years, is older than the festival and shouldn't be read as part of its story. Bavarian Volksfeste of this kind typically offer free grounds access, with rides and tent seating priced separately — check the current year's programme for specifics.
One disambiguation worth knowing: this is Velden an der Vils in Lower Bavaria, not Velden am Wörthersee, an unrelated lakeside town in Austria that shares the name. See the Volksfest Velden page or explore Lower Bavaria.
History
Volksfest Velden traces to 1957 — the first Festwirt and patron are named for that inaugural edition. Nearly seven decades on, the 2026 edition is only the 63rd — fewer editions than the calendar gap would suggest, with at least two pandemic-era cancellations (2020, 2021) confirmed and the remainder of the gap unexplained. The festival's beer supplier, a family brewery founded in 1864, and the town of Velden itself, locally described as roughly 1,250 years old, are both far older than the festival and shouldn't be read as part of its own history.
On Tap
- Local focus
- The 63rd Volksfest Velden runs Friday through Monday over more than a week.
- Best for
- Visitors who want a long-running, established small-town Volksfest.
- Bavaria On Tap take
- 63 editions in, this is one of Lower Bavaria's longer-running small-town Volksfeste — check for the current year's daily programme before you go.
Frequently asked questions
- When was Volksfest Velden 2026?
- 29 May–8 June 2026 — an 11-day run, Friday through Monday.
- Where is the Festplatz?
- Volksfestplatz Velden, across from the town filling station.
- Is entry free?
- Bavarian Volksfeste of this kind typically offer free grounds access, with rides and tent seating priced separately — check the current year's programme for specifics.
- How long has Volksfest Velden been running?
- Since 1957 — the first Festwirt and patron are named for that inaugural edition — making it one of the longer-established Volksfeste in Lower Bavaria, though pandemic-era cancellations mean the 2026 edition is only the 63rd rather than the 70th its calendar age would suggest.
- Indoor / rain-friendly