Next dates
2027 dates not yet announced — typically around May. We're watching and will update this page when they land.
Future dates
- 2027May 21–30, 2027
Quick answer
The Altöttinger Hofdult runs 29 May–7 June 2026 on the Dultplatz in Altötting, Bavaria's major pilgrimage town. It opens 29 May at 17:00, with the traditional Dultauszug procession the next afternoon at 14:00. Expect Festzelte, Fahrgeschäfte, and classic Dultstandl over ten days, with a rotating-seat novelty tent as this fair's signature format.
Ten-day Hofdult at Altötting’s Dultplatz — tents, rides, and pilgrimage-town atmosphere.
From 29 May to 7 June 2026, Altötting's Hofdult fills the Dultplatz with Festzelte, Fahrgeschäfte, and market Dultstandl in the heart of Bavaria's pilgrimage capital. It opens Friday evening, followed by Saturday's Dultauszug — a procession through town to the fairground — and runs a full calendar of theme days: a seniors' afternoon, a children's/district-council afternoon, and a family day closing out the run.
The full story
The Altöttinger Hofdult is a ten-day traditional fair on the Dultplatz in Altötting, Bavaria's major Marian pilgrimage town, running 29 May–7 June 2026. It opens Friday evening at 17:00, followed the next afternoon by the Dultauszug — a procession through town to the fairground, the fair's ceremonial centerpiece. Three Festwirte families run the tents: Familie Hell's Hell-Bräu Festzelt pours Hell-Bräu Dultmärzen and Graminger Weißbier alongside Bavarian food and live music; Sebastian Hell's Hells Hofdult-Alm takes a more alpine approach with daily DJs and bands; and Familie Detter's Weißbierkarussell seats visitors on a rotating carousel — an unusual format not commonly seen at other Bavarian Dulten. The run includes a seniors' afternoon, a children's/district-council afternoon, and a family day closing things out, plus a citywide shopping raffle from the local business association timed to overlap the fair.
The fair's own age is genuinely three separate stories, not one. Its origin story traces to 1245, when festivities around the consecration of the collegiate church's high altar drew traders alongside pilgrims. The earliest surviving documentary evidence is a market-rights charter from 1383, held in the Neuötting city archive — recent years have been counted from this date, reaching the "642nd" and beyond. For roughly five centuries the market ran on Kapellplatz, at the heart of Altötting's pilgrimage complex, before relocating in 1897 to its own site on Burghauser Straße, the same Dultplatz used today. None of those three dates should be flattened into a single "founded in" figure — they describe three different things: an origin story, a documentary first mention, and a venue move.
Because the fair sits so close to Altötting's pilgrimage complex, it pairs naturally with a visit to the Gnadenkapelle and the town's other religious sites. Free underground parking near Kapellplatz, Forum, and Hofmark is a short walk from the Dultplatz. See the Hofdult Altötting page or explore Upper Bavaria.
History
The Hofdult's roots run deep, but through three genuinely separate dates that shouldn't be merged into one founding year. The fair's origin story traces to 1245, when festivities around the consecration of the collegiate church's high altar drew traders alongside pilgrims. The earliest surviving documentary evidence is a market-rights charter from 1383, held in the Neuötting city archive. For roughly five centuries the market ran on today's Kapellplatz, alongside religious observance, before relocating in 1897 to its own site on Burghauser Straße — the same Dultplatz used today. 2025 marked the 642nd year of tradition, a count that runs directly from the 1383 charter.
On Tap
- Local focus
- A ten-day Dult in Bavaria's major pilgrimage town, opening 29 May at 17:00 with the traditional Dultauszug procession the next afternoon.
- What to try
- Catch the Dultauszug on 30 May at 14:00, then work through the Festzelte and classic Dultstandl stalls.
- Food pairing
- Classic Dultstandl food stalls run throughout the ten-day fest.
- Best for
- Pilgrims and day-trippers to Altötting who want a major Dult alongside the town's religious sites.
- Bavaria On Tap take
- Mayor Stephan Antwerpen's greeting sets the tone — this Hofdult treats the opening procession as seriously as the rides and tents.
Practical tips
The English-language details German fest pages usually skip.
- Kids / family
- Positioned as a Familien-Dult, with rides for both kids and adults and a dedicated children's/district-council afternoon on the Tuesday.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Hofdult Altötting 2026?
- 29 May–7 June 2026, ten days on the Dultplatz.
- What are the opening highlights?
- Eröffnung Friday 29 May at 17:00; traditional Dultauszug through the pilgrimage town to the Dultplatz on Saturday 30 May at 14:00.
- Who runs the Festzelte?
- Three Festwirte families run the tents: Familie Hell's Hell-Bräu Festzelt, Sebastian Hell's alpine-styled Hells Hofdult-Alm, and Familie Detter's Weißbierkarussell — a beer tent built around a rotating carousel-style seating arrangement, an unusual novelty format for a Bavarian Dult.
- Is there a city shopping promotion during the Dult?
- Yes — the city's business association runs a shopping raffle, 'Einkaufen und Gewinnen,' from 18 May through 7 June 2026, timed to overlap the fair.
- Family-friendly
- Free entry
- Indoor / rain-friendly