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The Hessentag brings ten days of program to Fulda. Around 700,000 guests are expected. What visitors to the state festival should know about highlights, the parade and safety.
Fulda – More than 700,000 guests, top concerts in front of the cathedral and public viewing of the World Cup – that’s what Fulda is expecting Hesse day. With a ten-day program of music, musicals and hundreds of free offers, Hesse is celebrating its 80th birthday with Germany's largest state festival from Friday, June 12th to Sunday, June 21st.
Fulda is excellently connected to the rail network. The transport associations RMV and NVV are expanding their offerings specifically for Hessentag visitors. Additional late departures from Fulda are planned for concert guests. There are five large parking spaces designated for those arriving by carfrom where free shuttle buses take visitors to the festival. An overview of The parking spaces and shuttle buses are available on this map on the Hessentag website.
Hessentag program: Around 1,200 free events
Several major music events take place at the Hessentagsarena in front of the cathedral. Roland Kaiser, Roxette, Peter Maffay, Sarah Connor, Montez, Avantasia, Giovanni Zarrella, Melissa Naschenweng and Clueso, among others, will perform there in front of up to 10,000 people. Some concerts are already sold out. Another highlight on the program: the two galas of the Fulda-based production company spotlight on the cathedral square with the premiere of the piece “The Almighty Handkäs”. Also there: comedy legend Henni Nachtsheim (bath salt) and Rodgau Monotones veteran Ali Neander.
In addition, according to the organizers, Hessentag offers a total of almost 1,200 free program items, many of them specifically for families with children. The official event calendar on the Internet provides an overview of the entire program hessentag-fulda.de. Football fans also get their money's worth: The Hessian radio (hr) will broadcast the German national team's first two group games at the World Cup on Sunday, June 14th and Saturday, June 20th, live during public viewing at the hr-Treff. The map on the Hessentag website provides an overview of the entire festival site.
Experience has shown that how crowded the festival gets depends heavily on the weather. The police have a preliminary estimate of around 700,000 visitors. Full trains and busy access roads to the parking lots are to be expected in any case. The crowd is supposed to be spread out along the three-kilometer-long Hessentagsstrasse between the train station and Aueweiher, but it is likely to be crowded on many evenings in the Domplatz Arena.
According to their own information, the police currently have “no threat-related information or indications of possible disruptive actions” regarding the security situation. Nevertheless, pickpocketing, fights and other typical problems are to be expected at an event of this size. Carrying knives, other weapons, drones, drone remote controls and cannabis is strictly prohibited. The police expressly reserve the right to carry out checks to ensure compliance with the bans.
Infrastructure and security on the festival site – awareness team in action
For the on-site infrastructure, mobile toilet facilities are planned along the main routes and at all larger event areas, some with baby changing facilities. Several medical stations take care of medical emergencies. In Bahnhofsstrasse, at Abtstor and at other points, information stands provide information about what is on offer. The city of Fulda is also setting up a hotline for questions about the state festival: Employees can be reached daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on (0661) 1013636. The central Hessentag guard in the city palace is manned around the clock and can be reached at (0661) 10 21 360.
In addition, around 80 people are involved in the awareness team, which is being deployed for the first time at a Hessentag. They offer shelter and help for people who feel uncomfortable, are harassed or discriminated against. They can be recognized by their purple vests and the “AWARENESS” print.
The highlight and crowning conclusion of the state festival is the big Hesse Day parade on Sunday, June 21st, from around 1:30 p.m., in which a total of 120 groups from all over Hesse will take part. On an approximately 1.7 kilometer long route through Fulda city center, Fulda and the region present themselves to a large local audience – and beyond that to the whole of Hesse through the live television broadcast. According to the city, this creates a unique stage to make the region's commitment, diversity, creativity and performance visible. An important ambassador for the state festival in Fulda is the Hessentag couple Vera and Max Dudyka. You will complete numerous appointments. (with dpa material)
