Dear residents of Wiesbaden,
dear carnival revelers!

"7x11 Carnival Parade in Wiesbaden" – this is the motto under which Dacho is celebrating the 2025/2026 carnival season. This motto commemorates the carnival anniversary of the Wiesbaden Carnival Parade. In 1949, under the motto "Es ist geglückt, Wiesbaden verrückt" (It's a success, Wiesbaden is crazy), it passed through our city for the first time after the Second World War. Following Dacho's 75th anniversary in the last campaign, this is another special occasion in the carnival chronicle – and I am very much looking forward to it. 

The "Dachorganisation Wiesbadener Karneval 1950 e.V." emerged from a loose association of the eleven carnival clubs that existed in Wiesbaden at the time. Today, it comprises around 40 clubs, dance groups, societies, and associations with approximately 15,000 members from Wiesbaden and the surrounding region. Its central task is to organize the big Wiesbaden Carnival Sunday parade, which has been the heart of our city's carnival celebrations for decades. As always
 
, Carnival in Wiesbaden began on November 11. However, it only reaches its peak now, in mid-February, when our city is in a state of carnival frenzy.
 
It all kicks off on Saturday, February 14, at 11:11 a.m. with the storming of the Kastel/Kostheim local administration office. At 1:11 p.m., the AKK parade will start there under the motto: "For 3x11 years, fools' dreams have come true at the AKK parade. With Helau and colorful energy, the whole AKK celebrates Carnival." The AKK parade begins on Ludwig-Wolker-Straße in Kastel and winds its way through Kastel and Kostheim before ending at the Kostheim community center. 

In the afternoon, Carnival belongs especially to the little fools. The children's parade starts at 3:33 p.m. at Luisenplatz and winds its way through downtown Wiesbaden to Schlossplatz, where the storming of the town hall takes place. At around 5:11 p.m., the best children's parade acts will be awarded prizes on stage. Starting at 11:11 a.m., the children's festival with a stage program at the market fountain on Schlossplatz invites everyone to join in the celebrations.

Led by Wiesbaden's youth prince and princess, Princess Viktoria I and Prince Noah I, the Wiesbaden carnival clubs want to capture the town hall key. However, I am firmly convinced that they will not succeed. We will hide our town hall key safely, even though we expect many foolish contenders who want to take over the reign of the city administration.

The undisputed highlight of the campaign will take place on Carnival Sunday, February 15. Starting at 12:11 p.m., the Wiesbaden carnival parade, which is known far beyond the city limits, will wind its way through our streets. The parade will start and end in Friedrich-Ebert-Allee in front of the RheinMain CongressCenter. From there, it will make its way through the city center, past City Hall and thousands of revelers lining the streets.

But the revelry doesn't end when the parade ends – in Wiesbaden, the celebrations continue long into the night. On Ash Wednesday, February 18, however, it will indeed be "all over again" – and the revelers will have to return the town hall key, if they have managed to capture it.
 
Maintaining the carnival customs, keeping their traditions alive and developing them further is a time-consuming and not always easy task. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all the volunteers and organizers. They all make an important contribution to the community and our city. Without the voluntary commitment of everyone involved in the many carnival clubs – both in front of and behind the scenes – the fifth season would not be what it is: a magnet for countless enthusiastic revellers.

I wish everyone a wonderful carnival season and a fireworks display of good cheer. Have fun and enjoy the carnival festivities! So put on your costume, get on stage, hit the streets—carnival in Wiesbaden is simply fun! The music and songs are familiar, everyone swaying hand in hand. And now: loud and boisterous, a thunderous triple "Helau!"

Long live carnival, see you there—I'm looking forward to it!

Gert-Uwe Mende
Lord Mayor