The Ultimate Guide To Attending The Mainz Carnival Germany

The Mainz Carnival is a city-wide celebration that traditionally begins on 11 November and culminates in the days before Ash Wednesday. It’s one of the largest carnival events in Germany, along with its counterparts in Cologne and Düsseldorf. The months-long carnival reaches its pinnacle in the lead up to Lent, when the city erupts in with celebrations, parades, and jollity. Here’s the ultimate guide to attending the Mainz Carnival.

The Carnival with Class

Mainz Carnival is the perfect Fassenacht for people looking for a mixture of culture, parties and a touch of class. Aside from the celebrations, parades and energetic street parties that are typical of carnival traditions, Mainz carnival has also had an emphasis on political and literary humour and commentary. With satirical portrayals of politicians integrated into the parades and current affairs finding a home in the commentary, Mainz offers a more high-brow carnival.

Parades, parades and more parades

Get Your Costume Ready

The parade and street party-centric carnival is the perfect chance for visitors to flex their creativity and dress up in a variety of crazy costumes. For visitors who want to embrace the carnival’s energy, German literary costumes are welcome, as are satirical and politically motivated garments, but overall, as long as you embrace the costume-fun then you’ll feel right at home. With tons of street parties and parades, live music and a touch of class, Mainz is an exciting place to spend carnival. The city’s manageable size, idyllic scenery and old-town atmosphere make Mainz the perfect spot to spend carnival.

Mainz carnival, view from the Schillerplatz with carnival fountain

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