St. Martin’s Day Parades 2026
Laterne, Laterne, Sonne, Mond und Sterne: in November, numerous St Martin’s Day processions will once again wind their way through Mainz and its suburbs. Join the lantern-bearers, young and old alike, as they make their way through the dark streets and alleys of Mainz and its suburbs with their brightly lit lanterns, sing along and celebrate this lovely tradition together with others.
Rosenmontag Copyright: Landeshauptstadt Mainz
The Famous Fifth Season in Mainz
Mainz Carnival is Mainz’s folk festival, the famous ‘fifth season’. Carnival means fantastic days and jubilant nights filled with cheering.
But Mainz Carnival is also a part of the city’s history, a cultural and historical phenomenon that, thanks to the well-known television programme “Mainz bleibt Mainz, wie es singt und lacht” (Mainz remains Mainz, as it sings and laughs), has made this carnival stronghold famous far beyond local borders.
11 November
Even before the official start of the new carnival season, revellers gather on a typically carnival-like date: on 11 November at 11.11 am, a thunderous triple ‘HELAU’ rings out in front of the Osteiner Hof on Schillerplatz to the strains of the ‘Narrhallamarsch’, and the carnival constitution (‘the Fool’s Constitution’ ) is read out. Afterwards, everyone celebrates, singing, swaying and dancing together on the square and in the pubs. So: grab your carnival costume and join in the fun!
Culture in Mainz – Art, Music, Theatre, Film and Literature
October is traditionally all about books: we’re looking forward to lots of exciting readings and, of course, especially to the 25th edition of the Mainz Book Fair at the Academy of Sciences and Literature at the end of the month. Apart from that, the programme for the whole of October features fantastic concerts, birthday celebrations, fascinating talks, openings, and films and exhibitions well worth seeing. So get out and about – the weather’s on our side too – and come home with lots of new experiences and wonderful memories.
2 – 15 November
FILMZ turns 25
Roll the film for FILMZ! For the 25th time, FILMZ – Festival of German Cinema – invites you to Mainz: to mark its 25th anniversary, the festival will be celebrating its biggest edition to date from 2 to 15 November 2026 and looks forward to once again presenting a carefully curated programme packed with highlights from German and German-language cinema. At the Capitol, the CinéMayence and beyond the traditional cinema auditoriums, visitors can look forward to around 100 films, delicious popcorn and an extensive supporting programme – there’s something for all film and cinema fans, and for those who want to become one.
7 November
MainzIdee: Visit the 1st Meenzer Carnival Flea Market
Private sellers, garden clubs and carnival clubs offer everything a collector could wish for. This includes carnival medals (from Mainz to Cologne and the Palatinate), historical uniforms for officers and generals, hats, pieces of equipment, masks, as well as dancewear and dance shoes. Musical instruments for amateurs and professionals are also on sale.
(c) Landeshauptstadt Mainz. Flea & Antiques market on the banks of the river Rhine in Mainz
Saturday, November 7, 2026, 07:00 – 15:00
Rarities and curiosities
Antiques, knick-knacks, useful items, and perhaps the odd long-sought-after collector’s item can be found at the stalls along the banks of the Rhine in Mainz between Kaisertor and Theodor-Heuss-Brücke, which may only be run by private individuals. This is precisely what gives Mainz’s flea market its special charm. At the children’s flea market, the youngest visitors can sell whatever their hearts desire without paying a stall fee.
Dates for 2026:
Saturday November 7.
Stand booking via online ticket system and advance sales outlets
Stands are allocated via the online ticket system of ztix GmbH. The desired stand and parking space can be selected from the plan provided and purchased with a binding commitment. The purchase will be confirmed by email and the ticket can be easily printed at home or presented on a mobile device on the day of the event.
Participants without internet access can purchase their tickets at affiliated advance sales outlets, for example at the Mainz Store/Tourist Info (Markt) or at Media Markt (Haifa-Allee).
WeinMarkt
Every last weekend in August and every first weekend in September, the Mainz City Park transforms into a sea of wine stalls and sideshows.
The Mainz wine market attracts numerous visitors from home and abroad and invites visitors to stroll, taste and experience the wine.
Nearly 50 wine stands from Rheinhessen present their products, the wine village of the Great Wine Capital Community offers wines from abroad and an entertainment program is also started for the little ones.
The champagne festival and the artist market take place in the romantic rose garden as every year.
Experience the Mainz Farmer’s Market!
Every week on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 7 am to 2 pm you can experience one of the most beautiful markets in Germany at the St. Martin’s Cathedral, right in the city center of Mainz. Enjoy shopping at numerous booths and market stalls which offer a wide variety of fresh and regional products. Whether fruits, vegetables, bread, cheese or honey – the Mainz market offers something for everyone’s taste. An especially unique highlight is the “Marktfrühstück” (farmer´s market breakfast): you can savor the taste and atmosphere of a German-style sausage breakfast at the market. In addition the winegrowers of Mainz offer their finest wine sorts. The Mainz Farmer’s Market is looking forward to your visit!