Cannstatter Wasen: Overcrowding and party mood on the long weekend!

Cannstatter Wasen: Overcrowding and party mood on the long weekend!

The 178th Cannstatter Volksfest got off to a great start on the Cannstatter Wasen. On Friday, September 28, 2025, Mayor Frank Nopper (CDU) opened the festival with the traditional tapping of the barrel. The organizers of in.Stuttgart counted around 800,000 visitors on the first weekend, which was around 50,000 fewer than the previous year. A total number of visitors is expected to exceed 4 million, weather conditions permitting. The police reported that the first weekend was quiet; only a fire brigade call out to a burning fryer in a festival tent caused a stir, but fortunately no injuries were reported.

Today, October 4, 2025, the folk festival is overcrowded during the long weekend for German Unity Day. As SWR reports, the area had to be closed for almost two hours to ensure the safety of visitors. The closure was lifted around 9:30 p.m. so that the trams could stop at the “Cannstatter Wasen” and “Neckarpark” stops again. This was necessary because before the closure was lifted, the light rail trains did not run to these stops for safety reasons. A maximum of 75,000 people are allowed to be on the Wasen at the same time; If the limit is exceeded, access must be regulated.

Visitor numbers and traffic measures

In order to cope with the rush, early arrival is recommended, as is the use of the S-Bahn and light rail. The adjacent parking garages are expected to be full over the long weekend. On the opening weekend there were at times up to 60,000 people on the site.

In addition, festivities take place at the same time as part of the folk festival. On Sunday, October 8th, at 10:30 a.m., an ecumenical service will take place in Linda Ade's beer garden. In the afternoon, VfB Stuttgart will play against 1. FC Heidenheim, a game that is not classified as a high-risk game.

Opening times and attractions

The opening hours of the Cannstatter Volksfest are from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. during the week and from 11 a.m. to midnight on weekends, on public holidays and on Fridays and Saturdays. In order to offer visitors an attractive experience, there are 17 new attractions this year in addition to the classic rides. There is also a strict ban on weapons, including pocket knives, and visitors are encouraged to keep a small amount of cash and valuables with them and to be careful about who they accompany them.

The folk festival ends on October 12th with a large musical fireworks display, which marks the end of a colorful and lively festival. The Tagesschau highlights that, in contrast to the Oktoberfest in Munich, the beer tents in Stuttgart do not all change at the same time, which is intended to avoid overcrowding. This has been implemented since 2018 by staggering the change of tents, which has led to improved visitor guidance.