Successful Aasee Festival in Bocholt from 14 to 16 August 2026 at the bathing bay

Bocholt. The new rules for the Aasee Festival had been the subject of discussionfor weeks . It has now become clear that the new organisational guidelines have not had a negative impact on the many visitors - on the contrary - on Sunday's Family Day, many families in particular expressed a positive attitude towards the new safety measures. The increased sense of security felt by many guests was reinforced by a very level-headed, friendly and dedicated security team throughout the entire event weekend. Thanks to the entry gates, the event site filled up in a much more moderate and orderly manner than in previous years.

The issue of restrictions on bringing one's own equipment and food had also been heavily criticised in the run-up to the event, yet the mountains of rubbish and the general chaos were significantly reduced this year. This was even quantifiable based on the number of cubic metres of rubbish billed by Entsorgungs- & Servicebetrieb Bocholt (ESB). In 2025, the volume of rubbish was still 2.54 tonnes; this year, it was just 1.40 tonnes.

The new rules were not perceived as a barrier to entry by the guests present - who, according to the security service, had often informed themselves very well in advance - as it was still permitted to bring one's own snacks and 1 litre of drink per person onto the festival site. Security staff only had to "fish out" a few glass bottles here and there.

Free admission, drink prices that have remained unchanged since 2022, and the reduced prices for non-alcoholic drinks on Family Day have all contributed to the Aasee Festival remaining an attractive option for visitors in terms of value for money. All the children's attractions - from the climbing course to face painting - were also available to the young festival-goers completely free of charge.

There was no need to bring your own furniture, such as chairs, to the event site, as there was more than enough seating provided on site, including for people with reduced mobility. As a result, the event site remained tidy, well-organised and safe.

Friday evening saw slightly lower attendance than the previous year, though this was due to the sweltering temperatures on Friday, which exceeded 35 degrees. Saturday evening, following a brief spell of rain in the afternoon, was just as busy as Saturday 2025. Sunday saw significantly higher attendance than the previous year, as a great many families made the most of the on-site activities in glorious summer weather.

The city's marketing department can therefore draw a positive conclusion regarding the reorganisation of the Aasee Festival.

The newly implemented safety concept, featuring entry controls, proved successful and provided guests with a safer, cleaner and more relaxed festival experience without major restrictions.

At the fifth Bocholt Classic Meeting, organiser Thomas Heisterkamp also gave a positive assessment on Sunday 16 August at the festival grounds opposite, with just under 550 classic cars taking part and around 2,000 visitors.

A big thank you to all the caterers, volunteers and sponsors involved who contributed to the success of the Bocholt Aasee Festival.

Many thanks to: media partner Radio WMW, as well as stadtwerker, Stadtsparkasse Bocholt, Fliesen Theissen, Handelshof Bocholt, Bitburger Braugruppe, Getränke Westhoff, Autohaus Evers, TIS, Bocholter Strandcafé and Tekloth Solar, all the participating caterers and all the volunteers.

Full details at www.bocholt.de/aaseefestival