Carnival in Bocholt: opening hours, traffic and youth protection

Bocholt city council is informing citizens about changes to opening hours and important traffic information relating to the upcoming carnival days. In addition, the city urgently appeals for compliance with the protection of minors and asks revellers to refrain from using glass containers during the Rose Monday parade. The aim is to ensure a peaceful and safe fifth season for everyone involved.

Around the carnival period, the service hours of the municipal organisations are changed. On Old Thursday, the city administration offices will be open to citizens from 8 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., while the offices will be closed in the afternoon. The municipal library in the media centre will open its doors on this day from 10 am to 12 noon, while the Borken district vehicle registration office will be open until 11 am. The recycling centre is open at regular times. On carnival Saturday, the citizens' office will offer its usual service in the morning. On Rose Monday, 16 February 2026, however, the city administration offices, the city library and the Borken district vehicle registration office will be closed all day.

In view of the approaching highlight of the session and the Rose Monday parade, the city of Bocholt is focussing on the protection of minors. All adults, in particular parents, innkeepers and event organisers, are requested to strictly observe the legal regulations and not to pass on alcohol to minors. The Youth Protection Act sets clear limits in this regard, according to which the consumption of beer and wine is only permitted from the age of 16 and spirits from the age of 18, which also applies to tobacco products. The consumption of cannabis is completely prohibited on the Rose Monday parade.

In order to minimise the risk of injury for visitors and children in particular, the administration asks all carnival participants to refrain from using glass containers during the procession. Broken glass not only represents a safety risk, but also makes the subsequent cleaning work considerably more difficult. In the event of an emergency, a central first-aid station will be set up on the Gasthausplatz under the direction of the fire brigade. Emergency services from the German Red Cross, Malteser Hilfsdienst and ASB will be available there to care for people in need and look after missing children.

In terms of transport, the city recommends that local visitors plan their journey on foot or by bike, as numerous car parks in the city centre, including Berliner Platz, Gasthausplatz and Liebfrauenplatz, are closed on Rose Monday and the multi-storey car park at the Shopping Arkaden is also not available. Out-of-town guests are advised to use car parks outside the city ring road. To make it easier to travel to and from the event, the StadtBus will be increasing its service so that additional buses will run every 15 minutes to the city centre on almost all routes and ensure a comfortable journey home after the parade.