Hessentag in Bad Vilbel: tradition and modernity combined in traditional costume fever!

Hessentag in Bad Vilbel: tradition and modernity combined in traditional costume fever!

There was a lot going on in Bad Vilbel on June 15, 2025: Hessentag opened its doors with the ceremonial opening of the “Trachtenland Hesse and more” action stage. The Frankfurter Rundschau reports that the event was organized by the Hessian Association for Dance and Costume Care (HVT) and attracted numerous visitors.

The stage was ceremoniously opened by Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU), the Hessentag couple and Mayor Sebastian Wysocki (CDU). A special highlight was the performance of the Salzboden children's dance group, which kicked off a colorful program with traditional dances. Salzboden, located between Marburg and Gießen, made a name for itself last year at the state children's costume meeting in Bad Vilbel.

A celebration of diversity

With around 15,000 members, the HVT is committed to maintaining folk dance, customs and dialect in Hesse. The state chairman Torsten Frischkorn stood out with his Lauterbach Sunday costume and illustrated the great diversity of traditional costumes in the state. Prime Minister Rhein underlined the modernity of the tradition and praised the exemplary preparations for the Hessentag and the role of the mayor.

The presentation by the Wollmar traditional costume group, which performed folk dances in Marburg's Protestant costume, was particularly exciting. Not only did the skirt color of the traditional costumes indicate the marital status of the wearers, but the numerous appearances of other groups also created a lively atmosphere. Among others, the Polish folklore group “Jawor” from Frankfurt danced, while the studio ensemble “Yallah” from Rosbach represented the diversity of cultures. The first day ended with Bohemian brass music from the Elters/Rhön traditional band.

A piece of history

The Hessentag has a long tradition that goes back to 1961, when it was launched by Prime Minister Georg-August Zinn. It states that Hessentag is the oldest and largest state festival in Germany. The aim of the festival is to bring people together and create a feeling of home. The event has retained its character as a unifying festival to this day and served as a model for many other state festivals in Germany. The focus is on presenting customs, with the variety of traditional costumes in Hesse being particularly impressive.

The combination of tradition and modernity makes Hessentag even more attractive. Hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the events every year. Media such as Hessischer Rundfunk and regional daily newspapers have been active right from the start and promote the festival's awareness. The Hessentag also promotes the image of the organizing city nationwide and ensures a wave of investment that would otherwise not be implemented or would only be implemented in the long term.

Overall, the Hessentag not only attracts the attention of Hessians, but other cities are also motivated to organize future Hessentage. It will be exciting to see what the next few years bring!