Organizer cancels closing parade of the Dixieland Festival

For the 54th time, they wanted to parade through Dresden's old town on 17 May, but now the organizer has cancelled the traditional closing parade of the International Dixieland Festival. The reason given is that, despite months of preparation, the city only made concrete plans for the event around ten days before the start of the festival. "The Sächsische Festival Vereinigung e.V. had already submitted planning documents including the parade route to the state capital of Dresden in August 2025," the press release states. Responsible implementation is now no longer possible.

In concrete terms, this concerns issues such as sufficient security personnel and stationary and mobile barriers for heavy vehicles. Additional requirements in terms of personnel, technology and security measures could not be organized within a few days - especially as the festival is largely run by volunteers.

"The cancellation of the parade was not easy for us. On the contrary: we tried hard to make it possible," said the organizers. The decision affected both the audience and the festival organizers.

The numerous concerts in clubs, halls and on stages from May 10 to 17, 2026 with bands from Europe, Germany and Dresden remain unaffected by the decision. The Dixieland Festival has been taking place since 1978.