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Bonn pays 172,000 euros: fair and Christmas market in danger!
In the future, Bonn will have to pay 172,000 euros annually for events after a ruling by the Minden Administrative Court imposed such costs on the city.
Bonn pays 172,000 euros: fair and Christmas market in danger!
The situation for the organizers of festivals and markets in Bonn has changed significantly. The city has a responsibility to shoulder the financial burden for essential programs and services. Loud Radio Bonn Bonn has to divert around 172,000 euros from the city treasury every year to cover the costs of various events such as the fair and the Christmas market. This is the result of a ruling by the administrative court in Minden, which makes it clear that the city must pay for unnecessary program items if they are desired and cannot be passed on to the showmen.
For example, these costs that can no longer be allocated include expenses for festive decorations, the traditional parade or setting off fireworks at the Pützchens Markt. The ruling emphasizes that dealers and showmen may not be used for advertising costs; instead, the primary responsibility falls on the city's shoulders.
Court decisions as a background
The large number of court decisions from Minden that have been made in the last few months provide a clear indication of the new requirements for the cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. In several cases decided between April and July 2025, it became clear that cities are increasingly being asked to secure the financial resources for such public events themselves. This legal development requires municipalities to rethink how they plan and finance festivities without transferring the economic burden to the organizers.
Another important issue in the context of large events is security, especially in the context of counter-terrorism. A ruling by the administrative court in Berlin from 2019 states that the costs for security measures must generally be borne by the state and that private organizers cannot be obliged to implement such measures without a legal basis. This judgment, as on Law Forum Reading shows that security at major events is a state duty that should not be left to the organizers.
Recent developments highlight the challenges that cities face when it comes to financing and organizing public festivals. Determining responsibilities is more than ever a central issue that is important for the city as well as for the showmen and dealers. It will be exciting to see how the cities fare in implementing these requirements and what solutions are found to keep the events going while distributing the financial burden.