Kassel Pigeon Fair: What You Need to Know

Team Benzing Says Come Anyway It Will Be Fun No Matter What 🎉

Let’s not sugar-coat it. The announcement hit the pigeon world like a cold bucket of water. Kassel. The Pigeon Fair Kassel. Europe’s annual pilgrimage for fanciers from every corner of the sport. And now the official news is out.

The 36th International Pigeon Market & DBA 2025 goes ahead

But without pigeons in the halls. No rows of cages. No show teams. No long lines of fanciers studying eyes, bodies and wing structure.

It stings. Natuurlijk. But here’s the reality every serious fancier needs to hear. This is not the end. This is a stress test. For the fair. For the organisation. But especially for us, the global pigeon community.

Why Pigeon Fair Kassel Can’t Host Birds This Year

Around Messe Kassel, real and confirmed cases of avian influenza have been popping up week after week. No rumours. No exaggeration. Hard data. The organisers spent weeks in talks with the veterinary authorities. New plans. Adjusted plans. Emergency plans.

But when it comes to animal health, there’s no grey area. This year a pigeon fair with pigeons simply isn’t allowed. Not half. Not partly. Not “maybe if…”

JUST NOT!

And so the organisers had to make a grown-up decision: take the risk and damage the sport long-term… or protect the birds and protect the sport.

They chose responsibility. And honestly? That’s exactly what our sport needs.

Kassel Goes On — But It Will Be Different

Now the good news. Pigeon Fair Kassel 2025 is not cancelled. The halls open. The lights switch on. The stands are built. The people come. The energy stays.

Here’s what remains fully in place:

• The International Pigeon Market
• All major industry exhibitors
• The International Breeders Meeting on Friday
• The famous Saturday evening party, dinner included
• The official championship ceremonies
• The auctions, with pre-auctions online and final bidding live in Kassel

The only thing missing? The birds.

All auction pigeons remain at home. Fanciers bid based on pre-auction presentation, photos and information.

Different? Absolutely.

Less valuable? Only if you reduce Kassel to cages, and that’s never what Kassel really was.

What Pigeon Fair Kassel Really Is

Kassel has always been more than pigeons in boxes. It’s the weekend where names from race results, WhatsApp groups and Facebook suddenly become real people. It’s where a five-minute conversation changes your breeding plan for 2026. It’s where system suppliers, vets and feed specialists give you the insights that lift your loft performance.

Normally you stroll past cages in between those conversations. This year you won’t. No eye sign debates. No wing shows. No champions in the hand.

But the heart of the sport, knowledge, contact, cooperation, is still there. And that’s the part that truly matters.

The Rules This Year Are Strict, And Must Be Respected

Across the entire Kassel weekend:

• No pigeons on the fairgrounds
• No pigeons in cars on the parking areas
• Security and veterinary checks will be active
• Birds found on site may be seized and quarantined at the owner’s expense
• Removal from the grounds and fines are possible

Whoever thinks they’ll “just bring a few in the car for a parking-lot meeting” isn’t only playing with their own wallet, they are risking the reputation of the entire sport.

This is the moment we show what kind of community we want to be. Immature and stubborn, or responsible and united.

Why You Should Still Attend Pigeon Fair Kassel 2025

I understand the fanciers who say: “Without pigeons I’ll stay home.”

But think further.

This is the year we prove the pigeon sport is bigger than cages. This is the year to:

• Strengthen contacts and build new partnerships
• Discuss breeding plans and 2026 racing strategies
• Talk One Loft Race ambitions
• Meet vets, nutrition experts and system specialists
• Celebrate the champions of the past season
• Show governments and institutions that we can act responsibly

Kassel 2025 is a litmus test. If the halls are full, the conversations deep and the atmosphere strong, then we show the world that pigeon sport does not collapse when the cages stay empty for one edition.

The Bigger Picture — Avian Flu Is Serious

Avian influenza is a real threat. For poultry. For hobby birds. And yes, for our racing pigeons. When we show authorities we can adapt responsibly, they give us room. Room for fairs. Room for racing. Room for the sport to breathe.

If we act like rebels in parking lots, that room disappears. Everywhere.

Looking Forward to 2026

The organisers have already said it clearly. Together we look ahead. The 37th edition in 2026 must return in full strength, with birds, cages, showlines, the full Kassel experience.

But whether that becomes possible depends on how we behave this year.