Pork festival in Viechtach: Söder enthusiastic, Peta protests!

Pork festival in Viechtach: Söder enthusiastic, Peta protests!

Viechtach, Deutschland - in Viechtach, Lower Bavaria, a controversial pork festival with betting grilling took place on May 24, 2025. The event captivated both meat eaters and animal and environmentalists. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) was personally on site and praised the X Bavarian pork on the platform. The event caused numerous controversy when the animal rights organization Peta registered a protest rally and criticized the event.

WOW, the event caused lively discussions. Peta drew attention to the species discrimination and presented a dog dummy on a grill during her protest. In the early afternoon, on the other hand, the police did not report any incidents, which did not cloud the mood of the participants. For the local community, the pork festival was an opportunity to profile itself as a tourist attraction when Mayor Franz Wittmann explained that everyone could decide what to eat and to contribute to the festival to bring together locals and tourists.

participants and competitions

Originally, only six grill teams had registered for the competition, but ultimately 16 groups competed. The increasing number of participants shows the interest in this event and could reflect local pride in the traditional grill culture. Mayor Wittmann, who was inspired by a visit to the Czech community of Hartmanice, took over the idea for this festival after a grill event there, where over 1200 kilograms of meat were grilled last year.

Although opponents of the festival demanded a fundamental departure of meat dishes, Wittmann made it clear that vegetarian and vegan dishes were also offered. People like Vera Gögele from the "Vegan in Viechtach" initiative compared the grilling of a pig with the grilling of a dog and emphasized that breeding an animal does not give him the right to take his life.

political reactions

The statements of the Protestants were further fueled by Söder's participation in the festival. He found that it was left to everyone what they want to eat. The Czech Mayor Pavel Waldmann, who also participated in the festival, underlined the high quality of the offered pork and said that it was okay to enjoy meat once a year, even if you shouldn't do it every day.

For the local administration, the pork festival is both a cultural and an economic event, while the opposite side indicates necessary changes in society. The debate about meat consumption and animal welfare will certainly continue in the region, while everyone involved is recovering according to a festival that was characterized by Viechtach.