Overview
- Regional outlets on Monday listed where May 1 festivals will take place, while several towns confirmed they will not raise a pole this year.
- Villages are lifting and moving poles in many ways, from 60 helpers using hand poles called Scherstangen in Hofolding to horse teams in Seefeld and a THW crane in Achim.
- Penzberg handed the event to seven local clubs for 2026, cutting city costs and opting for a natural pole felled the day before to lower the risk of theft.
- Cardinal Reinhard Marx is funding a 15‑meter pole for a May devotion in Rome, after Schwaig organizers said thieves had earlier taken only their practice tree by mistake.
- Security is tighter at some events with new road barriers in Achim, and theft fears remain real as a Lohhof night watch blocked an attempted grab before the pole went up.