Overview
- The 132nd Kieler Woche was officially opened by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Saturday, June 20, when he sounded a ship horn to give the signal “Leinen los.”
- Before the Rathaus ceremony Steinmeier sailed on the research yacht Malizia Explorer with skipper Boris Herrmann and local leaders, using the outing to spotlight ocean research and sport.
- Organisers expect roughly three million visitors for the nine‑day festival that combines high‑level regattas—with athletes from more than 50 nations in 21 classes—and an extensive cultural programme of about 500 concerts.
- City and police are enforcing a visible security plan that includes bans on carrying cutting and stabbing weapons; early spot checks cleared 100 people and turned up one knife, while hot temperatures and light winds have limited some race activity.
- The opening continues a tradition of high‑profile inaugurations and foregrounds local volunteers such as the DLRG, which Steinmeier visited during its 100th anniversary, as central to the festival’s social and economic impact.