I spent 2 days in The Lord of the Rings and experienced friendship and solidarity – This is how the Tolkien Days 2026 were

From May 28 to 31, 2026, the Tolkien Days took place in Geldern-Pont, bringing to life the world around The Lord of the Rings. MyMMO editor Alex was on-site and could hardly tear himself away.

The Tolkien Days at the Lower Rhine in NRW have been held as an event for almost 20 years now. Back in 2007, it was an event in the Geldener Water Tower with around 200 visitors. The whole thing is organized by the Association of the German Tolkien Society (DTG), primarily through the Stammtisch of the Left Lower Rhine.

Since 2019, it has been held on the association’s own grounds in Geldern-Pont. The focus is not only on making the life and works of J. R. R. Tolkien and thus the world of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings tangible for interested visitors, but also on presenting the diverse club activities of the DTG.

During the Tolkien Days from May 28 to 31, 2026, around 15,000 visitors graced the event and were thrilled by open-air cinema, concerts, impressive scenery and costumes, as well as creative program points, workshops, and readings.

I was also on-site for 2 days and was especially enchanted by one thing: the way Tolkien’s legacy comes to life through the passionate efforts of around 350 volunteers.

A Picture of Friendship, Trust, and Solidarity

When entering the grounds of the Tolkien Days in Geldern-Pont, you are inevitably caught by the atmosphere there. It is hard to put into words how warm, passionate, and open the people are. Everywhere there is lively activity, and wherever you look, actors in costumes are interacting with the visitors, talking about their costumes, the movies, and the works of Tolkien.

Aside from market stalls similar to those found at typical medieval markets, one quickly realizes: This is anything but a “normal” medieval market. Of course, the focus is on Tolkien with his works surrounding The Lord of the Rings and Middle-earth, but that is not the only difference.

Rather, visitors can immerse themselves deeply into the fantasy world through the elaborate scenery. Cosplayers and LARPers, for whom authenticity and recognizability are particularly important, further breathe life into it and transform the grounds into a kind of colorful, living museum that leaves you little choice but to joyfully participate.

And the concept is convincing. Many visitors I spoke with in between are not attending the Tolkien Days for the first time or at least plan to dive back into the event in Middle-earth next year. And I understand that.

The whole atmosphere creates a kind of dome in which one quickly feels at home and wants to linger. It warmly welcomes you and brings Tolkien, for whom friendship, trust, and a special love for nature have always been in focus, to life.

This is also reflected in the origin and the people behind the event.

“Even the smallest person can change the course of history.”

“Even the smallest person can change the course of history.” – a quote that every fan of The Lord of the Rings is likely to know. And it summarizes the interview I had with Annika Röttinger, press spokesperson for the German Tolkien Society e.V., quite aptly.

Because alongside a really long history of the club and events, there is also a strong sense of community rooted in the Tolkien Days. The idea was not initially to create such a large event, as Annika told me:

It was never the goal: “We’re doing this in, let’s say, festival size,” but it has simply developed from many networks, from “you know each other,” “crazy people have crazy ideas”… I say this quite freely from the heart, it has emerged. We as a club are simply mega-networked, and where people are just eager to organize something and invest work, you eventually reap really great, tangible fruits.

So, it simply developed that with this passion and cohesion, so much can be achieved together. Because when you see: “Wow, look, we can build Rohan here!”, that encourages you to keep going.

Being a place for everyone is particularly close to the club’s heart, and they want to live that at the Tolkien Days and offer everyone a safe space. And that is also a significant point why so many who come into contact with it stick around and keep coming back or even get involved in the organization and the club themselves.

Everyone has their place here. What stands out with Tolkien, I find, is that the little people, whom you would not expect it from, who also do not expect that they have an impact on the world. It is exactly those who end up saving the day. And that is what I find you can apply to all situations in life, no matter what situation you are in, you can draw so much courage from Tolkien. And that is what we really live here, and also the groups among themselves. And this harmonious coexistence simply invites you to more.

And I feel that spirit strongly as we sit on the bench in the middle of the Rohan camp for our interview. Actors and crew members notice what we are talking about and contribute their part. You can tell how proud everyone is of what they have achieved together and how passionately they talk about the community and the friendships formed within it. And that is contagious.

The Tolkien Days enchanted me and captivated me. You can feel the passion that the club puts into its event and that there is no commercial ulterior motive, but primarily one thing: to share the love for Middle-earth and Tolkien’s works with like-minded people.

Besides friendship, heroism also plays a significant role in Tolkien’s works. And what many may not realize is that he sees the greatest impacts in often inconspicuous things: Tolkien himself confirmed who the true hero in The Lord of the Rings is: It is neither Gandalf nor Frodo