Bear Pride Cologne 2026

Cologne Bear Pride 2026 – And the hot Mr Bear Germany Election.

Cologne Bear Pride is one of the longest running and most attended bear events in Europe.

The event takes place in November and can make for the perfect pre-Christmas escape as the Cologne Christmas Markets also open that weekend where you can munch on marzipan and gingerbread and knock back warming glasses of gluhwein – German mulled wine.

• Cologne is busy during the Christmas period. Book your hotel early. We recommend you stay close to the  Old City district, full of charm and close to the city’s gay bars and clubs.

Cologne Bear Pride Program

The Cologne bear pride is wide and varied, ranging from hot nights in the sauna, to shopping trips, bear brunches and a super Bear circuit party on the Saturday night of the weekend.

• Next Edition: Tuesday, November 17, 2026 to Sunday, November 22, 2026
• BearPride Cologne brings bears, cubs and admirers together for bar gatherings, sauna socials, the Mr Bear Germany election, a bear walk and several party nights.
• The programme moves between Old Town meeting spots, the HEAVENUE gay Christmas market and clubs beyond the centre.
• Choose individual party tickets or a combined Friday and Saturday ticket.
• Arriving before the weekend gives you time to meet people before the larger club nights.
• Friday’s election night and Saturday’s PIPE party anchor the club programme.
• Brunch and sauna sessions provide a slower finish to the weekend.
• For a convenient Old Town base, book Hotel Lyskirchen, with an indoor pool and a location close to the bars around Heumarkt.

Day by Day Guide

Events at The 3B’s Mühlenbach premises are subject to reopening. Sunday’s HEAVENUE gathering time remains unconfirmed.

Date & Time	Event	Venue
Tuesday 17th November 2026
From 7 pm	Warm Welcome / Early Bears Opening	Baustelle 4U, Vor St. Martin 12.
Wednesday 18th November 2026
From 4 pm	BearTogether	HEAVENUE, Friesenplatz.
From 6 pm	Welcome with a WOOF	The 3B, Mühlenbach 53. Subject to reopening.
From 7 pm	Official Opening & Quiz Night	Baustelle 4U. Quiz starts at 8 pm according to the venue’s programme advertisement.
Thursday 19th November 2026
11 am – 2 pm	BearBrunch	Babylon Sauna, Friesenstraße 23-25.
7 pm – 8 pm	Meet the Mr Bear Germany Candidates	HEAVENUE, Friesenplatz.
From 7 pm	The 3B Pop-up: Introducing the Candidates	Tivoli, Hohe Straße 14. Candidate presentation around 9 pm; DJ Calatic.
From 7.30 pm	BearSocial by ColoniaBears	Barcelon, Pipinstraße.
Friday 20th November 2026
From 10 am	Official Bear Sauna	Babylon Sauna, Friesenstraße 23-25.
11 am – 5 pm	BearMarket	Café Bach, Pipinstraße 7.
From 3 pm	Beary Coffee & Cake	Barcelon, Pipinstraße.
From 7 pm	The 3B Pop-up: BEARAOKE Special Edition	Tivoli, Hohe Straße 14. Karaoke followed by DJ Adhsshow.
From 9 pm	Super Trouper Bears & Mr Bear Germany 2027 Election	Club Volta, Schanzenstraße 6. Admission from 9 pm; programme starts at 10 pm.
Saturday 21st November 2026
1 pm – 3 pm	BearWalk Memorial March	Meet at Malakoffturm, Am Leystapel 1. Walk along the Rhine to the memorial to gay and lesbian victims of National Socialism.
6 pm	Construction Bears: PIPE Warm-up	The 3B, Mühlenbach 53. Meet the new titleholders. Subject to reopening.
7 pm	BearDinner	FRÜH Em Jan von Werth, Christophstraße 44.
10 pm	PIPE	Schrotty, Vogelsanger Straße 406. Men-only party.
Sunday 22nd November 2026
From 10 am	BearPride Chill-out	Babylon Sauna, Friesenstraße 23-25.
12 pm – 3 pm	BearBrunch	Wilma Wunder, Friesenstraße 82.
3 pm	Farewell with a HUG	The 3B, Mühlenbach 53. Feuerzangenbowle farewell gathering, subject to reopening.
Time TBC	BearTogether	HEAVENUE, Friesenplatz. The booklet gives conflicting times of 3 pm and 5 pm.
6 pm	Drag Show	Baustelle 4U. Listed in the venue’s advertisement in the official booklet.
Monday 23rd November 2026 – Extra Farewell
From 6 pm	Warm Goodbye for Late Bears	Baustelle 4U, Vor St. Martin 12. Extra gathering after the official festival dates.

Check the official programme booklet for updates and further venue specials.

Before the Parties

Start around Heumarkt and the southern Old Town, where several programme venues sit close together. Pipinstraße is a practical meeting point for an afternoon coffee or early drink before travelling to the larger clubs.

• Baustelle 4U – Old Town gay bar hosting the welcome and opening gatherings. Its quiz night gives early arrivals an easy way to join the social programme.
• Barcelon – Meeting point for BearSocial, coffee and cake. A useful choice for visitors travelling alone who prefer a seated afternoon gathering before a club night.
• The 3B pop-ups – The bear-bar team moves its candidate presentation and BEARAOKE nights to Tivoli. These are separate from the conditional events advertised at its Mühlenbach premises.
• HEAVENUE – The queer Christmas market at Friesenplatz provides an outdoor meeting point for mulled wine and the candidate introduction.

The Main Venues

• Tivoli – Hohe Straße 14, central Cologne. The temporary home of The 3B’s two published pop-up nights, pairing the bear-bar community with candidate appearances, karaoke and DJs.
• Club Volta – Schanzenstraße 6, Mülheim. A concert and event venue in the former industrial district on the Rhine’s eastern bank. Plan a separate journey from the Old Town for the election party.
• Schrotty – Vogelsanger Straße 406, on Cologne’s western side. The former scrapyard venue hosts PIPE; this is another destination requiring transport from the central bar district.
• Babylon Sauna – Friesenstraße 23-25, near Friesenplatz. The programme’s daytime sauna venue, hosting brunch, the official bear sauna gathering and the Sunday chill-out.

Gay Cologne: Choosing Your Base

The Old Town around Heumarkt, Pipinstraße, Mühlenbach and Mathiasstraße is the most practical base for this programme’s bar gatherings. Stay here for short walks between social events and easy access to the Rhine.

Rudolfplatz and Schaafenstraße form the other main gay nightlife area, with a larger concentration of late bars. Friesenplatz lies north of this cluster and is useful for Babylon and HEAVENUE.

These central areas work well together during a weekend visit. Club Volta and Schrotty sit farther out, in different directions, so choosing a hotel beside either club is less convenient for the rest of the programme.

Where to Stay

• Hotel Lyskirchen – Old Town choice near the Rhine, with an indoor pool, gym and apartment options. A practical base for the social programme around Heumarkt and Mühlenbach.
• Maritim Hotel Köln – Beside Heumarkt and the river, with a large atrium, several dining options and an indoor pool. Recommended for its central location and tram connections.
• Dorint Hotel am Heumarkt Köln – On Pipinstraße, placing you close to several daytime and early-evening meeting points. A great option for keeping the Old Town programme on your doorstep.
• 25hours Hotel The Circle – Retro-futurist design hotel near Friesenplatz, with NENI restaurant and the eighth-floor Monkey Bar. Close to Babylon Sauna and HEAVENUE Christmas Market.

Planning Your Visit

• Check registration requirements for the organised meals before travelling.
• Events inside The 3B at Mühlenbach remain subject to the bar reopening. Its Tivoli pop-ups have separate confirmed listings.
• Check the final time for Sunday’s HEAVENUE gathering: the official booklet contains conflicting German and English times.
• Staying another night? The programme includes an extra farewell gathering on Monday after the festival.