Cologne Carnival Kölner Karneval 2022

With 1.5 Million People attending – Cologne Carnival is one big streetparty!

Although Koelner Carnival in Cologne is not a gay event in its self, it is very gay friendly with all the gay bars and clubs putting on events to join in the fun.

Costumes seem to be the order of the day what just about everyone wearing one. The style is rather different from Brazilian carnivals. Think more “Prussian Solder”, but then everyone loves a man in uniform. This is a fun filled six days of making new friends and meeting old ones if you can work out who is who under all the makeup and sequins.

The highlight is of Koelner Carnival is the Rose Monday Parade with over one million people lining the streets to see it  from 10:30 a.m., organized by the Cologne Carnival Committee of 1823: It is a colourful spectacle with sweets (“Kamelle”), little bouquets of flowers (“Strüßjer”), pecks (“Bützje”) and over one million of spectators in fancy dress. All day the city echoes to the sounds of the Carnival battle cry: “Kölle Alaaf”, which means “Long live Cologne!”

February 24 – March 1, 2022, annual festival week, Friday/Saturday/Sunday Carnival and Parade, Monday Rosenmontag, street & club parties, bar closing times suspended for the festival duration; costumes, drinking, singing all over the city. Midnight Tuesday burning of Nubbel — the straw doll scapegoats for all the sins of the year. Ash Wednesday traditional fish dinners.

Here are the hotels we recommend that have good reviews and keep you close to all the action,

Hotel Lyskirchen,   Maritim Hotel,   Dorint-Cologne,   25hours Hotel,