Cologne Event: CSD (Pride)

From small beginnings in 1990, Cologne's Christopher Street Day (CSD) has grown to become one of the city's largest events and one of Germany's biggest Pride events. Now called ColognePride, it takes up not only the traditional CSD weekend but a whole fortnight, with a variety of events at different venues throughout the city. n recent years 450,000 people have enjoyed appearances by musicians and other performers at the Pride Village street festival, while 750,000 have turned out to watch parades attracting 40,000 participants. The Pride Village fills Roncalliplatz, Heumarkt, Rathausvorplatz and Alter Markt, as well as the streets in-between. Among the main attractions is the dance stage, boasting top DJs from Germany and around the world. The main parade (8 July) is usually broadcast on TV as it snakes along a five-kilometre route across the Deutz bridge and over the Rhine into the city centre, with 150 trucks and many groups on foot.