Love Parade

… in 97, 98 and 99.

The best years, apparently.

These days it’s rather commercial, and since it didn’t take place for 2 years, the latest one (in 2006) didn’t have the spirit of the old one.

I’d say the best days are over for the Love Parade.

I was there (again) 2006 after several years. Maybe I’ve just grown old (35), but it looked like a kindergarten party filled with show-offs. My first impression when I reached Straße des 17. Juni was shock: Almost nobody was actually dancing, although the parade had been going on for more than an hour already. Most people were just strolling around or looking at other people. I remembered the love parade as a gigantic rave with thousands of people dancing, definitely the majority. This time a few people were dancing near the trucks, but their number was ridiculous. 99% spectators and 1% ravers.

There had been a lot of criticism during the last years that the love parade had become another mass event for tourists and kids. Well, hard to deny. This year everything should have been better due to the “new musical concept”. Whatever their concept was, it wasn’t mine. I stuck to just a few cars playing somewhat minimal electro, but after 3.5h I was simply annoyed and left. Still moved a lot and had fun, and so had many others, but in no way comparable to an evening in e.g. Maria am Ostbahnhof. The love parade used to be great not because there were so many people in one place, but because all these people were partying.

Berlin is still worth visiting during the love parade, simply because the clubs offer a wide variety of very good acts for the parties following the parade. I somewhat doubt that I will attend the love parade in 2007, even though it takes me only 20min to get there from where I live.

the Love Parade as a massive party was non-existent in 2004. My understandng was that the government was shutting it down.

It’s been 8 years (WOW!) since I went to Germany. I was lucky enough to have been in Berlin the same weekend the Love Parade was there…talk about a blast!!! I would encourage ANYONE who is in Berlin in July to check it out!

Love Parade is the largest techno gathering in the world.Held in downtown Berlin, the parade features dozens of floats, each with its own soundsystem. The floats go up and down a long street, going through Brandenburger Tor. Love Parade is a massive celebration of techno, the re-unification of Berlin, and all things wacky, tacky, and wild.A million and half people brought together for a day. Wish you could be there? I DO!