Laughing Cologne arena
The “fifth season” is celebrated during the Laughing Cologne Arena with exuberant hustle and bustle, cheerfulness and Rhenish carnival traditions in the Lanxess Arena. During the 13 days, carnival music and speech are the focus of the Cologne spectacle.
Date: February 7th, 2020 – February 23rd, 2020
Place: Lanxess Arena
Website: http://www.lanxess-arena.de
Admission: With admission fee.
Rhenish carnival
The carnival clubs on the Rhine are organizing their foolish hustle and bustle on the streets in Cologne and Bonn again this year. The highlights of the fifth season begin with the proclamation of the Cologne triumvirate and on the following days with street parades. The absolute highlight is the traditional Shrove Monday procession, in which the fools roam the streets on imaginatively decorated cars and throw camels. There is also a big party on Mardi Gras , before Ash Wednesday ends the end of the carnival season.
Date: February 20, 2020 – February 26, 2020
Place: Cologne
Website: http://www.koelnerkarneval.de
Entry: With admission fee.
lit.COLOGNE
As every year, the international literature festival awaits numerous German and international authors. Various readings are held as part of the festival, which are complemented by cabaret and theater. A special program was created for children. At the end there is a gala with a lot of celebrities.
Date: March 10, 2020 – March 21, 2020
Location: Cologne, various venues.
Website: http://www.litcologne.de
Admission: With admission fee.
Cologne Music Festival
As every year, the festival for electronic pop culture invites you to music, art and business events on the Rhine. A special feature of the festival are the unusual locations, such as the Cologne Philharmonic, where the concerts and parties take place.
Date: April 22, 2020 – April 26, 2020
Place: Cologne
Website: http://www.co-pop.de
Entry: With admission fee.
Art Cologne
The fair for modern and contemporary art takes place in Hall 11 of the Cologne Fair. Around 200 exhibitors from Germany and abroad present works of classical modern art, art after 1945 as well as modern and contemporary art.
Date: April 23, 2020 – April 26, 2020
Place: Kölnmesse
website: http://www.artcologne.de
Admission: With admission fee.
Eight bridges. Music for Cologne.
Every year it happens again: in May the festival “Eight Bridges. Music for Cologne” is all about electronic music.
Date: April 30, 2020 – May 10, 2020
Place: Cologne
Website: http://www.achtbruecken.de
International Museum Day
The aim of the International Museum Day is to show the diversity of the museum landscape. All major museums in Cologne are involved, including the Museum of Applied Arts, the Museum of East Asian Art, the Museum Ludwig, the Roman-Germanic Museum and the Wallraff-Richartz Museum.
Date: May 17, 2020 – May 17, 2020
Place: Cologne
Website: http://www.museumstag.de
Admission: With admission fee.
Photokina
Cologne’s Photokina unites artists, industry and photo-enthusiastic visitors at the leading trade fair for images and photography. In halls 1-5 and 9, the numerous visitors can try, touch and be inspired at the stands of over 160 exhibitors.
Date: May 27, 2020 – May 30, 2020
Place: Exhibition Center Cologne-Deutz
Website: http://www.photokina.de/photokina/index-8.php
Admission: With admission fee.
Cologne summer festival
Outstanding cultural events are organized during the Cologne Summer Festival in the Cologne Philharmonic.
Date: July 02, 2020 – July 31, 2020
Place: Cologne Philharmonic
Website: http://www.koelnersommerfestival.de
Admission: With admission fee.
ColognePride
With a variety of events, ColognePride is the largest gay and lesbian event in Europe. There is a big street festival in the old town. Thousands of guests are expected at the Christopher Street Day Parade.
Date: July 03, 2020 – July 05, 2020
Place: Cologne, Heumarkt
Website: http://www.colognepride.de/de/
Cologne Lights
It is a special experience to see the fireworks with music and ship parade on the Rhine when Cologne presents its spectacular annual event with a colorful supporting program of live music and figure-eight races. Around 800,000 visitors are expected this year too, who will find a place in front of the Cologne Tanzbrunnen and between the Hohenzollern and Zoobrücke.
Date: July 18, 2020 – July 18, 2020
Place: Rhine bank between Hohenzollern and Zoobrücke
Website: http://www.koelner-lichter.de
Entry: Without admission fee.
Open Monument Day
This year too, the Open Monument Day has a special focus. At the 142 locations in Cologne and in guided tours, those interested can find out more about monuments, their goals, effects and maintenance.
Date: September 13, 2020 – September 13, 2020
Location: Various event locations
Website: http://tag-des-offenen-denkmals.de
Cologne Oktoberfest
The Cologne Oktoberfest in the marquee at the Südstadion promises beer tent mood live and party mood. Bavaria comes to Cologne for a few days with dirndl, white sausage and Kölsch from Krugs.
Date: September 19, 2020 – October 03, 2020
Place: Südstadion
Website: http://www.koelner-oktoberfest.de
Admission: With admission fee.
Marathon
The Cologne Marathon on an attractive route through Cologne city center starts near the Deutz train station. There are also skate, handbike, half marathons and children’s runs.
Date: October 4th, 2020 – October 4th, 2020
Place: Downtown Cologne
Website: http://koeln-marathon.de
Entry: Free for viewers.
Cologne Comedy Festival
So far, the festival has produced many show stars who have become an integral part of the Kömodiant scene. Numerous stand-up comedians, writers and artists from theater and television present themselves in over 120 live comedy shows at various Cologne venues.
Date: October 24, 2020 – October 24, 2020
Place: Cologne
Website: http://www.koelncomedy.de
Admission: With admission fee.
Long night of the Cologne museums
During the Long Night of the Cologne Museums, many museums open their doors for “art enjoyment of a special kind” between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Date: November 7th, 2020 – November 7th, 2020
Place: Cologne
Website: http://www.museumsnacht-koeln.de
Entry: With admission fee. Children up to 15 years free.
Christmas markets
Christmas markets offer pre-Christmas fun and delicacies at the cathedral, the old market, the Neumarkt, the Rudolfplatz, the chocolate museum and the Rheinauhafen (“Christmas market on the water”). Cologne’s gay and lesbian Christmas market with booths decorated with pink and purple takes place between Schaafenstrasse and Pilgrimstrasse (the so-called Bermuda Triangle).
Date: November 22, 2020 – December 23, 2020
(not yet determined)
Place: Cologne
Website: http://www.koeln.de/tourismus/weihnachtliches_koeln/weihnachtsmaerkte
Entry: Free entry.
