On a balmy July evening, Cologne shines in a very special light. This is ensured by one of the most beautiful, music-synchronized firework displays in Germany: the Cologne Lights feature fireworks, Bengal lights, waterfalls and hundreds of thousands of sparklers. Before the main fireworks display, a convoy of 50 festively illuminated ships moves down the Rhine from Cologne-Porz towards the city center. It is accompanied on this route by various welcoming fireworks displays on land.
At the grand finale at around 11.30 pm, the images light up the sky with musical accompaniment. The musical theme changes from year to year: sometimes the wild 1970s set the pace, sometimes film music melodies can be heard from the large loudspeaker towers to the right and left of the Rhine. The rhythms are amplified by pyrotechnics fired to the exact beat. Sophisticated computer technology allows the shots to be fired into the sky with an accuracy of a hundredth of a second.
Special tours along the Rhine
The musical program starts in the afternoon with free concerts on the grandstand at the Tanzbrunnen. Many shipping companies offer special tours on the Rhine on the evening of the Cologne Lights. If you want to watch the spectacle from the water, you should get your tickets early.
The Cologne Lights have been one of the largest music-synchronized firework displays in Germany since 2001. Every year, around 800,000 people make a pilgrimage to the banks of the Rhine in Cologne.
