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Poster in Cologne: "The next carnival is coming"
Photo: Oliver Berg / dpa
The great days traditionally begin on Weiberfastnacht - but this time the foolish hustle and bustle due to Corona is on the back burner.
Storming the town hall, cutting ties, concerts and meetings: all canceled.
In Cologne, the city's employees even have to work normally.
But a lot is happening: A large carnival show is taking place in Cologne's Lanxess Arena, which is streamed.
The aim of the show is to collect donations for needy carnival artists, stage workers, drivers and dance groups.
Many of them are endangered in their professional existence due to the failure of meetings, balls and parties.
The program will be moderated by Guido Cantz and Mirja Boes.
"We have already donated well over 300,000 euros, which is of course great," said Guido Cantz of the German Press Agency.
There would be an incredible number of jobs at the carnival.
“For example, I recently spoke to a photographer who said 'Carnival is one of my biggest sellers'.
It's really great that there is such a great solidarity. "
The show lasts six and a half to seven hours.
"We also have a lot of talk guests and bands that perform," Cantz said.
»The Lanxess-Arena is ideal because it is good for corona production.
The artists come in on one side and come out on the other. ”Everyone involved is involved on a voluntary basis.
"It has become a huge production staff." The show can be followed on nitallein.de, Magenta TV and on the website of the "Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger".
"From an economic point of view this is a disaster for us."
Herbert Geiss, head of the costume manufacturer Deiters
According to a study, the corona-related cancellation of the carnival celebrations costs the Schunkel metropolis of Cologne just under 600 million euros.
According to an analysis by the management consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG), this time only around nine million euros remained from the usual turnover.
At the costume manufacturer Deiters, sales fell by 90 percent.
"From an economic point of view, this is a catastrophe for us," said company boss Herbert Geiss.
In Cologne - which otherwise attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists on Weiberfastnacht - it is forbidden to consume alcohol in public places in the city this time.
Also, alcohol is not allowed to be sold at certain hotspots.
The police and the public order office want to systematically punish violations of the corona rules and the ban on alcohol.
Private carnival parties would not be tolerated either, said a police spokesman.
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wit / dpa
