Rose Monday in Cologne: No move in the usual way

2021-12-27T15:57:08.677Z

Rose Monday in Cologne: No move in the usual way Created: 12/27/2021 Updated: 12/27/2021, 4:49 PM Confetti and a broken balloon lie on a sidewalk. © Patrick Pleul / dpa-Zentralbild / dpa / Symbolbild So now, because of Corona, there will probably be no Rose Monday parade in Cologne again. The festival committee is still cautious and keeps a back door open, but those responsible have long been w

Rose Monday in Cologne: No move in the usual way

Created: 12/27/2021 Updated: 12/27/2021, 4:49 PM

Confetti and a broken balloon lie on a sidewalk.

So now, because of Corona, there will probably be no Rose Monday parade in Cologne again.

The festival committee is still cautious and keeps a back door open, but those responsible have long been working on alternatives to the really big train.

Cologne - The Rose Monday procession in Cologne with hundreds of thousands of spectators is unlikely to take place because of the pandemic.

As the Cologne Carnival Festival Committee announced on Monday, alternatives to the classic train are currently being examined at the end of February.

"In view of the prognoses for the Omikron variant, we are currently assuming that a normal Rose Monday procession with hundreds of thousands of spectators will not be possible," said train manager Holger Kirsch, according to the announcement.

As in 2021, the Persiflagewagen should be seen in different places.

“They will definitely be on display this year as well.

But of course we continue to monitor the Corona situation very closely and check which alternative concepts could be possible in the short term in order to still give Cologne fans a special Rose Monday, "said Kirsch.

In addition to the various locations for the Persiflagewagen in several parts of the city, the festival committee is also examining the so-called Rio variant for the spectators. There are fixed stands on both sides of a significantly shortened train path. The necessary distances could be maintained on seats, and visitors could be traced. A move through the football stadium of 1. FC Köln is also being considered as an alternative under 2G-Plus conditions (access for vaccinated and recovered people plus test).

"Of course, none of these variants are a substitute for a normal Rose Monday procession, everyone involved is aware of that," explained Kirsch.

There had been a miniature parade in February 2021 which was then televised.

“Many people in Cologne got warm in their hearts during last year's lockdown.

Even if we cannot implement this “unique” idea in the truest sense of the word, we still want to somehow bring the Rose Monday festival to people's homes, ”said Kirsch.

The school parade, which traditionally takes place on Sundays (“Schull- un Veedelszöch”) has already been canceled.

The logistics of the day before build on the Rose Monday parade.

Going it alone is therefore not possible, said the festival committee.

It had already been decided in mid-December that the majority of the session carnival in North Rhine-Westphalia would also be canceled in the current 2021/22 season due to Corona.

The state government had agreed on this with representatives of the organized carnival.

On Monday, the ensemble of the legendary Cologne stunksitzung announced that all 46 sessions had been canceled due to the corona pandemic.

The alternative cabaret live events had already been canceled in the previous carnival.