************************************ The Love Parade is a big festival centered around techno music. It began life as something of a political movement way back in the summer of '89, and four months before the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was organised on the initiative of Matthias Roeingh, aka "Dr. Motte", a DJ of the Berlin underground scene who wanted to use the international language of music as a medium for spreading peace and love, and promoting world unity.

Dr. Motte

************************************ Until 1996, the parade was held on the famous Berlin Kurfürstendamm. Since by then, not only the Kurfürstendamm was overcrowded but the streets and even railway tracks near the Ku'damm too, the parade moved to the Straße des 17. Juni which is near the Tiergarten Park in the center of Berlin by the Brandenburg Gate and provided plenty of space. The center of the parade is the Siegessäule in the middle of the park, and the golden angel on top of the column has become a symbol of the parade.

The park&the golden angel

************************************ The music played at the events is predominantly electronic dance music : in this case mainly trance, house, techno and schranz music. Hardcore and Gabber music were part of the parade in early years, but were later removed. The love parade is seen to be louder and more crowded than most concerts. With its water-cooled sound systems on every truck, the parade produces an extremely loud sound floor.

************************************ The liberal, hedonistic crowd soon became famous for their inventive dress sense, exhibitionistic - and often kinky - tendencies, and for their rave costumes, which would include furry leg-warmers, glow-sticks and of course plenty of whistles. The festival's original cries for love and tolerance were rarely impeached and incidences of crime were always surprisingly low for such a big event.

Party people

************************************ The finale of the demonstration is by the so- called "Abschlusskundgebung" which are half-hour sets of the world's leading top DJs such as:

Dj Tiesto

Carl Cox

Chris Liebing

Dj Rush

Webstam

Drum Connection

& Dj Hell

Together with Mayday

& Nature one the Love Parade is one of the oldest and largest Festivals of Electronic music.

Let’s party.*