New Year’s Eve in Cologne

Cologne is making special preparations for the forthcoming New Year’s Eve and the celebrations for the turn of the year.

Mayor Henriette Reker:

After the shocking assaults of the last New Year’s Eve, the City of Cologne has devised some measures which should help to make Cologne perceived once again as it really is: peaceful, safe, cheerful and with a sense of community. I would like to thank both the Cologne Police and the Federal Police for consistently supporting us this year, and for developing and implementing the necessary security-enhancing programs. The forthcoming New Year's Eve will surely place Cologne sharply back in focus. Cologne will be closely observed and conclusions drawn over the course of the evening. That is why we have once again concentrated on sending out a clear signal - Cologne is once again the safe city it was over a year ago, and in actual fact even safer today. It is important, however, that this is not only the case for the evening of New Year’s Eve, but 365 days a year. The private New Year's Eve celebrations of tens of thousands of Cologners and visitors to the Rheinufer, the old town and Deutz will be dominated by the impressive fireworks. People will celebrate happily and see in the new year together. This year will feature a spectacular multimedia lighting on the Domplatte from renowned artist Philipp Geist, a concert from the choir "Gospelcologne", an appearance of the choir "Grenzenlos" at the top of the Cathedral steps, and the Bengali fireworks on the new Rheinboulevard,

elaborated Lord Mayor Henriette Reker on the principles of the security concept as well as the program of the City of Cologne for New Year's Eve.

In addition to the security concepts of the Cologne police and the Federal Railway Directorate, the City of Cologne will significantly strengthen its presence with the Order and Traffic Service and private security services on New Year's Eve. Around 600 personnel will be deployed in the inner city area as a whole. The Hohenzollern bridge is to be closed to pedestrians, while various inner city squares are to be additionally illuminated. The counseling mobile, initiated by the "Cologne Initiative Against Sexualized Violence" and to act as a point of contact for women and girls, is positioned in the center of Cologne on the Alter Markt and can be reached until 3am (telephone 221-27777). Street workers will be available to support teenagers and young adults in need of assistance. As usual, the professional fire brigade, backed by volunteer fire brigades, will double their numbers to over 400 personnel.

In recent months, the City of Cologne has already further strengthened its security architecture by taking various measures.

• On the initiative of the Mayor, the security conference of the responsible Cologne authorities was revised and expanded.
• A further 100 posts were made available to the security staff, which are currently being filled.
• The City of Cologne is taking part in organizing roles for major events organized by a special organizer and accompanied by a security concept.
• An interdisciplinary co-ordination staff under the direction of the Public Order Office will ensure coordinated and quick decisions and rapid exchange of information.
• The City of Cologne municipal code is currently being revised.
• Analogous to the successful "House of Juvenile Justice", the police, the prosecutor's office and the City of Cologne have just signed a cooperation agreement for a new special group, which is dedicated to repeat offenders.
• City of Cologne and the City of Cologne Police are jointly providing a security mobile and providing additional security in the area of the station and the Cathedral.

The accompanying New Year's Eve program of the City of Cologne

For decades, New Year's Eve has attracted tens of thousands of visitors to the Rheinufer in Cologne, who celebrate together into the new year, accompanied by impressive fireworks.

This year, the city of Cologne is supplementing these privately organized celebrations with a special production on Roncalliplatz and the western side of the Cathedral. The renowned Berlin light artist Philipp Geist will commence his multimedia light installation "Your Word for Cologne" at 5pm, accompanied by ambient sounds. The projection also displays messages from Cologners who have submitted their own word suggestions or concepts, their self-chosen "word for Cologne". This lighting scene intentionally does not focus on the Cologne Cathedral, but the area and the people around it. They become a part of the scene and participate in various ways.

Also participating is the concert of the choir "Gospelcologne", which will sing from 10.30pm gospel songs on the Roncalliplatz, inviting all to sing along. The start to the evening comes at 5pm, as the choir "Grenzenlos" - a union of members of the youth choir St. Stephan, the "Lucky Kids", and young refugees aged between 14 and 25 years, perform from the top of the steps to the Cathedral. They are accompanied by Henning Krautmacher, who initiated and continues to support this choral project.

At midnight, the festive bells of Cologne Cathedral, with the unmistakably deep sound of the 24,000 kilogram bell "Dicker Pitter", will be audible all over. The "Decke Pitter", as it is called in Cologne dialect, is the largest ringing bell in the world.