35th anniversary celebration of the Cologne Ghost Parade

Important: Due to limited capacity, unfortunately not all train participants can fit into the venue, so there are only a limited number of tickets available. Depending on availability, there will be some remaining tickets at the box office.

Limited ticket sales at rausgegangen.de is sold out.

The admission fee supports the association as a donation and helps to cover the costs of the event.

“We can't all sleep in the cathedral!”

Cologne's Ghost Parade will demonstrate on February 7, 2026, for a fairer housing policy and celebrate its 35th anniversary in ODONIEN.
 

Under the slogan "Hühste Zick för ne andere Wunnungspolitik – mer könne nit all em Dom schlofe!" (High time for a different housing policy – we can't all sleep in the cathedral!), Cologne's Ghost Parade is calling for a demonstration for a fairer housing policy on February 7, 2026. The reason for this is the increasingly precarious situation on the Cologne housing market, which is driving more and more people to despair. Students, young families, people with
“foreign” names or appearances, and other social groups suffer from massive obstacles – from excessive rents and displacement to discrimination.
"Many people can no longer afford to live in Cologne. It is time to work together to draw attention to the fact that housing is a human right," says Erich Hermans, chairman of the association Ähzebär un Ko e.V., which has been organizing the Ghost Train for 35 years.
The Ghost Train travels through Nippes – from the Clouth site to ODONIEN – and remains true to its special form this year: deliberately avoiding motorized vehicles, candy, and commercial elements.

In 2026, the Ghost Parade will celebrate its 35th anniversary. The Ghost Parade was created in 1991 when the official street carnival was canceled due to the Second Gulf War. At the suggestion of Erich Hermans, the Cologne Peace Plenum called for an anti-Gulf War demonstration on Rose Monday along the already cordoned-off parade route. Traditional carnivalists also spontaneously joined in, not wanting to leave the route to the so-called “chaotics.” This special mixture gave rise to one of the most impressive parades in Cologne's history, later referred to as the “zero issue” of the Ghost Parades. Since then, political protest has been part of the parade's identity. As the only continuous political demonstration during the carnival days, the Ghost Parade ties in with the resistant roots of historical carnival – from medieval protests against the nobility and clergy to the storming of Cologne City Hall in 1848.
To mark the occasion, the association invites you to ODONIEN after the parade, starting at 9 p.m. There, visitors can expect a diverse program with live bands, samba groups, bars, food trucks, fire barrels, and an open, supportive atmosphere to celebrate 35 years of creativity, resistance, and community.
Due to limited capacity, only a limited number of tickets are available at rausgegangen.de. The admission price starts at €5 and is variable as a donation to help finance the event.

Cologne Ghost Parade 2026
Schedule and route
Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026
Line-up: From 6:00 p.m., Clouth grounds, Josefine-Clouth-Str. from house numbers 15+17
Departure: 7:00 p.m.

Route: Josefine-Clouth-Str., Seekabelstr., short section of Niehler Str., Gneisenaustr., Bülowstr.,
Blücherstr., Schillstr., short section of Simon-Meister-Str., Turmstr., Wilhelmstr., Merheimer Str.,
Hartwichstr., Lämmerstr., Hornstr.
 

End: Hornstr. near Odonien
 

35th anniversary celebration of the Geisterzug
Organizer: Ähzebär un Ko e.V.
Venue: Odonien, Hornstraße 85. D-50823 Cologne
Admission: from 8:30 p.m.
Start: 9:00 p.m.
Tickets at https://rausgegangen.de/events/geisterzug-im-odonien/
 

Press contact:
Verein Ähzebär un Ko e.V.
Email: info@aehzebaerunko.de
Website:www.geisterzug.de

This year, for the first time, we will be collecting your bottles at the end of the parade – with the combined efforts of AWB, the City of Cologne, the Cologne International School of Design (KISD), the Grünen Rheinfunken e.V., Cradle2Cradle NGO Cologne, and Zero Waste Cologne e.V. We are bringing deposit bottles and old glass back into circulation – and you can help! Bring your glass bottles and support our dedicated helpers, the good spirits who give their all. FLÄSCHBÄCK will donate the collected deposits to the Cologne Clinic Clowns – for laughter that is needed there.
Let's have fun together, take responsibility, and do something good for our city!