Events

Whether you are a floater, a goofy foot, a grommet or a shubbee, if you pay a visit to Cinenova on Monday you'll feel like you're right in the middle of some gnarly surf action. The Blue Surf Film Night is hosted by Blue Surf Magazine which arranges surf movie nights regularly all around Germany. From 60's classics to art movies, underground cult films to block-busters, the magazine's aim is to get big waves on the big screen. On Monday 25th February you can catch the German premiere of U.S. movies 'Here and Now' and 'Groundswell'.

If you are the parent of a teen, or a high school student thinking about your future opportunities you may be interested in the 2013 'Einstieg Messe' that is taking place at the Cologne exhibition center on February 1-2. Around 330 universities and companies from ten countries will be on hand to talk to students, parents and teachers about education, college, work, volunteer and study abroad opportunities. This year there will also be a higher education pavilion sponsored by the NRW Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research.

Cologne’s always been open to a bit of sexiness: home of Pascha, Karneval and a very loud and proud gay community. Well it’s just got even hotter. There's a sexy exhibition taking place at the Galerie am Bruseller Platz where the 'Guild of Erotic Artists' are hosting an exhibition of Guild Members artwork until the 12th September. Get an eyeful of paintings, sculptures, line drawings and photography that celebrates eroticism in its many different shapes and forms. There's another sexy little highlight down in the south of the city.

The ISR International School in Neuss has an open day on Saturday, March 24th, from 13:00-16:00. If you are interested in international schooling options in the Düsseldorf region the open day is a great way to find out more about what ISR has to offer. The school is a private, full-day, university-prep school for KG-Grade 12 and is a member of the SABIS® School Network which manages schools in 15 countries on four continents. On Saturday there will be presentations at 13:30 and 14:30 in the school's Large Conference Room followed by tours around the school campus.

Carnival is approaching and you are either preparing to flee or getting ready to party. If you’re doing the latter then you’ve probably planned your costumes already. But if you’re still at a loss for ideas, get down to Cologne’s Südstadt on Saturday 04 February and find yourself a funky costume at the Karneval Flohmarkt in the Lutherkirche.

Tomorrow is Eurovision and it's taking place right here in the Rhine city of Düsseldorf. If you're from anywhere outside of continental Europe you probably didn't even realize. But in Germany the annual kitsch-fest is celebrated with Eurovision parties and an abundance of airplay for the German entry. Here's some Eurovision facts to get you in the mood:

If Germany's Lena Meyer-Landrut wins on Saturday she will become the first ever Eurovision Song Contest winner to defend her title successfully.

The words 'Tupperware party' cunjure up all sorts of images, most of them from the sixties or seventies, involving a bunch of housewives cooing over multi-coloured plastic. You might be surprised to hear that they're still going strong today and we have a tupperware party organizer right here in the Cologne/Bonn area. What's more, if your German's not so hot, she can talk you through the latest range of plastic kitchenware, in English.

Buxom ladies, leather clad men and lots of big glasses of strong beer - yes, it's time for the Oktoberfest. Sadly we're too far away from Bavaria to party at the real 'Wiesn' (as the locals in München call it), but you don't have to miss out - we've got our very own Oktoberfest here in Cologne.

Get practising your oooohs and aaaahs, by the end of this weekend you'll have a crick in your neck and and you'll have worn out your vocabulary of appreciative noises as the 'Kölner Lichter' explodes over the city of Cologne. This annual fireworks display is an extravaganza of rocket propelled gun powder synchronised to music.

The weekend of 12th and 13th of June sees a merry mix of medieval and modern festivities to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Godesburg castle. Visitors to Bad Godesberg will be treated not so much to a time warp as to a time tunnel, with a medieval market at one end and modernday retailing at the other. Set in the historical grounds of the castle, the ‘living history’ market will offer traders’ stalls, with replica jewellery, clothing, toys, leather goods and many other fascinating items.