Events

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.

There is something quite magical about a hot air balloon floating majestically across the sky. But they are always frustratingly far away, the opportunity to get up close to one of these silent giants is relatively rare. Unless you live close to the Rhine. In June and August residents of Bonn, Düsseldorf and Cologne will have the unique opportunity to see hot air balloons up close, on the ground, up in the air and even take a ride in one, for around €170. In Bonn the 2010 Ballonfest takes place from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th June.

This weekend you can catch some of that "Big Band" sound at the Museums Mile on Bonn. The Big Band Festival kicks off on Friday 4th June and finishes on Saturday 5th June. After the success of last year's event the city of Bonn is running the competition again in 2010 and the line-up is looking good: from 3.30pm on Friday school bands from around the region will be showing what they can do and then at 4.30 Brassrock will take to the stage - the big-band from the Bonn/Bad Godesberg Gesamptschule - with some Blues and Rock classics.

Düsseldorf has one of the largest Japanese communities in Europe and to celebrate the city transforms itself into a 'little Japan on the Rhine' to honour its Japanese citizens.  On the 29th May you can experience some of the many facets of Japanese culture: Samurai and their magnificent armour, the wonderful arts of Origami, Ikebana and calligraphy, Japanese sports like Sumo, Judo and Karate, Manga fans dressed as their favourite cartoon characters and of course delicious Japanese cuisine.

The 8th of May is "Der Lange Nacht der Museen" (The Long Night of the Museums) in Düsseldorf, a night of culture that doesn't stop till 2am. This years theme is "Kunstzeit" (art-time) and you can take in 40 art galleries and museums all under cover of darkness.  As well as the current exhibitions you'll be able to take part in guided tours, workshops and see various performances, lectures, films, concerts and even some culinary delights.  The State parliament building will also be open and showing an exhibition about Russian artist Lev Kopelev.

The Rhinelanders love fireworks - not content with the annual fire-fest at Silvester (New Year), here on the Rhine they also spend the summer shooting rockets into the sky from one end of the river to the other.  "The Rhine in Flames" is a kind of fireworks festival that kicks off in May and finishes in September. The party starts in Bonn on May 1st, then slowly moves down river to Rüdesheim-Bingen on July 3rd, Spay-Koblenz on 14th August, Oberwesel on 11th September and finally St.

Around 500 people will attend this year’s tango festival for four days of tango, tango, tango. There’s something for everyone: from absolute beginners to professional show dancers, from live music to tango DJs, from classical tango to tango nuevo. At four venues across town tango-lovers from as far as Berlin and Munich, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the Canary Islands will tango night and day. Things kick off with an opening milonga (dance evening) at Café Pauke – Bonn’s oldest tango venue – on Thursday, May 6th.

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What do you get when you combine dance, ballet, fire eaters, acrobats and a set designer extraordinaire?  Cirque du Soleil.  The world famous Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment" will be coming to Cologne in May. Each show is a synthesis of circus styles from around the world, with its own central theme and storyline. They draw the audience into the performance through continuous live music, with performers rather than stagehands changing the props.