Cologne carnival season kicks off with thousands taking to the streets

Loading the video No Comment Video. Cologne carnival season kicks off with thousands taking to the streets Copy/paste the link below: Copy/paste the article video embed link below: Updated: 12 November 2026 - 8:50 GMT+1 Cologne welcomes the 2026 carnival season as thousands gather for music, costumes and celebrations despite wet weather. Thousands of people took to the streets of Cologne on Wednesday, November 11, as the city’s traditional carnival season officially got underway. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Celebrations began at 11:11 am, with crowds in colourful costumes gathering at Heumarkt to sing, dance and welcome the 2026-27 carnival season. Long queues formed outside designated party areas, while more than 1,000 police officers and emergency personnel were deployed to manage the crowds and ensure public safety. The festivities continued despite persistent rain and grey skies, with Cologne Cathedral partly obscured by mist. Carnival Germany Top stories Now playing Next Cologne carnival season kicks off with thousands taking to the streets Now playing Next Spain: Clashes erupt in Barcelona after peaceful general strike march Now playing Next Spain: 120,000 brave rain to demand affordable housing and better wages Now playing Next Latest news bulletin | November 12th, 2026 – Morning Now playing Next Video shows soldier reprimanding Hegseth and advisers at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Now playing Next Ukraine talks yield prisoner swap as European leaders meet in Dublin Now playing Next Moment historic SS United States sinks off Florida’s coast Now playing Next Ukraine-Russia peace talks enter second day with territory in focus Now playing Next EU budget battle erupts as four countries defy Merz over Ukraine aid Now playing Next US Republicans block move to impeach US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth Now playing Next Five EU countries demand UK pays for electricity market access Now playing Next Abu Dhabi peace talks end with prisoner exchange agreement Now playing Next At least two dead while others are trapped in the rubble after a building collapse in New York City Now playing Next France's 11 November ceremonies: Macron, Le Pen, Mélenchon between memory and pacifism Now playing Next Is the EU setting the right priorities? MEPs slug it out on The Ring Now playing Next Latest news bulletin | November 11th, 2026 – Evening ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT No Comment Storm Charles: Heavy rain and strong winds batter Portugal No Comment Protesters outside Israel’s Knesset oppose Arab lawmakers, call for new elections No Comment Ottoman marching band welcomes world leaders to COP31 in Turkey No Comment Art group unveils statue satirising Trump’s military service record Europe News Portugal closes all schools and non-essential services over Storm Charles Europe Today We should 'salute' Ukraine for military campaign against Russian diesel infrastructure Modern Nomads How ancient nomadic survival skills became global sporting events Grand Voyager Exploring Uzbekistan’s silk road soul, from Tashkent metro to Samarkand Qatar EU plans Doha defence talks to strengthen security ties with Gulf countries Euronews Tech Talks Has Europe managed to attract researchers escaping US academia under Trump? | Euronews Tech Talks Talks Europe News Abu Dhabi peace talks end with prisoner exchange agreement as US envoys prepare to meet Putin Culture news Princess Diana’s iconic ‘Revenge Dress’ goes on display ahead of auction ADVERTISEMENT Travel News Santorini seeks year-round tourism by promoting gastronomy, wine and culture Europe News Schools in Italy, Ireland and UK evacuated after hoax bomb threats that also target Meloni Earth News 'Everything we love is at stake': Greta Thunberg blasts COP climate summits as being full of lobbyists USA Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the BBC over Panorama edit can proceed, judge rules Europe News Ukraine-Russia peace talks enter second day with territory and security guarantees in focus Tech News Iran rejects France's 'baseless accusations' on fridge cyberattacks Europe News Men linked to London synagogue attacks charged over UK airbase plot No Comment Iranian women take part in IRGC military training in Tehran ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT