The Story of the Loveparade- from the beginning in Berlin into the year 2007

The Loveparade is a myth. From the alternative Techno move with 150 Ravers, it developed within a couple of years to a peaceful measure dance organization with more than 1.5 million visitors. The Loveparade presents the different facets of electronic music, it counts as a cradle of the German Techno- and House scene and sets annually international music trends and fashion trends. The motto changes with every event, the main idea remains the same: Persons out of all parts of the Earth meet themselves peacefully in order to celebrate, to dance jointly under free sky and to have fun.

The chronicle:

1st of July 1989 – "peace, joy, pancake"
Dr. Motte invites the, at that time, manageable Techno scene to a peace demonstration. 150 Ravers went on the 1st of July with two vehicles over the Kurfürstendamm. The motto consists of "peace" for disarmament, "joy" for the people better understanding through music and "pancake" for the equal distribution of food. The first parade is so small and insignificant that neither before nor after the event any news emerges in the media. Many of the participants of that time are today important Techno- and House activists.

7th of July 1990 – "The future Is Ours"
2000 persons and six trucks:With more than 1000 percent increase the Loveparade 1990 indicating the largest procentual at participants in relation to the year before – an eternal record in the story of the Loveparade.

6th of July 1991 – "My House Is Your House and Your House Is mine"
For the first time is made Nationwide advertising for the parade. Therefore are on the 6th of July next to 6000 participants from entire Germany also vehicles from Frankfurt and Cologne.

4th of July 1992 – "The Worldwide Party People Weekend"
After six weeks dryness, an amazing rain began exactly in the middle of the parade. Within the next hours, 90 liters of water fall per square meter down on the earth. The mood is not clouded even though there is a gigantic black cloud. Although some music plants did not accept the water quantities, the 15,000 participants dance excessively further. In the mean time in Germany, are a multitude of Techno clubs and the first 2 Mayday Raves surprise the Techno boys.

3rd of July 1993 – "Fifth Anniversary"
The Loveparade becomes larger and more professional. Altogether 31,000 House- and Techno fans come to Berlin on the 3rd of July. The Loveparade is more international than ever before, there are even vehicles from London there.

2nd of July 1994 – "The Spirit Makes You Move"
The Loveparade has become a meaningful event. 110,000 Techno fans dance around 40 trucks along the Kurfürstendamm. Through the continuous increase of the number of participants, all becomes bureaucratic.

8th of July 1995 – "Peace On Earth"
The Loveparade does not longer take place the first July weekend, but rather the second. In comparison with the last year, the participant number triples with 280,000 visitors. It is incredible hot. Because of the war in Bosnia, the motto is this time "Peace On Earth".

13th of July 1996 – "We Are One Family"
The Loveparade GmbH is established in the Spring. Name and Logo of the parade are now registered, protected trademarks. The Kurfürstendamm became for the majority of people too small, therefore the organization must be transferred. 750,000 Raver come to Berlin on the 13th of July and dance along the street of the 17th of June to the Ernst-Reuter-Platz and further to the Brandenburger Tor. There, the trucks turns and go back to the Siegessäule where the conclusion of the event takes place and for the first time there is a speech from Dr. Motte. The official music compilation reaches 6th place of the German album Charts.

12th of July 1997 – "Let The Sunshine in Your Heart"
The sun shine on the heads and in the hearts of over a million Techno lover who dance euphorically in Berlin next to the 50 trucks through the Tiergarten. For the first time, there is an official Single and a music video to the Loveparade. "Sunshine" occupy quickly the 5th place of the German Single Charts. All world speaks about the Mega party in the middle of Berlin.

11th of July 1998 – "One world – One future"
The number of participants exceeds for the first time in the story of the Loveparade the million visitors. The vehicles go now in two columns: A part starts at the Brandenburger Tor, the other at the Ernst-Reuter-Platz. Everyone has lots of fun peacefully and without incidents, in spite of occasional rain. The speech of Dr. Motte is transmitted live by five German TV stations.

10th of July 1999 – "Music Is The Key"
In radiating sunshine, over 1.5 million persons are dancing to the beat of the 20,000 watts strong boxes up to professionally equipped vehicles. Everywhere warble pipes, the Raver accessory of the year. This year also the named "Lovedusche" comes for the first time in use: Sponsors refresh the dancing quantity with water tubes.

8th of July 2000 – "One world – One Loveparade"
The Loveparade becomes a export product. In other countries, such as Austria, England, Israel and Mexico are taking place lots of Techno moves. To the original in Berlin comes again over a million persons.

21st of July 2001 – "Join The Love Republic"
The Loveparade loses in the thirteenth year its demonstration status. Nevertheless, like in the previous year, almost so many people is coming, and the mood – like always – fantastic. A million persons celebrate in the middle of Berlin a peaceful party. The parade becomes the mirror of the society: Whether extroverted Ravers in sunflower bikinis and fur coats, moms and dads with baby carriage, curious or screechy teenies, everyone dance jointly under July´s sun to the Techno beat. In almost ten hours, 250 Djs from 20 countries on 45 trucks played different sounds. The German train company uses 78 special trains and transports 280,000 passengers at the Loveparade weekend.

13th of July 2002 – "Access Peace"
Messages over pretended planned terrorist attacks and thunderstorm warnings turns the mood a bit down. Although so many visitors do not come such as previously years to the Loveparade, nevertheless 700,000 fans dance peacefully through the Tiergarten and therewith demonstrate that violence has no chance.

12th of July 2003 – "Love Rules"
The Loveparade is taking place one more time even though some discussions about the financing of it. 750,000 persons follow around 30 trucks and for the first time there is an own Loveparade vehicle. A little bit of rain can not disturb the good and crazy mood of the visitors and its only seen as a welcome refreshment. At the conclusion of the demonstration, the sun radiates again and all the visitors are themselves united: an unforgettable experience!

The end...2004...
During 15 years, persons all around the world danced in the Loveparade through Berlin: The first time 1989, the last time in the year 2003: The worries about money began 2001. In this year the parade lost the status of a demonstration. That means from this moment, for all the costs, the organizers had to finance themselves. In the record year 1999 about 1.5 million people came for celebrating, since 2001 the number of visitors has fallen back. One three quarters million Ravers danced for the last time in the Tiergarten. Though there were plenty of sponsors, the high costs could not be financed anymore. The Loveparade is canceled 2004 for the first time. In 2005 the Loveparade is also called off.

... And the comeback 2006 After three-year recess, in 2006 the Loveparade finally takes place again. The enthusiasm for this unique, free, peaceful, music event in the middle of Berlin is as always unbroken. Techno had established itself in the course of the years as a firm music direction and is continuously developing. 2006 the Loveparade makes allowance of this trend. Electronic dance music in all its forms – from House over Techno and Drum' n' bass up to electro pop – 1.2 million persons are dancing. 2006 were represented on the floats (parade vehicles) 19 different nations as well as 320 artists from all the corners of the globe.

February 2007
Based on missing security plans in Berlin starts the Loveparade Berlin technGmbH on the 21st of February an announcement which European cities can apply itselfs as a place for the event. The Region of the Ruhr in West Germany is in the top of more than 60 European applicants. In the next five years, the Loveparade 2007-2011 will take place in five different cities of the Region of the Ruhr: Essen (2007), Dortmund (2008), Bochum (2009), Duisburg (2010) and Gelsenkirchen (2011).

25th of August 2007- "Love Is Everywhere"
1.2 million Fans are happy about the desition to celebrate the Loveparade in the Region of the Ruhr the next years 2007–2011 and they transform the city of Essen in a gigantic dance floor. 27 floats originating from 7 countries go to the "new" parade. The vehicles are from South Africa, Australia, Holland, Argentina, Mexico, Spain and Germany. In the floats is imposed the international elite of DJ' s. For the first time the Loveparade becomes an event for an entire region.

.. And Soon..19th of July 2008 - "Highway To Love" For the first time in the history, the "Great Freeway B1", the most traveled of Germany with more than 100,000 cars daily, will be blocked for an event. This is also a premiere for the Loveparade because for the first time will happen in such exceptional environment. This main artery of traffic in Germany its going to be paralyzed from the West to the East and for a day the freeway B1 will be the "Highway To Love". The journey will finish in the covered stadium in Dortmund, in whose territory the event will conclude: more long, more stronger and more live!