Cologne’s Carnival is known the world over as the epitome of German zaniness โ complete with people in costumes linked arm-in-arm, swaying to the music and gleefully singing traditional songs.
That part hasn’t changed โ but it’s not the full story.
Carnival, or Karneval as it’s known in German,ย may have a new look and feelย but what’s changing even more is its sound.
Cologne’s music scene is huge and unique in Germany. It has transformed rapidly over the past two decades โ and that has impacted carnival musicย too. The nostalgic, marching-band rhythms of yesteryear in three-four meter, sometimes with indecent lyrics and catchy melodies, have given way to a new pop culture soundtrack.
Traditional Carnival bands haven’t gone anywhereย but they are also largely in step with the times: Carnival music has gotten louder, faster, more diverse โ and a lot younger. Nowadays, the raucous tunes are not relegated to official meetings, traditional clubs and the street festival. They have now even taken social media by storm and found their way into the everyday lives of young people, even outside of Carnival season. As the band Kasalla sings in one of their songs, “Carnival all year long, rock and roll and Ufftata!”
Since 2015, the big annual Cologne late-summer festival Jeck im Sunnesching (“Crazy in the Sunshine”) has been drawing thousands. Most festivalgoers are young people who come to party to the tunes of bands singing in dialect โ and those band members are on the younger sideย too.
From swaying to the music to jumping
Traditional Carnival songs have always been meant to get people swaying in rhythm to the music. Nowadays, many new songs sound more like club tracks or pop anthems. They rely on beats and refrains that people can sing along to, plus lots of energy. The goal is to create a real festival vibe by getting people moving in the streets with music that appeals to people worldwide, not just bringing them together in a carnival hall or bar.
This is especially evident during the street festivities, where hundreds of thousands of people party. There are often no fixed programs, stages or seats. Hereย the music has to heat things up spontaneously. And it certainly does.
This phenomenon isn’t unique to Germanyย either. Traditional celebrations are changing in other countriesย too: In New Orleans, for instance, Mardi Gras is no longer dominated solely by brass bands. Parades now feature the sounds of hip hop and thumping electronic beats. Music there is not just being kept alive, it’s constantly being re-mixed as well.
The Notting Hill Carnival in London also shows how music can transform a traditional celebration. Once a very folkloric event, this festival is now dominated by sound systems, bass, reggae and dancehall. The music there shapes the atmosphere and doesn’t stick to presumed rules. And that’s precisely the path Cologne’s Carnival is also following: Traditional elements remainย but they are undergoing a sound makeover.
The new scene: Young, loud, self-assured
A young, experimental music scene is driving this transition. But despite the modern vibes, many young Cologne-based bands are holding on to a crucial characteristic of their identity: their hometown dialect. “Kรถlsch” is more than folklore โ it’s the day-to-day language.
Most of them don’t come from traditional Carnival clubs but rather from the pop, indie or electro scene. Their songs tell stories about life, love, pain, a sense of home and community. Many convey political messages, advocate tolerance and campaign against far-right hate, while others simply say: Party like there’s no tomorrow.ย
The first viral Carnival hit
The hit “Karnevalsmaus” by Druckluft has taken TikTok and Instagram by storm. The song is playful, tongue-in-cheek and clearly tailored for social media.
Nearly everyone around Cologne knows the simple choreography that went viral online โ and Carnival shops can hardly keep up with orders. Mouse ears are getting snatched up in a flash, as the unrivaled costume trend of 2026 is the “Karnevalsmaus.”
The song shows what makes for popular Carnival music today: It’s short, catchy and draws listeners wanting to hear something new. The song came to life in a rehearsal room, but through its digital presence, it reached millions of people in no time, in Cologne and beyond.
Gen Z is taking over Carnival
This new music is particularly appealing to Gen Z. These young people, born in the 1990s and 2000s and who grew up with streaming, memes and global pop culture, are rediscovering Carnival, finding in it an expression of identity and community.
That is also impacting the celebration’s image. Costumes are less oriented toward traditional figures and more toward pop icons, Internet phenomena or political statements. Music, fashion and messages are converging.
This trend is in line with international developments. Big street festivals like Pride parades or urban Carnival celebrations are now less about tradition and more about participation. Whoever takes part, contributes to shaping the image.
Tradition meets modernity
The “Loss mer singe” (Kรถlsch dialect for “Let usย sing”) events show that this transformation does not run contrary to tradition. The concept was first created in 2001 and has now given rise to nearly 70 sing-along nights in the weeks before Carnival. They take place not only in Cologne but also in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. At these events, held primarily in bars, attendees listen to, sing and rate new Carnival songs together.
The audience decides what works โ and their opinion is often pretty unanimous, as “Loss mer Singe” founder Georg Hinz has observed: “We’re seeing a broad age range everywhere, from mid-20s to mid-60s, with everyone liking the same songs.” He believes this new musical attitude toward life doesn’t exclude anyone โ on the contrary.ย “Nowadays, it just goes without saying that a pop ballad from Cologne, which could just as well be sung by an international pop star, would connect people across generations,” he told DW.
Georg Hinz sees the music as a key to the success of a modern Carnival: “The development in the past years didn’t happen abruptly but rather step by step, and has a lot to do withย the pop music people are in contact with, in their daily lives. I think that typical Carnival music and the music people generally like have moved closer and closer together. The result is that the overall market has grown significantly bigger.”
Cologne’s Carnival shows how cultural celebrations survive when they open up. Its music is responding to changes in society, digital culture and new target audiences. And that means Carnival isn’t some bygone custom. It’s a living city festival that continues to be loud, colorful and chaotic โ a collective sense of life encompassing euphoria and community at maximum volume. The music now tells the story of city life, identity and humor, while also sending a message. And in that way, Carnival remains just what it always has been: a reflection of society.
This article was originally written in German.