Street Parade
The Street Parade is the most attended technoparade in Europe, since the end of Love Parade 2010. It takes place in Zurich, Switzerland. Comparable to Berlin's Love Parade, the Street Parade is as of 2001[update] one of the largest techno parties in the world and the largest annual event in Zurich. Proceeding along the side of Lake Zurich, it normally occurs on the second Saturday in August.
History
- 1992 — participants: 1,000
The first Street Parade (the English name is used in German) took place on September 5, 1992, initiated by student Marek Krynski and officially called the Demonstration for Love, Peace, Liberty, Generosity and Tolerance (German: Demonstration für Liebe, Frieden, Freiheit, Grosszügigkeit und Toleranz). About 1,000 took part in dancing behind two Lovemobiles.
- 1993 — participants: 10,000 — temp: 27 °C
In only its second year, 10,000 ravers participated.
- 1994 — participants: 20,000
The Street Parade was nearly banned, but strong protests from the techno music scene, the media, and population forced the city to back down. Since that time, the parade has taken place every August with a lengthened route around the corner of Lake Zurich. The first compilation was published: Energy 94 Streetparade - The Disc.
- 1995 — participants: 150,000 — temp: 24 °C
As many as 150,000 Swiss and foreign ravers come to the Street Parade. The double-disc Street Parade 95 is the first dedicated release.
- 1996 — participants: 350,000
For the first time, the Street Parade is organized by its own dedicated Association, founded by Marek Krynski, Barbara Suter and Christoph Soltmannowski. The official logo of the Street Parade is conceived: a stylized "P" inside a rounded red star.
- 1997 — participants: 475,000 — temp: 27 °C — motto: Climb & Dance
- 1998 — participants: 450,000 — temp: 28 °C — motto: It's All In Your Hands
The Street Parade can be first heard in a live CD, directly recorded on a Lovemobile. As music plays, the crowds are heard cheering and celebrating in the background. In this way the disc uniquely portrays the voice of the Street Parade.
- 1999 — participants: 550,000 — temp: 30 °C — motto: More than Words
Radio Street Parade goes on the air for about two weeks prior to and about a week following the Street Parade. Radio Street Parade broadcasts techno music, electronica and dance, interviews with DJs and musicians as well as reports about the Street Parade.
- 2000 — participants: 750,000 — temp: 32 °C — motto: Believe in Love
The Street Parade is for the first time broadcast live on Swiss television SF1, 3sat and Tele 24. The German music television VIVA showed two-hour summaries in the following week.
- 2001 — participants: 1,000,000 — temp: 21 °C — motto: Love, Freedom, Tolerance
The event reaches record heights with one million participating ravers. The Zurich Street Parade came out of the shadow of the Berlin Love Parade.
- 2002 — participants: 650,000 — temp: 17 °C — motto: Peace!
Rain dampens success of the event.
- 2003 — participants: 900,000 — temp: 37 °C — motto: Let the Sun Shine
Very hot weather with partly clouded sky. Attendance slightly down to an estimated 900,000. However, this contrasts to far more drastic declines in the Berlin event. The direction of the route was reversed in this year in order to reduce noise levels on certain streets, and to provide better exits for the trucks.
- 2004 — participants: 1,000,000 — temp: 37 °C — motto: Elements of Culture
The Street Parade again reaches a 1,000,000-person count.
- 2005 — participants: 1,000,000 — temp: 23 °C — motto: Today is Tomorrow
A million ravers and visitors are officially cited once again. The Street Parade Radio ran into some financial difficulties, but was rescued by the Zurich local radio station Energy Zürich and the free newspaper 20 Minuten. Beer was for the first time available at official drink stands. It was perceived by many that the Street Parade took on a more aggressive tone than before.
- 2006 — participants: 800,000 — temp: 17 °C — motto: Move Your Mind
- 2007 — participants: 800,000 — temp: 23 °C — motto: Respect
The Street Parade attracts 800,000 people despite the bad weather forecast.
- 2008 — participants: 820,000 — temp: 24 °C — motto: Friendship
- 2009 — participants: 600,000 — temp: 19 °C — motto: Still have a dream
- 2010 — participants: 650,000 — temp: 22 °C — motto: Celebrate the Spirit of Street Parade
- 2011 — participants: 900,000 — temp: 28 °C — motto: 20 Years Love, Freedom, Tolerance & Respect (1,400,000 participants was called around on the street parade radio ! ?)
Organization
Since 1996, the event is organized by the Verein Street Parade (Street Parade Association). Today, the Street Parade has all the character of a popular festival, however legally it is still a political demonstration. This frees the organisation of security costs, among all else that the city takes under its charge.
The Street Parade continues to be one of the safest mass events in the world. This is not just a consequence of the peaceful nature of dance parades, but is also thanks to a widely thought-out prevention concept. Five to ten times more participants at the Love Parade in Berlin had to be medically treated or transported to hospital in the last few years, relative to attendance.
Clear advice on healthy behavior is part of the "do's & dont's" informational campaign of the Street Parade. In particular, the message "Please, NO DRUGS" was made prominent on every Lovemobile during the 2006 and 2010 event.
Political aspects
Streetparade is today not an official political demonstration. Nevertheless sometimes stickers with demonstrative character occur.
References
This article is based on the article Street Parade in the German-language wikipedia.
External links