Love Parade A Success In Essen

It must have been with a mixture of pride and pain that residents of Berlin read up on the weekend news this monday. The child that they had brought into the world and lovingly nurtured for eighteen years had flown the nest and successfully landed on two feet in Essen, in Germany's industrial Ruhr district. Yes, the Love Parade had abandoned Berlin to start its new life.

Things went well for the world's largest dance party, with organisers desperately hoping for a smooth transition to the West. Twenty seven floats, as well as many participating bars and clubs entertained 1.2 million people over four days, with police reporting only one unpleasant incident leading to a young man needing medical attention.

Over the next four years, the Love Parade will travel to fellow cities of the Ruhr, Dortmund, Bochum, Duisburg and Gelsenkirchen.