Since Friday evening (May 5th, 2023) there has been a folk festival atmosphere in Bonn’s Rheinaue. Crowds of visitors are drawn to the “Rhine in Flames” free-for-all event. The organizers have set up three stages on the former Federal Horticultural Show site. The program ranges from Cologne party music to cover bands to electronic beats, and fairground performers have set up their rides and booths all around.
Over 130,000 visitors expected over three days at “Rhine in Flames”.
The traditional event had to be canceled three times during the corona pandemic, and now organizer Jürgen Harder wants to prove that the concept is enduring. His goal is significantly more than 130,000 visitors in the Rheinaue. If the weather is good, that should work, the guests have a lot of catching up to do. In addition, the neighboring municipalities of Rhein in Flammen have largely withdrawn, so that there is a central party in Bonn.
Fireworks to music by Ludwig von Beethoven
The highlight is the fireworks on Saturday evening at 11:15 p.m. Pyrotechnicians have already set up the launch ramps at Rheinauensee. Handball-sized fireworks bombs are shot into the night sky from the pipes, synchronously to pieces of music. The spectacle can be seen both from the Rheinaue and from a convoy of ships on the Rhine. The exact procedure is secret. All that is known is that these are the fireworks that were originally supposed to be set off for the Beethoven anniversary in 2020, but were canceled due to Corona.
expected traffic delays
At the major event, traffic obstructions must be expected, especially around the fireworks, and parking spaces are scarce. The city of Bonn therefore strongly advises you to travel by public transport or bicycle.
The origins of Rhein in Flammen go back around 90 years. At that time, the banks of the Rhine on the route between Linz am Rhein and Bonn-Bad Godesberg were illuminated with Bengal fire.