City map of Zurich showing the route and all stages of Street Parade. Until 2003 Street Parade started at the Western Bank of Zurich Lake, since then, it starts at the Eastern Bank
The Street Parade is with over 1 Million visitors the most attended[1]technoparade in the world, since the end of Love Parade 2010. It takes place in Zurich, Switzerland and is the largest annual event in Zurich. Officially a demonstration for freedom, love and tolerance attended by up to one million people, it proceeds along the side of Lake Zurich on the second Saturday of 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.[2][3]
Street Parade n° 13–7 August 2004 - Elements of Culture
Street Parade n° 14–13 August 2005 - Today is Tomorrow
1993 — participants: 10,000 — temp: 27 °C In only its second year, 10,000 ravers participated.
1994 — participants: 20,000 The parade was nearly banned by the head of the police department Robert Neukomm (Social Democratic Party) and Monika Stocker (Green Party), but strong protests from the media, the population and the techno music scene forced the city to back down. Since then the parade takes place every August with a lengthened route around the corner of Lake Zurich. The first compilation was published that year: 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 — motto: The Rave-olution continues 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.
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.
2016 — participants: 1'000,000 — temp: 26 °C — motto: Zurich is unique
Organization
Since 1996, the event is organized by the Verein Street Parade (Street Parade Association). Today,[when?] 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.
According to the official website, "The Street Parade is still a demonstration that calls on everyone to live together in peace and tolerance."[5]
Alternatives
Since 1996 the counterparade Antiparade takes place in Zurich on the same day as the Street Parade to provide an alternative to it. Similar to the Fuckparade in Berlin, the goal of this smaller technoparade is to demonstrate against the increasing commercialisation of club culture.[6][7]
Gallery
Street Parade n° 14–13 August 2005 - Today is Tomorrow
Street Parade n°17–9 August 2008 - Friendship
Street Parade n° 18–8 August 2009 - Still Have a Dream
Street Parade n° 18–8 August 2009 - Still Have a Dream
Street Parade n° 29–13 August 2022
Street Parade n° 30–12 August 2023
Trivia
A man climbing on a traffic light pole at Street Parade 2023
In spite of the fact, that climbing is no element of techno culture and is also illegal at Street Parade, it is very common at this event to climb on traffic light poles and other suitable objects. Interestingly, there is a taverne in Zurich, in which a drinking game is performed whereby climbing is an essential element [1], but there is - against the opinion of some people - no connection between this taverne and Street Parade.
