Overview

• The musically synchronized high-altitude fireworks are scheduled to begin at 22:30 on Saturday.
• The Federal Police Directorate Sankt Augustin has imposed a temporary ban on carrying dangerous items at Köln Hauptbahnhof and Messe/Deutz from Saturday to Sunday.
• Cologne police plan to deploy about 1,600 officers for crowd safety and to oversee two afternoon demonstrations.
• Organizers say the event runs at reduced scale this year, with 24 ships on the Rhine instead of the pre-2019 total of 54, after sponsors helped close funding gaps.
• The fireworks will be launched from a fortified barge in the river, and the organizer argues a Düsseldorf-style land-fireworks accident is not possible; several hundred thousand visitors are expected though attendance may be lower.