The Rave The Planet Parade is an

electronic dance music Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and List of electronic dance music festivals, festivals. It is generally ...

festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

and

technoparade A technoparade (taken from the German word "Technoparade") is a parade of vehicles equipped with strong loudspeakers and amplifiers playing electronic dance music. It resembles a carnival parade in some respects, but the vehicles (called love ...

that originated in 2022 in Berlin, Germany. It is considered a spiritual successor to the

Love Parade The Love Parade () was an electronic dance music festival and technoparade that originated in 1989 in West Berlin, Germany. It was held annually in Berlin from 1989 to 2003 and in 2006, then from 2007 to 2010 in the Ruhr region. Events scheduled ...

, which was held annually in Berlin from 1989 to 2003 and then in other German cities until 2010. The parade is organized by the non-profit company Rave the Planet

gGmbH (; ) is a type of legal entity in German-speaking countries. It is equivalent to a (Sàrl) in the French-speaking region of Switzerland and to a (Sagl) in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. It is an entity broadly equivalent to th ...

, which was founded by Dr. Motte, the original creator of the Love Parade, along with other techno enthusiasts and industry professionals. The parade is held annually in the summer and aims to celebrate electronic music culture while advocating for its recognition and preservation. It combines elements of a music festival, political demonstration, and cultural event.

History

The idea for the Rave The Planet Parade was conceived in 2019 by Dr. Motte and a group of electronic music enthusiasts. They sought to revive the spirit of the Love Parade while addressing contemporary issues and challenges faced by the electronic music community. The inaugural Rave The Planet Parade took place on July 9, 2022, marking a significant return of large-scale techno parades to the streets of Berlin after a 12-year hiatus following the

Love Parade disaster On 24 July 2010, a crowd disaster at the 2010 Love Parade electronic dance music festival in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, caused the deaths of 21 people from suffocation as attendees sought to escape a ramp leading to the festival ...

in Duisburg in 2010.

Format and Principles

Rave The Planet operates as both a parade and a demonstration, combining music, art, and political activism. The event adheres to several core principles: # Promoting peace, joy, and pancakes (echoing the original Love Parade motto) # Advocating for the recognition of electronic music culture # Supporting sustainability and environmental awareness # Fostering inclusivity and diversity # Maintaining a non-commercial ethos The parade features numerous floats with DJs and sound systems, representing various clubs, labels, and collectives from Berlin and beyond. Participants dance through the streets of Berlin, typically starting at Kurfürstendamm and ending at the Großer Tiergarten.

Cultural and Political Impact

The Rave The Planet Parade is not just a music festival but a political demonstration advocating for the recognition and preservation of electronic music culture. The event addresses various political issues, including basic income, climate change, and queer life. The organization also demands that techno and club culture be classified as cultural goods that need protection.

UNESCO Campaign

One of Rave The Planet's most significant achievements was its successful campaign for UNESCO recognition of Berlin's techno culture. The organization actively campaigned for Berlin's techno culture to be recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. On March 14, 2024, the German Commission for UNESCO announced that Berlin techno culture had been listed on the Nationwide Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This recognition solidifies techno's significant contribution to Germany's cultural identity and acknowledges its impact on the city of Berlin since the mid-to-late 1980s. The successful UNESCO campaign marks a major milestone for the entire electronic music culture. It not only celebrates the vibrancy of Berlin's techno scene but also recognizes its global significance and enduring influence. This achievement is expected to help ensure that club culture is recognized as a valuable sector worthy of protection and support.

Anthems

Similar to the Love Parade tradition, the Rave The Planet Parade features an official anthem each year:

List of Rave the Planet Parades

Differences from Love Parade

While the Rave The Planet Parade draws inspiration from the Love Parade, there are several key differences: # Legal Status: the Rave The Planet Parade is registered as a demonstration, addressing the legal issues that plagued the later years of Love Parade. # Environmental Focus: There is a stronger emphasis on sustainability and eco-friendly practices. # Cultural Preservation: The event has a more explicit focus on preserving and promoting electronic music culture. # Scale: While growing, the Rave the Planet Parade has maintained a more manageable scale compared to the peak years of Love Parade.

Future Prospects

Rave The Planet aims to continue as an annual event in Berlin while expanding its cultural and political initiatives. The organization is working on year-round projects to support the electronic music community and advance its goals for cultural recognition and preservation.

References

External links

Official Rave the Planet website

{{Electronic music festival Music festivals in Berlin Music in Berlin Music festivals established in 2022 2022 establishments in Germany Recurring events established in 2022 Counterculture festivals Electronic music festivals in Germany Free parties Technoparade