Kölner Lichter on Saturday, 1 August 2026 – Getting to Kölner Philharmonie

On Saturday, 1 August 2026, the »Kölner Lichter« event will take place. As a result, extensive road closures and traffic restrictions will be in place from the afternoon until late at night around Cologne’s Old Town and on the right bank of the Rhine in Deutz and Mülheim.

We recommend using public transport to travel to Kölner Philharmonie wherever possible. If you are travelling by car, please allow extra time for your journey and consider parking further away.

Key traffic restrictions at a glance:

Right bank of the Rhine

Auenweg will be closed from 3:30 p.m.

From 5:30 p.m., Opladener Straße, Mindener Straße and Deutzer Brücke towards the city centre will be closed to general vehicle traffic.

The pedestrian walkway on the north side of Hohenzollernbrücke will be closed from 4:30 p.m., followed by the walkway on the south side from 8:00 p.m.

Zoobrücke will remain open to vehicle traffic, but both sides will be closed to pedestrians and cyclists from 8:30 p.m.

Due to the Deutz street festival taking place at the same time, Deutzer Freiheit will also be closed.

Left bank of the Rhine

Access to the Old Town will be closed during the course of the evening, depending on capacity at the car parks.

On Saturday evening, access to the Kunibertsviertel neighbourhood will be restricted to residents, local property owners and tenants, employees, and business owners with appropriate proof of eligibility.

Rheinuferstraße will be closed to vehicle traffic between Zoobrücke and Deutzer Brücke from 5:30 p.m.

Detailed information on traffic restrictions during the major event is available on the organiser’s website: koelner-lichter.de.