GAY PRIDE + LOVE PARADE = BERLIN CSD
First time I came to Berlin for Love Parade I was too young to understand what was happening there… but I loved it anyway! Since then I come back at least once or twice per year always during Pride, which happens to be my favorite Pride celebration of all. It still has this easy, fun feeling the Love Parade used to have, the same trucks with loud music, the same Tiergarten, the same hot and friendly boys!
Waking up after all the pre-parties is hard, but totally worth it. Having that shot of German Jaegermeister near the bed to be taken right after the alarm clock rings always works! Otherwise I would never be able to wake up at 11am. Getting ready - tank top, shorts, sunglasses and ready to go.
Germany must be the only country calling its pride events Saint Cristopher Day (CSD). Berlin has definitely the biggest one in the country. They say it’s the second biggest city’s celebration (after the New Years Eve) and you can feel it. Lot’s of streets are blocked, crowds of smiling people. We take U-bahn to my favorite viewing spot - Wittenbergplatz. It’s perfect as it’s close to the beginning of the parade and next to the shops where you can get stock up on any supplies you might need - booze, food etc.
The whole parade is super fun! Huge trucks, loud sound systems, drag queens, half naked hot boys. Every gay bar, club, sex club, other gay organization has it’s own truck. Every respectable organization makes sure their truck is the best, the biggest and obviously having presents for the crowd. The streets get almost as dirty as they used to during the Love Parade.
The best part about parade is not about watching it’s about joining and marching. Every truck has a group of people following and dancing. Just find the beat you like and follow it while working your best dance moves. The whole parade (and it’s long) goes all the way to Siegessaule. After you made it there, you do deserve another drink, or two, or three, or however many you feel… I wish we had more time for that - it started raining cats and dogs right after I heard some truck paying 'Raining men'. I wish it was raining men...
I love the vibe of this pride parade - it’s about being part of this fun (and often hot) crowd. There’s hardly any show off or being too commercial - it’s just being yourself and having a ton of fun! After we were done with the parade, our drunk brains still knew we had to go back to the hotel to take a nap before the main parties - we would need all the energy we could get!
For couple years 4 major gay event producers through a party called UNITY. This year I decided to give a try. And oh man - that was a bad idea! Firstly getting there is really complicated as it's really far and the buses they provide is not a well working option. Location is really nice - some abandoned factory building. However it's way too big for the crowd. Dancing in most of the rooms feel like you can fit 3 times more people. Nobody I know stayed more than couple hours. They had the best event promotion, but the party is absolutely not worth your attention.
I couldn't wait to leave and get to BERGHAIN - the real Berlin where I usually spend many hours! Read about this here.
I might also stay for for the Sunday night in BERGHAIN, but if it's too much for you, the brand you have to know is GMF. It's one of the organizers of UNITY, but much bette on their own. GMF is a weekly Sunday party (yup, gays don’t work on Mondays in Berlin). I do go to this party when I want something more pop, less fetish, just the beautiful young boys.
In between a few rooms everyone can find the music they like - from Katy Perry to light techno. Germans do like to come here in groups, in that case - they simply build the wall around them and you can feel it. I hear a lot people wishing the crowd was more friendly, but that’s what often cute boys do - pretend they are untouchable… that’s till they get drunk and sweaty (and in this place everybody does!).
Aaaand the ratings!
BERLIN CSD 🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭
hotness of the crowd ---------🍭🍭🍭🍭
friendliness of the people ----🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭
music quality ------------------🍭🍭🍭🍭
drinks --------------------------🍭🍭🍭🍭
lights and sound --------------🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭
coolness of the venue --------🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭
GMF 🍭🍭🍭🍭
hotness of the crowd ---------🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭
friendliness of the people ----🍭🍭🍭
music quality ------------------🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭
drinks --------------------------🍭🍭🍭🍭
lights and sound --------------🍭🍭🍭🍭
coolness of the venue --------🍭🍭🍭🍭
UNITY 🍭🍭
hotness of the crowd ---------🍭🍭🍭
friendliness of the people ----🍭🍭
music quality ------------------🍭🍭
drinks --------------------------🍭🍭
lights and sound --------------🍭🍭
coolness of the venue --------🍭🍭🍭