Overview
- Cologne is set to account for roughly €850 million—more than 40 percent of the total—while IW estimates put gastronomy at about €900 million, retail at €400 million, transport at €290 million, hotels at €210 million, and tickets or float building at €162 million.
- Hotel rates in Cologne jump by nearly €90 per night on main carnival days—about a 66 percent surcharge—whereas prices in Düsseldorf and Mainz edge down slightly, according to the IW.
- Most Cologne landlords expect about €2.50 for 0.2 liters of Kölsch, with some charging €2.70–€2.80 and large venues at €3 or more, while Mainz and Düsseldorf trend higher and many Munich events charge around €5 for 0.5 liters.
- Düsseldorf has detailed extensive road closures from Altweiber through Rosenmontag and will enforce an Altstadt glass ban on the busiest days, with officials strongly advising travel by public transport.
- Organizers expect very large crowds: Cologne’s Rosenmontag parade plans up to 1 million spectators and about 12,500 participants, and Düsseldorf readies its biggest procession in at least two decades with 11,000 participants and thousands of police on duty.