Street parade 2003 – let the sun shine!

Zurich's Street Parade is Switzerland's biggest outdoor rave. Street Parade 2001

The 12th annual Street Parade has begun winding its way though Zurich, pushing the temperature up a few more degrees.

With its motto “Let the sun shine!”, the Street Parade is issuing a plea for love, peace and tolerance.

Organisers of the event have seen their wish granted. After last year’s downpour, the weather has stayed bright and sunny, with temperatures reaching 36 degrees in Switzerland’s business capital.

Around 800,000 spectators and dancers from all over the world are expected to follow the parade, with a third of them coming from Germany.

Ravers have been taking to the streets of Zurich for the past 11 years.

This year the Street Parade Association is making free advertising space available to Unicef in the hope of generating donations to the United Nations children’s fund.

“Many people from different ethnic backgrounds come to the Street Parade and dance together. It is a very friendly event and we think that we can give some money to something that is very friendly too, like Unicef,” said Street Parade spokesman Stefan Epli.

“We think that we can bring so many people to Zurich to dance in the streets and Unicef is doing so many things for children in the world so the two [organisations] are very similar.”

Security measures

Thousands of helpers are hoping to ensure this year’s Street Parade is safe and free of incident.

“Along the Street Parade’s 2.4 kilometre-long route, over 3,000 people are making sure this year’s event will run smoothly,” Epli told swissinfo.

After forecasts of high temperatures, the fire department also installed additional sprinklers to cool overheated ravers and the organisers are planning to give out free sunscreen.

This year’s organisers have also come up with a novel way of dealing with the stench of urine left behind by those who fail to find a public loo in time.

According to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, Zurich’s street-cleaners will spray roads with an anti-urine concentrate, which leaves behind a whiff of lemons.

The substance is said to be expensive – hence the decision to use it only in known trouble spots.

Family event

The Street Parade’s organisers are encouraging ravers of all ages to participate in this year’s event.

Sir Colin, one of Switzerland’s most popular House DJs and creator of this year’s Street Parade House Mix, says the event has always been open to all ages.

“I think it is a family event. Mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers should all come to the Street Parade.”

Sir Colin has been mixing at the Street Parade ever since its birth in 1992 and will be present at all the large parties which follow it this year.

swissinfo, Daniela Silberstein in Zurich

In brief

This year, the Street Parade Association has designated free advertising to the children’s charity, Unicef.

Around 3,000 people have been enlisted to help organisers with the event.

Street Parade started in 1992.