The popular Rose Monday carnival parade in Düsseldorf, which had already been postponed until the end of May, has been cancelled. Organisers said the war in Ukraine was the reason behind their decision. 

Düsseldorf cancels Rose Monday carnival parade

Late last year, the city of Düsseldorf announced that it would be postponing its annual Rose Monday carnival parade until May, citing concerns about holding a large-scale event in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. 

On Tuesday this week, however, the carnival committee announced that they had unanimously agreed to instead cancel the parade, citing the suffering endured by “millions of people” in Ukraine. Carnival committee president Michael Laumen emphasised that when the carnival was rescheduled, no one expected war to break out in eastern Europe, but that it now seemed inappropriate to stage the event. 

WDR pulls out of broadcast due to Ukraine war

Previously, the committee had seemed keen to press on with the parade, but the event’s death blow was dealt when WDR announced it would no longer broadcast it live, resulting in a significant loss of income for the carnival organisers. “In the current situation, in which there is war in Europe and millions of people have had to leave their homes, it’s hard to see how we could do it,” said a WDR spokesperson.

In giving in to the public mood, the committee apparently wants to avoid committing another faux pas. Previously, they announced that the rescheduled carnival would take place on May 8 - the date upon which the end of World War II is usually commemorated. Only after being put under pressure by local organisations and the city council did the committee move the parade to May 29.