I Spent A Weekend At Streetparade In Zurich And This Is What Happened

When most people think of Switzerland, they usually think of postcard images of the Swiss Alps, daughters and sons of diplomats skiing in the winter wonderland of the country’s picturesque mountains, and generally, other extreme nature activities that rich kids like to do in the winter. But in the summer? For most American college students, Zurich isn’t really considered a popular tourist destination that people spend their summer vacations at. Luckily, I had the opportunity to visit the city of Zurich this summer and spent a weekend at Streetparade; the biggest EDM parade in the entire world. Of course, we’ll get to the bizarre reasons why I was even there in the first place in a later article, but for now, I’m going to dissect this old-school rave style EDM festival that has everyone in Europe literally SHOOK.

1. There Were a SH*T Ton Of People There

The entire city of Zurich quite literally gets taken over for Streetparade. We’re talking over a MILLION people who attend the event; let that sink on. I bought a ticket to be in one of the Love Mobiles (themed floats that move throughout the parade), and you can actually see the crowds of hundreds of thousands of people across the city participating in the event. It was both overwhelming and astonishing at the same time. Growing up in New York City, I’ve become accustomed to the insane parades that we host throughout the year (Gay Pride, The Halloween Parade, etc.), but I have honestly never seen a crowd like the one I saw at Streetparade.

2. People Go All Out For The LoveMobiles

The Love Mobiles are these themed little floats that cruise throughout the city during Streetparade. The one that I was on had a “Welcome To The Jungle” theme, so everyone went all out in wild jungle themed outfits to match the vibe. There was free liquor on the float that I was on, so everyone got smacked pretty quickly. Even outside the Love Mobiles, there are hundreds of thousands of ravers dressed up in the crowds in funky animal suits, doused in metallic paints and glitter; everyone was giving seriously nostalgic 90s rave party vibes.

3. You Party With Some Of The Most Coveted EDM DJs In The World

Robin Schulz, Felix Krucher, Paul Van Dyk- you can expect to see some of the biggest names in EDM live at Streetparade, and possibly at an afterparty when it ends. The stage sets for these DJs are EDM wonderlands that can include everything from giant magic mushrooms to floating skulls.

4. The Party Doesn’t End After The Parade

Did you think you were going to go to sleep after Streetparade?! Oh no honey. Streetparade is a weekend of raves and parties that continue before and after the festival itself ends. There are countless after parties that go on after the parade is over, and even day parties at Lake Zurich the Sunday right after the event. I definitely had to stretch out my stamina to continue the party while I was there because there was no way in hell I was going to pay an $800 plane ticket and not experience everything that Zurich and Streetparade had to offer while I was there.

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5. It Is The Most Anticipated Event In Switzerland

The preparation for Streetparade is INTENSE. I made the sad mistake of trying to find my outfit and rave accessories the day before the parade and nearly everything was sold out in shops across Zurich. I somehow managed to pull a solid rave outfit together complete with glitter, flash tattoos, and spray paint, but it was definitely a struggle. People spend months and weeks preparing for this, and even tickets are sold out months in advance.

Have you ever visited Streetparade in Zurich? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!

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