Julia Frese

For Cologne-based composer Gregor Schwellenbach, music is a means of communication – a way of bringing people together and understanding what makes them tick. In this interview, he talks about his musical beginnings, his ambivalent relationship with Carnival and what makes Cologne techno so special.

For elite athlete and doctor Kathrin Marchand, her hometown of Cologne is both a training ground and a place to reset. On 6 March 2026, she lines up at the Winter Paralympics in Milan.

It was „The Swarm“ that cemented Frank Schätzing’s reputation as one of Cologne’s best-known literary exports. We sat down with the bestselling author to talk about why he prefers to write about his hometown, his favourite running spots, and his thoughts on heroism in our times.

As the director of Cologne’s c/o pop Festival, Elke Kuhlen is something of a local celebrity. We found out about her favourite places, her personal music tastes and why Cologne is better than Abu Dhabi.

Albi X knows all about discrimination. As a teenager, he was harassed both due to his ethnicity and for being an albino. But instead of letting it get him down, he embarked on a successful career as a musician, transcending boundaries with his multilingual lyrics and captivating audiences with his high-energy dance performances.