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Berlin CSD kickoff draws 8,000 fans and launches first drag march
On the evening of 24 July 2026, the opening night of Berlin’s Christopher Street Day (CSD) weekend featured a free concert by rapper Ikkimel at the Brandenburg Gate. Police removed four men identified as alleged right‑wing agitators before the show. Police counted about 8,000 attendees.
The event also marked the debut of Berlin’s first official drag march, organized by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Around 500 drag queens, drag kings and LGBTQ+ supporters marched from the Bundestag U‑station past the Reichstag to the Brandenburg Gate, accompanied by the Transophonix brass band playing the historic “Das lila Lied.”
Later, more than 5,000 people participated in the Dyke* March, a lesbian‑visibility demonstration. All performers, including Ikkimel, performed without a fee. Organisers expect hundreds of thousands to join the main Pride parade on Saturday.