Kölner Lichter

I was lucky enough to go to the Koelner Lichter this year, and I was pleasantly surprised! The fireworks set to the music were absolutely amazing, and unlike a firework show I have seen before. The display is launched from a barge in the middle of the Rhein River. One of the large bridges actually became a streaming waterfall of fireworks, and fireworks were even floating down the river, and being launched from the water itself!
The show lasts for about 30 mins, with a boat parade before it. Every moment of the fireworks feels like the Grand Finale!
The only tip I would have to offer is to get there early! The fireworks started at 11:30 at night, but I arrived at about 8pm, and it was already packed. Friends of mine that got there around 10:00 were not allowed near the river, because there were too many people and the area was blocked off.
I have posted a video of some of the fireworks and wrote some more about it on my blog. You can watch it here:

http://andrewgegenkoeln.blogspot.com/2008/07/klner-lichter-und-besucher.html

The video is not the best quality, and doesn't do the lights any justice, but you can get a good idea of what it's all about!

This largest fireworks display with synchronised music is happening in July as long the city got the money left for it. :-)
It is a fantastic fireworks display. Last year there were around 800000 people along the Rhine banks watching it. Great show!
The fireworks will be lit from the ships on the river as they pass by the old part of town. Pyrotechnic experts set off fireworks continuously to the right and left of the Rhine starting in the South of Cologne in Porz - Zündorf around 7.00 p.m. to welcome the convoy as it travels up north. The boat convoy will be in Cologne around 10.00 p.m. then towards 11.30 p.m. the big fireworks show with synchronised music will start between the two bridges Hohenzollern and Deutzer coordinated by the company WECO, the official world fireworks champion.