DUISBURG — 2010 · Major Tragedy

Love Parade Disaster

ClosedSources: ALast updated: 14 October 2026

On 24 July 2010, at the Love Parade electronic music festival in Duisburg, the use of a single ramp and tunnel as the only entrance and exit to a former freight yard led to a fatal crush. As the crowd kept pushing forward, density on the ramp spiralled out of control. Twenty-one people aged 18 to 38 died of crushed chests and 652 were injured. The organiser decided never to hold the festival again, and Duisburg's mayor was removed by referendum in 2012. The trial of city and organisation employees, which began in December 2017, was discontinued without a verdict in May 2020.

Date: 2010
Place: North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Duisburg, DE
Category: Major Tragedy
Case Status: Closed
Coordinates: 51.4247, 6.7778 ↗

Timeline of Events

24 July 2010A crush on the Love Parade entrance ramp killed 21 people.
February 2012Duisburg's mayor was removed from office by referendum.

2017An appeal court ordered the trial to proceed; hearings began in December.
May 2020The trial was discontinued without a verdict.

Sources

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