Big stages? Nothing. Strolling areas? Neither. But nobody has to do without sailing regattas or the traditional windjammer parade.
Kiel – The 127th Kiel Week officially opened on Saturday – due to Corona, there are no promenade areas and large stages.
Instead, during the festival week until September 12th, the focus is on the maritime core of the event, such as the sailing regattas off Kiel-Schilksee, the traditional windjammer parade on the fjord and the sailing cinema on the water. Under normal conditions, the 2019 Summer Festival attracted more than 3.5 million visitors from over 70 countries.
At the opening on Saturday, Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) took over the traditional glassing with the ship’s bell. He must do three double hits and one single hit. Afterwards, sailing star Boris Herrmann (40) gave the signal “long-short-short-long” with the typhon – a ship’s horn – for “cast off!” For the oldest and largest German regatta week.
Around 900 boats are registered for the sailing regattas. In addition to the sailing competitions off Schilksee, more than 100 program items are planned. The maritime highlight will be the tall ship parade with more than 120 ships on September 11th, led by the “Alexander von Humboldt II”.
Celebrities are also guests. On September 8, Prince Albert II of Monaco (63) visits the Geomar Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research. The World Economic Prize will be awarded on Sunday (11 a.m.). It goes to the former Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, the entrepreneur Michael Otto and the sustainability expert Xuemei Bai, who conducts research in Australia. dpa
