As we all know, the post-Christmas period is meant for relaxing and getting back into routine. But that doesn’t mean that the couch has to be the only place we linger this month. Cologne still has enough activities to offer week after week to sweeten January. Fascinating exhibitions, the long-awaited start to carnival and special concerts are just some of the ideas we have prepared for you. You won ‘t be bored in Cologne in any month of the year.
Frido Kahlo exhibition
The immersive exhibition about Frida Kahlo can still be seen in Cologne with “Viva Frida Kahlo”. Immerse yourself in the legendary “Casa Azul”, where you can meet the artist up close and gain intimate insights into her life. Impressive projections, music and original quotes promise an intense 360-degree experience that will get under your skin! We’ll tell you in advance what you can experience there.
Location: Alegria Exhibition Hall, Lichtstr. 15, 50825 Cologne
Laughing Kölnarena 2026
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Christmas is over, but in Cologne that only means: Carnival is not far away! This should be celebrated as early as possible. The Stunk sessions are already taking place every weekend and the Laughing Köln arena will be added in January. On a total of 15 evenings, well-known musicians, dancers and speakers will come together to make you laugh and be amazed. It starts every Friday and Saturday at 18:30.
Location: Lanxess Arena
Cologne exhibition on a winter’s day
What exhibition could be more fitting for January than “Cologne on a Winter’s Day”? In the foyer of the City Museum you will find an interactive winter adventure world. Experience dangerous ice drifts, historic cold records and find out how people prepared for the harsh winters back then. Photographs and illustrations show how different the cold season looked just a few decades ago. The exhibition is particularly suitable for families with children, as there are lots of little adventures to experience. Until March 22, you can escape the Cologne winter and experience it in a completely different way.
Location: City Museum
Candlelight concerts
Classical music only works in a concert hall? The Candlelight venues in Cologne prove the opposite: from the historic Trinitatiskirche to the charming Senftöpfchen Theater and the elegant Residenz Kino, Candlelight transforms very different corners of the city into stages for live music. Take advantage of the start of the year to experience classical music in Cologne and be transported to musical worlds by candlelight.
Location: e.g. Trinitatiskirche
Cinema visit at the Filmforum NRW
If you don’t just want to snuggle up in front of the TV at home, but want more of a movie experience, you can drop by the Filmforum. From obscure cult films and rare B-movies to forgotten classics or sophisticated documentaries, the program in January is deliberately surprising. On various days throughout the month, you can experience a slightly different kind of cinema here. Reserve your tickets early!
Location: Filmforum in the Museum Ludwig
Interior Design Week
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From January 16 to 22, Cologne will be transformed into a hotspot for design. The imm cologne trade fair is taking place. But you don’t have to go to the big halls to be there. There are also smaller, temporary pop-up exhibitions at the Interior Design Week: around 200 designers, manufacturers and galleries present their products and installations decentrally in showrooms, studios and galleries in Deutz and Ehrenfeld as well as in Cologne’s city center, on the Ring and at the Rheinauhafen.
Location: various locations in the city center
China Lights at Cologne Zoo
Light is still with us in January: hundreds of animal and fantasy figures will be shining in the zoo until February 1. The China Lights festival shows you a total of 1,400 individual figures every day from 5:30 pm. These include a 25-metre-long snake and even extinct animals such as the sabre-toothed tiger and woolly rhinoceros. And in the middle of the zoo you can experience a (quasi) real volcano and prehistoric landscape. So it doesn’t have to be dark in this otherwise gray month.
Location: Cologne Zoo
The Formula 1® exhibition in Oberhausen
Calling all F1 fans! Only about an hour away from Cologne, the fascinating world of Formula 1® awaits you in a unique exhibition that has already been shown in several cities around the world. The German premiere has been running at OBEX in Oberhausen since October 2025. Experience an exciting journey through the history of the popular racing sport and discover never-before-seen memorabilia, original exhibits and unpublished historical film footage. But that’s not all: marvel at original racing cars, immerse yourself in the stories of legendary drivers through excellent storytelling and exclusive interviews – and take the wheel yourself in the racing simulator!
Location: OBEX – Oberhausen Expo (access by car: parking lot entrance opposite Ruhrorter Straße 9a, on foot: Duisburger Straße 375)