Köln Comedy GmbH, in which BRAINPOOL TV GmbH has a 67% shareholding, has been organizing the best known German, and one of Europe’s leading, comedy events every year since 1991 – the “International Cologne Comedy Festival”.

Since 2007, the “International Cologne Comedy Festival” has comprised four different events: the LIVE Festival with the presentation of the “German Comedy Award”, “Mario Barth Presents: Germany’s Best Comedians” and COMEDY CINEMA.

Well in excess of 100 live events over 17 days at 22 venues – this is the “International Cologne Comedy Festival LIVE”. Around 200 German and international comedians travel specially to Cologne to show off their talents within the context of the “International Cologne Comedy Festival LIVE”. Comedians include not only the comedy greats, but also many aspiring comedians.
The Cologne Comedy Festival is a pioneer of the German comedy scene, enabling talents such as Mario Barth, Michael Mittermeier, Piet Klocke and Kaya Yanar to establish themselves as stars of comedy following appearances in the festival.

In 2007, the “International Cologne Comedy Festival” added a further attraction – the COMEDY CINEMA Film Festival! For the very first time, the COMEDY CINEMA event within the context of the “International Cologne Comedy Festival” will also focus on premieres of current German cinema productions and entire program packages with the movies of individual German comedians as well as provide a showcase with international television formats. The best international movie will receive the “German Comedy Award” in the “Best International Film Comedy” category.

Needless to say, the “International Cologne Comedy Festival” is not only held live in Cologne, but is also broadcast on television. Within the context of the festival, two episodes of the popular “Mario Barth Presents: Germany’s Best Comedians” comedy show were recorded in 2006. Mario Barth invites the crème de la crème of the comedy scene onto the stage and launches – in a relaxed performance comprising stand-up comedy and improvisation – an attack on our laughing muscles. Well in excess of 8.7 million viewers tuned in to watch the airing of the first two episodes in January 2007 on RTL.

The presentation of the “German Comedy Award”, which has been awarded in at least 10 different categories since 1997, is an important highlight of the festival. Who receives the most coveted in German comedy is decided by an independent jury. Since 2001, the event has been broadcast by RTL in prime time.

Expedition Colonia

In addition to the “International Comedy Festival”, Köln Comedy GmbH also organizes the “Expedition Colonia”. Every April, “Expedition Colonia” offers the possibility to take part in unusual guided tours and visits in, and around, Cologne. All those people normally bored by standard guided tours are very pleasantly surprised. Guided tours across the roofs of Cologne Cathedral, a trip under the Rhine, an “Elves” tour and a visit to the Cologne television studios are just a few of the numerous offerings provided by “Expedition Colonia”.