Get the New Year off to a swinging start in Dusseldorf

There's always something going on in the Rhine metropolis Dusseldorf: unforgettable events on New Year's Eve, followed by major events in the new year with millions of visitors make the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia into one of Germany's most attractive event metropolises.

Dusseldorf is a vibrant city with an extensive range of events. That goes for the last night of the year as well when there will be so many different ways of taking leave of 2014 in style – from elegant gala dinner to exhilarating party.

Andrej Hermlin and his big band – the Swing Dance Orchestra – invite you to an exuberant New Year's Eve at the Tonhalle. With their sounds, arrangements and authentic period dress, the musicians truly bring the ballroom atmosphere of the swinging '30s back to life.

The Deutsche Oper am Rhein also invites guests to a unique musical farewell to the old year. Directed and moderated by Christoph Altstaedt, members of the ensemble will perform popular opera arias, accompanied by the Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra.

At the Europasaal of the Radisson Blu Scandinavia, “Miss Olivia's Feuerwerk der Travestie” – compered by the charming Elke – will be a pyrotechnic display of feathers, rhinestones, glittering costumes, and live music covering four octaves, providing light-hearted entertainment between the buffet courses.

Luxury hotels such as the Breidenbacher Hof, the InterContinental and the Hyatt Regency will bring the year to a close with multi-course gala dinners, some accompanied by live music.

At the Japanese cultural centre, the EK? House, recitations and 108 strokes of the bell – performed by the participants – will end the old year and ring in the new one with its numerous highlight events.

From 30 January until 1 February, the city is staging the “Dusseldorf Photo Weekend” for the fourth time. Once again numerous galleries, museums and institutes will present exhibitions and events on the subject of photography.

In February Dusseldorf will be firmly in the grip of Carnival. The Carnival season will climax on 16 February with the Rose Monday Parade which attracts many thousands of visitors to Dusseldorf every year. For four days, from 21 to 24 March, jazz lovers will be able to hear their fill at Germany's biggest jazz festival, the Jazz Rally in Dusseldorf. To mark Japan Day Dusseldorf/NRW on 30 May, the city will be transformed into a Far Eastern metropolis. The magnificent display of Japanese fireworks that traditionally ends the festival never fails to delight visitors. From 17 to 26 July, the fairground rides and fun for all the family provided by the biggest funfair on the Rhine will once again attract several million people to Dusseldorf.