Gloria
Former cinema in Cologne's city centre, now a versatile venue for concerts, comedy, readings, parties, and carnival events.
The Gloria sits at Apostelnstraße, right next to the Church of St. Aposteln at Neumarkt, in the heart of Cologne's city centre. Where a cinema once stood, the stage now hosts concerts, comedy, theatre, readings, and parties — with some performances recorded for television.
At a Glance
- Type
- Event venue (former cinema), listed as a theatre on Google
- District
- Altstadt-Nord, Innenstadt borough
- Opened
- 30 November 1956 as a cinema
- Current use
- Event venue since 1991; renovated and technically upgraded from 2000
- Capacity
- Auditorium with 400 seats or up to 950 standing, plus a café seating 80
- Operator
- Gastro-Event GmbH, around 50 employees
The Gloria opened in 1956 as a traditional cinema and was used as an adult movie theatre in the 1970s – to this day, the red velvet in the auditorium, the neon-lit display cases and the ticket booth are reminders of that past.
Things to do here
- Catch a live concert, comedy show or reading
- Celebrate a carnival session or party
- Soak up the 1950s cinema charm – display cases, ticket booth and red velvet
- Enjoy a drink at the café before or after the show
- Stroll through the city centre on the trail of film sets and TV recordings
From Cinema to Event Venue
The Gloria began life as a cinema — its first film was Verlobung am Wolfgangsee, and its first stage production was Till Eulenspiegel starring Gérard Philipe. From the 1970s onwards it screened adult films, including some featuring Ingrid Steeger. Remnants of the cinema era still greet visitors today: the entrance display cases with their bold neon lettering, the original box office booth, and the red velvet of the auditorium.
Parties and Film Sets
When the cinema closed in 1991, the Gloria reinvented itself as an event space, initially with a strong focus on gay and lesbian parties. Hella von Sinnen gave her premiere here in 1995, and the Kelly Family performed in support of AIDS relief. In 1994, scenes for the film Der bewegte Mann (starring Til Schweiger) were shot on the premises.
Concerts and Comedy
The stage has welcomed acts ranging from Oasis and Coldplay to comedians such as Carolin Kebekus, Johann König, and Felix Lobrecht. Regular fixtures include the WDR Ladies' Night, the Cologne Comedy Festival, and NightWash, alongside theatrical productions like Caveman, improv theatre by the Springmaus ensemble, and TV recordings including Dinner for One. The literary festival lit.cologne and the Sommerblut Festival also make regular stops here.
Carnival Season
Every year during Cologne's carnival season, the Gloria hosts a variety of sessions and parties as part of the city's famous celebrations.
Timeline
- 1956Opened as a cinema on 30 November; opening film: Verlobung am Wolfgangsee
- 1970erConverted to adult cinema
- 1991Cinema operations ceased; converted to event venue
- 1994Filming of Der bewegte Mann with Til Schweiger
- 1995Hella von Sinnen celebrates premiere at Gloria
- 2000Complete renovation; reopening with modern technology
- 2001Walter Bockmayer directs Wer Liebe sucht
Map
Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.
Address
Apostelnstraße 11
50667 Köln
Hours
Mo: 12:00–19:00
Di: 12:00–19:00
Mi: 12:00–19:00
Do: 12:00–19:00
Fr: 12:00–19:00
Sa: 12:00–19:00
You might also like — related or nearby
Comments
- Loading comments…
Sources & links
- Official website
- Official Instagram (@gloria_koeln)
- Wikidata (retrieved 2026-06-23)
- Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-06-23, rev 266080737)
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-26
How this page is made
This page draws on open sources — Wikipedia, Wikidata, official websites and the city’s open data. Every statement is checked against the sources linked here, and pages are refreshed regularly.
Spotted a mistake anyway? Tell us below — we read every submission.