Sartory-Säle

The Sartory-Säle are closely tied to Cologne's carnival. In 1950 the family presented the first Cologne children's Dreigestirn here, and the first KAJUJA session took place on 25 January 1950. The venue became known nationwide through the annual televised carnival sessions, broadcast from here until 2019; since 2023 they have been produced at the Theater am Tanzbrunnen. In 1952 the comic orator Karl Küpper caused a stir with a routine alluding to the survival of old elites after the Nazi era.

From 1965 the operators hosted beat-music competitions with regional bands. In 1968 the Cologne Stowaways won first prize here; they later evolved into the band Bläck Fööss. Performers on the stage included Queen (1974), Status Quo (1975), AC/DC (1978 and 1979) and the Scorpions (1979); the musical "Hair" had its German premiere here in 1971, and the Rockpalast broadcast came to the venue in 1981. Since 1963 the halls have also hosted boxing events: Vitali Klitschko fought early professional bouts here, and Regina Halmich defended her titles in 1999 and 2000.

In 2016 Marcus Sartory refused to provide rooms for a conference organised by the right-wing Compact magazine and cancelled the contract. In place of the cancelled congress, the benefit festival "Kein Raum für Rassismus" (No Room for Racism) was held on 29 October 2016 with around 1,500 participants, featuring bands such as Kasalla, Querbeat and Miljö and cabaret artists including Jürgen Becker and Wilfried Schmickler.