KINKZ is a Cologne party brand that runs kinky club nights for gamers, cosplayers, kinksters and, in its own phrase, everyone who just loves gear. It holds no premises — it takes over a venue for the night — and it runs bilingually in German and English throughout, on the site and at the party.

Its parties are laid out as a set of distinct worlds rather than one room. Alongside the main dance floor, with its own sound system and line-up, there is a splash area with a paddling pool, a fountain and fine mist for cooling off mid-night; a calm-down social corner with soft seating and dimmed light for actual conversation; a photo wall lit for the pictures everyone wants the next day; an outside terrace for fresh air between floors; and a CandyBar the organisers call their sweet signature, stocked with treats including a vegan corner, with small sweet surprises handed out through the night on the house.

There is also a darkroom. The organisers describe it as a retreat in the shadows where what happens there stays there, and they are explicit that respect and consent apply in the dark too. The door policy is open in the same spirit: all genders welcome, come as you are, fetish and cosplay positive.

The brand books guest DJs for each edition and pairs its main party with a relaxed get-together the evening before, hosted at a partner bar for ticket holders. Dates are announced on the KINKZ site and on its Cologne Instagram account. Check there for the next party, and browse our Cologne guide for the city's venues and other party brands.