As part of gamescom, Europe's new trade fair and highlight of the interactive entertainment industry, the gamescom-Festival will open with a star attraction. DIE TOTEN HOSEN do the honour of playing with other well-known bands at the opening concert in the Rhein-Energie stadium in Cologne on 19 August. With well over 22 million recordings sold, concert tours throughout the whole world and numerous awards including Comet and Echo awards for best live show, DIE TOTEN HOSEN promises entertainment of the very finest. Tickets for the opening concert (€34 + advance booking fees) are now available from all major ticket agencies. "Like no others, DIE TOTEN HOSEN span the generations with their lavish parties. That's why we are really pleased that Campino and the band will open the party for Europe's games community in Cologne," says Oliver P. Kuhrt, Managing Director of Koelnmesse.

The gamescom slogan "Celebrate the Games" is particularly apt for DIE TOTEN HOSEN. After all, the successful band around front man Campino is the first to launch its own karaoke videogame. Singer Campino explains: "Some time ago we had a grill party at the end of a tour and there was a karaoke machine. Everybody really enjoyed it and so we had the idea of doing our own karaoke game. After all, there are few enough opportunities to either highlight your skills or make a fool of yourself while entertaining your friends the audience than there is with karaoke. So we're really pleased to be invited to officially open the gamescom-Festival at gamescom."

Cologne will host gamescom, the new trade fair and entertainment highlight of the European entertainment industry, from 19 to 23 August 2009. Besides all the events on the trade-fair grounds featuring all the latest games and entertainment, the gamescom-Festival will bring the games to the city itself starting Friday, 21 August. The city and the centre of Cologne will in fact play the lead role in the gamescom-Festival project. Visitors can expect musical entertainment and a stage programme, and countless gaming modules and stations to ensure fun and amazement will rule the day following the close of the trade fair (more about the festival will follow shortly).