Street Parade 2026: Sunshine Live is dancing across all channels
900,000 people, 26 Love Mobiles, and Sunshine Live right in the thick of it: The Street Parade has long since become a brand parade as well. On Truck No. 16, the media platform demonstrated how a brand engages across all channels today—audibly, visibly, and right in the heart of its community. m&k was there. A ride in time with the music, people, and the brand—with the camera always at the ready…
Even before the first beat kicks in, the weather vane on the Grossmünster’s roof turret spins in the wind. A brief cry echoes over Zurich—then the bass takes over.
In the midst of midsummer weather, the 33rd Street Parade transformed Zurich’s lakefront into a giant dance floor. Under the motto «Together we move,» 900,000 people partied to the sets of more than 200 national and international DJs. Twenty-six Love Mobiles made their way along the two-kilometer route from Utoquai to Hafendamm Enge, and there were nine stages along the route.
One of these Love Mobiles belonged to Sunshine Live. Start number 16, departure at 4 p.m. — and m&k were on board.
From the ice cream shop to the Love Mobile
For Sunshine Live, the Street Parade weekend had already kicked off on Friday evening with a warm-up at Zurich’s Eisladen. Sunny was behind the decks there. The Zurich native had come out on top against the other entries in the station’s DJ contest, winning a spot on the Love Mobile.
The venue was also the perfect way to kick things off: In 2026, the ice cream shop was voted Switzerland’s most popular gelateria by the Falstaff community. So the weekend began with ice cream and electronic music, before the big speakers took over on Saturday.
On the truck, DJ Falk, Vendex, Luca Agnelli, and Sunny spanned a musical spectrum ranging from house and melodic techno to the harder styles of electronic music. DJ Falk has been one of the defining voices of Sunshine Live for more than two decades, bridging the gap between radio hosting and club culture. Vendex embodies the dark and visually intense world of Spanish hard techno. As the contest winner, Sunny brought a fresh Swiss perspective to the lineup.
A Parade of Brands at a Leisurely Pace
The truck’s sheer size alone showed that Sunshine Live was pulling out all the stops in Zurich. «It’s the longest Love Mobile we’ve ever had, and it’s packed to the brim with over 160 guests,» said Andreas Reiboldt, head of marketing at Sunshine Live.
The Love Mobile was towed by a tractor from the long-established Swiss company Welti Furrer. For a company that normally organizes complex relocations, art transport, and international logistics, the roughly two-kilometer route along the lakefront was likely one of the shorter ones in the company’s history. Still, quite a bit was moved.
The Street Parade offers brands a context for impact that is virtually impossible to replicate artificially: enormous reach, strong emotions, a clearly defined community, and images that are shared far beyond Zurich through traditional media, social media, and personal networks.
Just how much the Street Parade has now become a “brand parade” was already evident from the starting lineup: Sunrise made an appearance with its own Love Mobile, Coca-Cola rode alongside Kopfklang, and destinations like Arosa, Zermatt, and Davos used the parade as a moving stage. Sunshine Live wasn’t the only brand in the parade—but it was one that developed its presentation particularly consistently in line with its positioning.
Sunshine Live didn't just stop at logos on the truck. The brand itself became an experience—through music, DJs, hosting, and its connection to the community. Instead of sending a message to a distant audience, it moved right through the middle of it.
Beat Hürlimann, aka VJ Beat, didn’t just dance along and enjoy a drink or two. He documented the event with his iPhone and spoke with Andreas Reiboldt, DJ Falk, DJ Luca Agnelli, and DJ Sunny in an acoustically challenging environment. The result is an up-close look at the action on and around Love Mobile No. 16.
An Italian-Style Atmosphere on Lake Zurich
Luca Agnelli’s performance demonstrated just how international the Street Parade’s appeal is. Numerous fans gathered around the Sunshine Live Mobile, ran alongside the truck, and cheered for the Italian DJ. For a moment, the atmosphere at Zurich’s Lakefront was almost like being in Italy.
The producer from Tuscany is one of the best-known names on the international hard techno scene. He releases music on labels such as Drumcode and Filth On Acid, among others. He also runs his own label, Etruria Beat Records, which has released tracks by artists such as Amelie Lens, Nico Moreno, and Alignment.
Amid the set, fans, and a moving truck, Agnelli took the time to answer a few questions—asked by VJ Beat in Italian. DJ Falk and Sunny also offered brief glimpses into a day where there were often only a few seconds between an interview and the next beat.
From a Radio Station to a Platform
For Sunshine Live, the appearance was in line with the development of its own brand. Since its founding in 1997, the station has evolved into a cross-media platform for electronic music. Its programming is distributed via DAB+, the web, its app, and streaming services, and is complemented by social media, video content, podcasts, live broadcasts, and events.
The latest figures confirm the station’s growth trajectory. According to ma 2026 Audio II, Sunshine Live reaches 230,000 listeners per average hour in Germany—more than ever before in the station’s history. Around 1.8 million people tune in every day.
Sunshine Live is also expanding its presence in Switzerland. Since 2023, the station has been available in German-speaking Switzerland via DAB+ and nationwide via the web and app.
Its strength lies in the clarity of this positioning. Sunshine Live doesn’t try to cater to as many musical interests as possible at once, but instead consistently focuses on electronic music—from house and trance to EDM and hard techno. At Love Mobile, this profile was given a platform right in the heart of its own community.
The brand keeps on dancing
While m&k’s journey ended at the Seebecken, Sunshine Live carried on. At Komplex 457, the media brand extended the Street Parade experience into the early morning hours with the «Impact Rave.» The lineup included Charlie Sparks, Luca Agnelli, Kruelty, and Pencil, among others.
The hall’s industrial atmosphere, the powerful sound system, and the international acts further cemented the Love Mobile’s place in the club scene. A radio program became an event, listeners became a community, and media reach turned into a face-to-face encounter.
The Street Parade thus also demonstrated how brands can make an impact today: not on the fringes of a cultural event, but as a credible part of it. The key is the connection between positioning and context. When the two align, there’s no need for an intrusive message. The brand becomes audible, visible, and tangible.
At first, the weather vane on the Grossmünster hadn't indicated a direction. After that day, it was clear: always follow the beat.
