Berlin has a rich art scene and the city offers one of the most diverse and vibrant nightlife scenes in Europe. Most Berliners take great pride in their city's reputation as one of the most socially progressive cities in Germany and Europe. Berlin's annual Carnival of Cultures, a multi-ethnic street parade, and Chistopher Street Day celebrations (Central Europe's largest gay-lesbian pride event)are openly supported by the city's government and visited by millions of Berliners each year.
Despite the city's declining overall population and relatively high unemployment levels, a significant number of young Germans and artists continue to settle in the city and Berlin has established itself as the youth/pop culture capital of Germany. Two significant signs of Berlin's expanding role as the dominant youth/pop culture center of German speaking Europe was the announcement in 2003 that the annual Popkomm,the world's largest music industry convention, would move to Berlin after 15 years in Cologne and shortly after the decision of German(language) MTV to move its headquarters and main studios from Munich to Berlin.
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