Love Parade, the world's largest rave, returns to the streets of Berlin

The world's largest rave, the Love Parade, has returned after a three-year hiatus, attracting thousands of techno music junkies to the streets of Berlin.

Hundreds of thousands of scantily clad partygoers danced and cheered as 40 floats carried superstar DJs, including Paul van Dyk, between the capital's Brandenburg Gate and Victory Column on Saturday. But organisers said the number of ravers fell far short of the one million they had anticipated.

The parade grew from a peace demonstration of 200 people in 1989 to attract a million ravers at its height in the 1990s. But a lack of funds meant organisers could not provide security measures or finance the post-party clean-up, leading to the dance fest being axed in 2004 and last year.

Now the parade has returned thanks to Rainer Schaller, a German businessman and self-confessed dance music novice who owns the McFit gyms.

He is trying to revive the concept by attracting more sponsors and offering additional types of music.

But the Love Parade's founder, Dr Motte, has cut ties with the event. He told Der Spiegel: "Now it's about the sponsor, and all the sponsor wants to do is strengthen its brand. For me it's about the authentic line-up, all the presentation, modern culture, the whole spectrum of electronic dance. That was my belief and remains so, so I'm no longer taking part."