Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit was one of the 800,000 people who turned out to watch around 4,300 carnival participants dance through the streets of Berlin's Kreuzberg district showing off their colorful and -- in some cases -- skimpy outfits in a nine-hour-long parade.

"Here you see: integration does really take place, as all nations mix with each other," said Wowereit.

The carnival took place just days before the soccer World Cup opens in Germany, on Friday, amid concerns about xenophobia and intolerance after a spate of racist attacks in the country's east.

Organized into 100 carnival groups which had spent months preparing for the parade, the costumed participants performed traditional -- and non-traditional -- dances to music resounding from elaborate floats.

Entertainment in diversity

"The groups symbolize daily work," Wowereit said. "Today this is the show, but they are all groups that devote themselves to integration the whole year round, doing something together. People who are not of German heritage and Germans, they're in groups together the whole year through."

Soccer was a recurring theme on 15 of the 70 floats, and many people were dressed accordingly. Children even played out a match between Italy and Brazil on one float, shooting a ball through portable goalposts.

On Monday, the final day of the four-day street party, the winners of the carnival, who will be judged on the basis of their music, costumes, dances, floats and overall concept, will be announced. They'll get to take home a cash prize and a carnival of cultures trophy.

"The festival is meant to show the spectators the diversity of Berlin and to entertain them while doing so," said co-organizer Nadja Mau.