Berlin Events & highlights

Berlin not only has numerous sights, but also Berlin events and highlights throughout the year. Whether festivals, parades, Christmas markets or parties. Berlin offers something special for everyone and is worth a visit at any time of the year. We introduce you to some of the most important and beautiful events.

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The best Berlin events

Berlin events

Here are some of the most important and best Berlin events for you in a compact summary. The list is supplemented and updated regularly.

Berlinale – Berlin International Film Festival

One of the most important events in the film industry takes place every year in Berlin. The Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale for short) is one of the A-category film festivals. Up to 400 films in different categories and genres are shown each year and around 300,000 tickets are sold to the public. The next date is February 10-20, 2022.

Christopher Street Day Parade

The CSD Parade takes place in Berlin every year. Up to a million people stand up for the rights of gays, lesbians, transsexuals and transgenders, inter- and bisexuals. This will also be the case again in July 2022.

Carnival of the Cultures

Music, dance, performance, visual arts and acrobatics: Berlin becomes even more colorful at the Carnival of Cultures. Different nationalities from Brazilian samba to Chinese lion dance, from West African drums to Bernese carnival blowers celebrate the Carnival of Cultures in Berlin with the guests.

Musicals

As a cultural capital, Berlin offers one thing in terms of musical and show theater. Drama, music, song and dance are combined in elaborate shows and enchant the audience. Important venues in Berlin are

Bluemax Theater with the world famous Blue Man Group
Friedrichstadt Palace
Theater on Potsdamer Platz
Theater of the West

Some even deal with the history of Berlin. For example, the story of Kurfürstendamm is told in the musical Ku’damm 56 – The Musical. Visit it at the Theater des Westens.

Music festivals

Berlin offers a lot of cultural events, concerts and festivals. Two very largest festivals have established themselves in Berlin. The US festival Lollapalooza attracts thousands of visitors every year. In addition to big music headliners and world stars, there is also art, delicacies and a kidzapalooza to be found. The two-day festival takes place in September in the Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park.

The open-air festival Tempelhof Sounds, which is to take place in June, will be new. A top-class lineup is expected at the former Tempelhof Airport for two days. Including international rock legends, stars of the indie scene and exciting newcomers.

BMW Berlin Marathon

Berlin also offers a variety of sporting events that enjoy worldwide recognition. One of the most famous takes place every September. The world stars of the marathon scene come together at the Berlin Marathon and try to set a new world record every year. Berlin is one of the fastest routes in the world. 40,000 participants from around 120 countries are cheered on by thousands of spectators. The whole city is in marathon fever in September.

Celebration of the Day of German Unity

The festival for the Day of German Unity takes place in the capital every year. These take place on the Platz der Republik in front of the Reichstag, on Straße des 17. Juni and around the Brandenburg Gate. The citizens’ festival offers large and small actors from the fields of art, music, comedy, poetry slam and theater. It’s a feast for the whole family.

Festival of Lights

If you want to see Berlin with its numerous buildings and squares in the capital particularly illuminated, you should be enchanted at the Festival of Lights. Many landmarks, historical places, streets, squares, trendy districts and interesting places in recent Berlin history are staged with light. Festival of Lights takes place annually in October. Many organizers have special offers. Whether a steamboat trip or a sightseeing tour.

Christmas markets in Berlin

Every year you can find some of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Germany in Berlin. This includes the Christmas market on Gendarmenmarkt. Due to the impressive atmosphere, extraordinary stands and traditional craftsmanship: it is one of the most popular Christmas markets in Berlin.

The Christmas market at the Rotes Rathaus is also a highlight at Christmas time with the ice skating rink around the Neptune Fountain. Other well-known Christmas markets can be found every year at Breitscheidplatz (Christmas market at the Memorial Church) and in the Spandau Citadel (Spandau Christmas market in the old town).

If you don’t want to visit a Christmas market, but still want to immerse yourself in the sparkling lights of Berlin, there are Christmas tours – city tours and city tours – through the pre-Christmas Berlin. And this can also be combined with a visit to the Christmas markets.

We have put together some of the loveliest Christmas markets in Berlin for you.

New Year’s Eve events in Berlin

One of the world’s largest New Year’s Eve open-air events takes place in Berlin, of course. The New Year’s Eve party at the Brandenburg Gate with live bands, DJs, the famous countdown to the turn of the year and gigantic fireworks attract hundreds of thousands of guests from all over the world every year. Let yourself be surprised and celebrate the New Year.