Berlin Festivals

Go anytime to Berlin and you will always have a great time. For the icing on the cake turn up when there's a festival in full flow.

By TTM on 09 August 2009 in Destination Guides

What: Carnival of Cultures
Where: East Berlin
When: Late May
This festival of food, music and dance is of Berlin's most colourful multi-cultural events. A four-day party with exotic themes that change every day culminates in a parade that winds its way through the heavily Turking Kreuzberg in the East.

What: Berlinale International Film Festival
Where: Strasse des 17 Juni Damme, Tiergarten, Berlin
When: Late February
This film festival is second only to the Cannes festival. The Berlinale screens over 800 films across Berlin. The selections for Panorama and the International Forum of Young Cinema are mainly independent films leaning towards the avant-garde, while the International Competition is more mainstream Hollywood.

What: Love Parade
Where: Across Berlin
When: Second Saturday in July
The Love Parade began in 1989 as a small posse of revelers dancing along West Berlin's Ku' Damm. These days the annual festival fills Strasse des 17 Juni and the Tiergarten with over a million screaming, gyrating techno-fans. Bars and clubs throughout the city host raves this weekend to draw to keep the crowds partying before and after the parade.
Update: On 24 July 2010, a crowd crush at the Love Parade caused the death of 21 people, with at least 500 others injured. As a consequence of this, the organiser of the festival announced that no further Love Parades would be held. They also said that the Love Festival was permanently cancelled.

What: Berliner Festwochen
Where: Information at Berliner Festspiele, Budapester Str, 50, Berlin Tel: 030 254 890
When: September
The entire city of Berlin plays host to classical music concerts throughout September. There are performances from international theatre groups and various readings and exhibitions.

What: Jazzfest
Where: Haus der Kulturen Welt, John-Foster-Dallas Allee 10, Berlin
When: End of October
This four day jam in Tiergarten has been swinging for over 50 years and brings together artists from all over the world. While Jazzfest does not bring in the A-liners it once used to it still packs a fair punch.

Useful links

Guide to Berlin

Places to visit in Berlin

Berlin, a city of two halves

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