Berlin Events and Festivals 2014 / 2015

(Berlin, Germany)

Berlin's calendar is full of many events throughout the year, with annual fairs, exhibitions, festivals, including the International Film Festival Berlin, the second largest in the world, many parties and a wide range of concerts.

Leading magazines detailing upcoming events and happenings are regularly published and they contain the latest listings of events throughout this lively city and are aimed specifically at tourists and visitors. These magazines are a useful source for shopping, dining and entertainment - providing you with a huge choice of things to see and do in Berlin.

National Public Holidays

• 1st January (New Year's Day)
• Late March or early April - Good Friday / Easter Sunday / Easter Monday
• 1st May (Labour Day)
• Early May - Ascension Day, 40 days after Easter
• May / June - Whit / Pentecost Sunday and Monday
• 3rd October (Day of German Unity)
• 25th December (Christmas Day)
• 26th December (Boxing Day / St. Stephen's Day)

Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• New Year's Eve / Day - there are celebrations throughout Berlin to welcome in the New Year
• New Year's Run - January 1st, this 2.5 mile / 4 km run down Unter den Linden starts at the Brandenburg Gate at 12:00 and benefits UNICEF
• Art Exhibit - early January, focusing on Ernst Ludwig Kirchne, a major representative of German expressionism, at the Bruke Musem, Bussardsteig 9
• Green Week - mid-january, popular exhibition for agricultural, food and horticultural industries with much fresh produce, regional food, beer and wine, at the Exhibition Grounds / ICC Berlin
• Six-Day Cycling Race - late January, this popular indoor cycling event is watched by over 70,000 spectators and is held at the Berlin Arena (Tempodrom), Paul Heyse Strasse

February

• International Festival of Media Art - early February, at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt
• Late Night at the Museums (Lange Nacht der Museen)- early February, over 90 museums stay open until midnight (or later), with many concerts, lectures and parties
• Berlinale International Film Festival - early to mid-February, this is one of Europe's most important film festivals with well-known directors and actors. . The main events take place at Potsdamer Strasse 5, and there are many screenings in cinemas throughout the city

March

• ITB Berlin - mid-March, this popular event has become one of the world's leading travel-and-tourism trade shows and is held at the Exhibition Grounds / ICC Berlin
• Maerz Musik Festival - mid-March, with concerts in the Konzerthaus (Gendarmenmarkt 2), the Philharmonie (Herbert von Karajan Strasse 1) and other venues

April

• Art Exhibit - early April, featuring sculptures from India, at the Museum of Indian Art, Takustrasse 40
• Exhibit - early April, historical display about Stalingrad in German, held at the Deutsch-Russisches Museum, Zwieseler Strasse 4/ Ecke Rheinsteinstrasse

May

• Operas - early May, at Komische Oper, Behrenstrasse 55-57
• Annual Berlin Theatre Event (Theatertreffen) - early to mid-May, this theatre festival attracts leading companies from across Europe. It is held at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Schaperstrasse 24 and other venues
• Tennis - early to mid-May, the women's German Open at LTTC Rot-Weiss Berlin, Gottfried von Cramm Weg 47-55, Zehlendorf, with many top-ranking professional tennis players
• Dance Festival - throughout May, the Ballet of the German Opera Berlin presents a full season of premieres and performances at Deutsche Oper, Bismarckstrasse 35

June

• Operas - early to mid-June, at the Staatsoper, Unter den Linden 5-7
• Carnival of Cultures (Karneval der Kulturen) - early June, set in the district of Kreuzberg, about a million people attend this exciting street fair, parade and party
• Berlin Gay and Lesbian Festival - mid-June, large street party around Nollendorfplatz
• Concert - throughout June, the Berlin Philharmonic plays at the Philharmonie, Herbert von Karajan Strasse 1
• Christopher Street Day (CSD) - late June, gay and lesbian pride march, which ends at the Siegessaule in Tiergarten
• German Choir Festival - various locations

July

• Operas - early July, at Deutsche Oper, Bismarckstrasse 35
• Dance - early July, The Ballet of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden at Staatsoper, Unter den Linden 7 and also at other venues
• Concerts - early July, at the Konzerthaus Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt
• Love Parade - mid-July, with about a million participants and spectators, this exciting and lively parade includes many large carnival floats and takes place along Strasse des 17 Juni in Tiergarten

August

• Beer Festival - early August, held at Strasberger Platz, with 200 different breweries representing over 75 countries and more than 1,500 different types of beer
• ISTAF Track and Field Meet - mid to late August, this historic event attracts many top athletes and is held at Friedrich-Jahn-Sportpark
• Late Night at the Museums (Lange Nacht der Museen) - late August, over 90 museums stay open until midnight (or later), with many concerts, lectures and parties
• Tanz im August - mid to late August, an international dance festival with various events taking place at the Hebbel Theater, Stresemannstrasse 29, Berlin-Kreuzberg and other venues in the city
• Operas - late August, at Deutsche Oper, Bismarckstrasse 35
• Heimatklange - throughout August, this world-music festival takes place at Tempodrom, Askanischer Platz 4, Kreuzberg

September

• International Electronics Fair - early September, held every two years at the exhibition Grounds / ICC Berlin, this popular event displays the latest electrical innovations
• Literaturfestival Berlin - mid-September, this is one of the world's largest book festivals and is held at various venues in the city centre
• Berlin Marathon - late September, with over 35,000 runners, the race starts at Bradenburg Gate and the route takes in many of the city's best sights

October

• Art Forum Berlin - early October, held at the Exhibition Grounds / ICC Berlin, with over 100 international galleries displaying and selling mostly modern art
• German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) - October 3rd, German public holiday with many celebrations around the city

November

• JazzFest - early November, many famous jazz artists perform at various venues across the city
• Festwochen - early November, with musical and theatrical performances, book readings, film previews and art exhibitions at many different venues in the city
• Jewish Cultural Days (Jüdische Kulturtage) - various venues throughout the city

December

• Architecture Exhibit - early December, detailing many interesting projects, at the Old Building, Jewish Museum Berlin, Lindenstrasse 9-14
• Christmas Markets - throughout December, many markets around the city sell Christmas goods and the most notable markets are at the Memorial Church, around the Opernpalais on Unter den Linden, at Alexanderplatz and in front of Rathaus Schoneberg - usually only at weekends
• Christmas Holidays - December 25th / 26th, public holidays
• Silvester in Berlin - December 31st, New Year's Eve celebrations throughout the city, including a large street party between Brandenburg Gate and the Siegessaüle

Concerts

Berlin is a great town for live music. On a given night, you can find almost anything, rock, pop, jazz or blues, traditional, country, or folk. Music and dance concerts take place in many of Berlin's venues, including theatres, churches, clubs, and sports stadiums, where international performers often play. Open-air concerts are often held at the Waldbühne, Am Glockenturm, near the Olympic Stadium and many major rock concerts take place at Columbiahalle, Columbiadamm.

The world famous Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performs at the grand Philharmonie, Herbert-von-Karajan-Strasse 1, and also the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie, within the venue, hosts chamber players, soloists and small orchestras. One of Berlin's most elegant venues for classical music is the Konzerthaus Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt 2 , which is home to the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester. The Court Opera House was built in 1741 and is the premier venue for opera, ballet and also many concerts.

Theatres

There are several theatres in the city that produce a range of productions, ranging from traditional 20th-century plays to more modern and contemporary pieces.
Top addresses are The Deutsches Theater und Kammerspiele, Schumannstrasse 13A, The neo-Baroque Berliner Ensemble, Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1 and the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Linienstrasse 227.

Cinemas

There are over 100 cinemas in the city of Berlin and the new releases are often shown in the original English version with German subtitles. Throughout the city, weekly film releases are advertised on posters. In the summer, some films are screened outdoors in the Volkspark Hasenheide and at the Waldbühne, near the Olympic Stadium, and this is a popular event.

Nightlife

Berlin is without doubt one of Europe's most lively party cities. The Eastern side of the city is where most of the action can be found and there are more bars and cafés here than in any other European city - and much 24-hour entertainment. There are many good places to start your evening, all with numerous bars and a friendly atmosphere. You need to be at least 18 years old to enter bars in the city and nightclubs generally have a small admission charge, but do not usually have any restrictions with dress codes and there are no fixed closing times. There are also several casinos in the city that require a form of identification, such as a passport, before you are allowed to gamble.