About Festivals
Berlin's festival calendar runs all year, from experimental music in January to jazz in November. Big parades such as CSD and the Carnival of Cultures fill entire districts, while art and music weeks spread across galleries, clubs and concert halls.
Winter and early spring: sound, media and art
- CTM Festival Berlin and transmediale Berlin – experimental music and media art, usually late January into February, spread over clubs and cultural venues.
- Berliner Frühlingsfest – funfair at the Zentraler Festplatz on Kurt-Schumacher-Damm in Reinickendorf, in spring.
- Gallery Weekend Berlin – galleries across Mitte, Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg and Schöneberg open their new shows, usually late April or early May. A car between districts saves time.
Summer in the streets: parades and open-air
- Carnival of Cultures Berlin – over the Whitsun weekend in Kreuzberg: street festival around Blücherplatz and a parade on the Sunday. Roads on the route close for the day; stops on the Neukölln or Tempelhof side are easier.
- Berlin Design Week – studios and showrooms open in early summer.
- Fête de la Musique Berlin – free music on 21 June on stages all over the city.
- 48 Stunden Neukölln – art festival in Neukölln's back yards and shops in June.
- Christopher Street Day (CSD) – the Pride parade, usually in July, crosses the centre towards the Brandenburg Gate. Mitte and Schöneberg are heavily closed that day; see Schöneberg.
- Rave the Planet Parade – techno parade in summer through the Tiergarten area.
- Lollapalooza Berlin – two days in July at the Olympiapark; more on the Olympiastadion page.
Late summer: concerts, clubs and museums
- Young Euro Classic Festival – youth orchestras from across Europe in the Konzerthaus in August.
- Pop-Kultur Berlin – new pop and live acts in the Kulturbrauerei, usually in August.
- Berlin Atonal Festival – sound and light art in the Kraftwerk on Köpenicker Straße.
- Long Night of Museums Berlin – one Saturday in late August with museums open until late; shuttle buses connect the houses.
- Musikfest Berlin – orchestras and ensembles at the Philharmonie from late August into September.
Autumn: literature, art, food and beer tents
- International Literature Festival Berlin – readings in September.
- Berlin Art Week – exhibitions and art fairs in September.
- Berlin Oktoberfest – beer tents and rides at the Zentraler Festplatz, September into October.
- Berlin Food Week – tastings, pop-ups and restaurant events in October.
- Jazzfest Berlin – in November, centred on the Haus der Berliner Festspiele on Schaperstraße in Wilmersdorf.
How the taxi gets you near a festival site
Parades and open-air events close streets for hours. Your driver approaches from the side away from the route and stops at the nearest open corner; plan a short walk from there. Tell the driver the entrance or gate printed on your ticket rather than only the event name. For the street parades in Mitte, a hotel outside the closed area can make arrival day much easier.
Timing from BER on a festival weekend
Typical drives outside rush hour: Kreuzberg and Neukölln 25–40 minutes, Mitte 35–50, Prenzlauer Berg 40–55, Olympiapark and Reinickendorf 45–65. On parade days count on extra time for detours. At the terminal taxi rank, queues grow when evening flights land together; a pre-booked car is waiting for you in arrivals instead. Friends travelling together can share one minivan, see group transfer, and book the return through Berlin to BER.
