BERLIN – ANNUAL FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS IN 2009

Each year, Berlin offers a growing list of festivals, parades, celebrations, and annual cultural highlights. Boasting over 1,500 events daily, the German capital promises an exciting event program in 2009, from museum nights and design festivals to symphonies, sports events and outdoor fairs. The following list provides highlights from the expansive annual events calendar, including their scheduled dates for 2009*:

Long Night of Museums
January 31 / August 29
The “Long Night of Museums” has become a favorite among Berliners and tourists alike. Around 100 museums, large and small, featuring established and new collections, open their doors from 6 pm Saturday evening until 2 am Sunday morning. Unique music, theater, and culinary events will enhance the permanent and temporary exhibitions and promise to make the nighttime museum visit a unique experience. With one ticket, patrons get unlimited use of a special shuttle bus service and admission to all participating venues and events. Tickets are Euro 15. Children under 12 are free. (www.lange-nacht-der-museen.de, www.kulturprojekte-berlin.de)

The 59th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)
February 05 – 15
The annual Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) is not only the city's largest cultural event, but also one of the most important dates on the international film industry's calendar. More than 19,000 film professionals from 120 countries, including 4,000 journalists, are accredited for the Berlin International Film Festival every year. With more than 200,000 tickets sold, the Berlinale is not only a film industry meeting. It also enjoys by far the largest audience of any film festival in the world. Up to 400 films are shown every year as part of the Berlinale’s public program, many of which are world or European premieres. For two weeks, art, glamour, parties and business meet at the Berlinale. (www.berlinale.de).

Carnival in Berlin
February 22
More than 1 million spectators and participants are again expected to attend the 9th annual Berlin Carnival Costume Parade. With an expected 3,000 participants in 100 groups, 60 floats, and numerous marching bands, the frolicsome parade will start at 11:11 am, and move through the Western center of the German capital (www.karnevals-zug-berlin.de, website in German only).

Festival Days at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden
April 4 – 12
A "must" for classical music aficionados from around the world, the Festival Days at the Staatsoper are one of Berlin's musical highlights. Every year, highly acclaimed artists present two opera productions plus several symphonic works. From the beginning of the festival in 1996, the work of Richard Wagner has been central to the event. In 2009, Wagner's romantic opera LOHENGRIN will be staged by Stefan Herheim as the key piece. A novelty of FESTTAGE 2009 and a true highlight will be the collaboration of the orchestra with choir of Teatro alla Scala from Milan with whom musical director Daniel Barenboim has maintained close artistic ties. With Verdi's »Messa da Requiem« and a symphonic concert featuring Lang Lang as soloist, Maestro Barenboim will bring the orchestra's full richness of tone and the beautiful sonority of the choir to the FESTTAGE. (www.staatsoper-berlin.org).

NEW: Extended Opera and Theater Night
April 25, 2009
During the first Extended Opera and Theater Night, 60 Berlin stages will demonstrate their variety, originality, and distinctiveness. From 7 pm until 10 am, they will offer a stream of short, approximately half-hour events allowing audience members to assemble their own journey of discovery through the Berlin opera and theater scene. The program offers not just "taster" visits for tourists and newcomers to the theater, but also surprises for ardent theater fans. Shuttle buses will carry visitors from theater to theater on seven different routes. The starting point and meeting spot is the Bebelplatz with an open-air stage, central box office, and information stand. Bebelplatz, Sixty Berlin Stages. www.kulturprojekte-berlin.de .

Carnival of Cultures
May 29 – June 1 In celebration of the cultural and ethnic diversity found in the German Capital, the Carnival of Cultures will host about 1 million enthusiastic patrons in Berlin's Kreuzberg district. Presenting a colorful parade with over 100 groups, 4,000 dancers, singers and musicians from about 80 nations, the “Carnival of Cultures" has become one of Berlin’s most popular and highly anticipated annual events. A special Children's Carnival will be part of the program on May 28, 2009. (www.karneval-berlin.de).

NEW: DMY International Design Festival Berlin 2009
June 3-7, 2009
As an international platform for contemporary design, the DMY International Design Festival Berlin takes a page from the former "Designmai" festival. Throughout the city, the works of young designers and established brands are shown in the framework of events, exhibitions and in open studios.
Arena Berlin, www.dmy-berlin.com

Lesbian and Gay Street Festival
June 20/21
Berlin’s Lesbian and Gay Street Festival has enjoyed growing popularity among gays and lesbians and with the public at large. In 2009, Berlin's Rainbow Fund will present its sixteenth annual Lesbian and Gay Festival, which is the largest festival of its kind in Europe. Expecting some 35,000 visitors, the festival will again take place around Nollendorf Platz in Schönefeld district, one of Berlin's traditional gay stomping grounds. (www.gay-stadtfest.de).

Christopher Street Day
June 27
Berlin’s Christopher Street Day will celebrate its 31st anniversary in 2009. The popular event promises to attract hundreds of thousands of people to the German capital to celebrate equality and tolerance for gays and lesbians around the world. LGBT residents and visitors can again expect to see some 50+ floats, and look forward to partying with half a million in the streets between Kurfürstendamm and the Victory Column (www.csd-berlin.de).

Berlin Philharmonics Open Air at the Waldbühne
June 21
A cultural summer highlight will be the open-air performance by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the Waldbühne Amphitheater. In 2009, the famous orchestra will be directed by Sir Simon Rattle, and play works by Chatschaturjan, Rachmaninow, and Strawinski. Yefin Bronfman will play the piano. www.berliner-philharmoniker.de

Fête de la Musique
June 21
Taking place every year on the day of summer solstice, this truly European music event celebrates the diverse forms of live music. Free concerts on over 50 (mostly open-air) stages throughout Berlin feature artists from all of Europe. (www.fetedelamusique.de).

Jewish Cultural Days
August 29 – September 6
In its 23rd year, the annual Jewish Cultural Days will again present artists from Israel and Germany with their diverse program of music, theater, movies, readings, and celebrations. Since 1986, the festival has been a leading platform for Jewish artists and Jewish culture in Germany. Events take place at the Rykestrasse Synagogue, Rykestrasse 53, www.juedische-kulturtage.org (site in German only).

Classic Open Air Berlin Gendarmenmarkt
July 2 – 6
Classic Open Air Berlin, held annually al fresco at Gendarmenmarkt, the city’s most beautiful square, features all-time favorites in operetta, opera, classical and contemporary music. In 2009, the program will include a Classics Spectacular, Opera Highlights, Rythms from South America, as well a an evening with Maximilian Schell presenting highlights from "Carmen". (www.classicopenair.de).

Berlin Fashion Week
January 29-February 1 / July 16-19
As part of Berlin Fashion Week, two exclusive fashion shows take place each year, along with a full tradeshow program and numerous events, award presentations, and exhibitions. The latter include Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Premium Exhibitions, Stark.Men and Stark.Women, the Projekt Galerie Showroom, and Beck's "Fashion Experience". During the two Berlin fashion weeks in 2009, the area around the thoroughfare Unter den Linden will once again become an "extended catwalk" with numerous fashion and design exhibitions in banks, cultural institutions and other public buildings. www.berlin-fashionweek.de, www.mercedes-benzfashionweek.com, www.premiumexhibitions.com

Classical Music in Berlin's Castles and Historic Buildings
July 16 – August 2
For those looking for romantic evenings, this combination of historic and often intimate settings and selected classical music, has become a permanent fixture in Berlin's cultural calendar. Venues include Köpenick and Glienicke castles. Information is available at www.berliner-schlosskonzerte.de (site in German only).

Traveling Minstrels’ Festival (Berlin Gauklerfest)
August TBD
Taking place in the city's historic center, around the opera house Unter den Linden, the 19th annual Berlin Gauklerfest has become one of the city's traditional summer events. The unique artistic festival features concerts, variety shows, storytelling, arts and crafts, fireworks, and excellent food. Daily from 2 pm until 2 am. (www.gauklerfest.de).

Berlin International Beer Festival
August 7 – 9
Like Beer? During the 13th annual Berlin International Beer Festival, Karl-Marx-Allee will again turn into the world’s longest beer garden and bar. On a stretch of over one mile, 190 breweries from 72 countries will draft some 1,700 brands of the world’s finest beers (www.bierfestival-berlin.de).

Dance in August Celebrates Its Twentieth Anniversary
August 15 – 31
Tanz im August (Dance in August), Germany’s largest festival for international dance and performance art, will celebrate its twentieth anniversary from August 15 to 31, 2009. On ten different stages, the stars of contemporary dance, promising choreographers, and newly discovered companies will display their skills. In addition to the performances, there will be lectures, discussions, films, and parties. (www.tanzimaugust.de)

Popkomm 2009
September 16 – 18
Europe's largest international fair for popular music and entertainment, last year (2008) attracted some 14,000 visitors and 843 exhibitors from around the world, for three days and four nights of doing business and partying. Focusing on the three sectors of trade show, conference, and festival, Popkomm creates synergies between the music market and music related branches. A large program of public events in Berlin's clubs and concert venues will feature bands and DJs from Europe and beyond. (www.popkomm.de).

36th Real Berlin Marathon
September 19/20
The annual Berlin Marathon is not only among the top five international marathon races, it is also huge folk festival that attracts visitors and competitors from around the world. The 42-kilometer route will span 10 districts throughout the city. In the past, the Marathon saw some 40,000 participating runners, 8,000 inline skaters, power walkers and wheelchair athletes representing some 90 nations. (http://www.scc-events.com).

Art Forum Berlin – Int'l Fair for Contemporary Art
September 24 – 27 One of the cultural highlights each fall is Art Forum Berlin, Europe's most influential and bold event celebrating contemporary art. The fourteenth Art Forum Berlin, international trade fair for contemporary art, will take place at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds from September 24 – 27, 2009. Organized by Messe Berlin GmbH in cooperation with an international art gallery advisory board, the event is one of the most innovative, world-class art shows, showcasing a comprehensive overview of the most decisive trends and movements in the international art scene. In 2008, the fair attracted 38,000, and 1,700 journalists from 36 countries. (www.art-forum-berlin.com).

German Unification Day
October 3
In celebration of the reunification of Germany, a large celebration is held each October 3 on the streets surrounding the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. Music fills the air with special stages set up featuring everything from classical to rock.

Festival of Lights
October 13 – 25
For two weeks each October, Berlin turns into a sparkling metropolis with a firework of illuminations during the Festival of Lights. The city's most recognized historical sights and locations will be highlighted by colorful lights, projections, and fireworks, giving Berlin a magical appearance. Complementing the festival are numerous cultural events, all focusing on the topic of "light". Special "lightseeing tours" are offered by bus, boat, or bicycle, and on the first Saturday of the festival many of the illuminated buildings host special events until midnight, during the "Night of open doors". (www.festival-of-lights.de).

JazzFest Berlin
November 5 – 8
The series of festivals in Berlin traditionally draws to a close with JazzFest Berlin which will be held for the 50th time November 5-8, 2009. The program is devoted to creative artists who have elevated this jazz festival to the high level that it has reached today. Big bands and large-format ensembles, American and international jazz stars will be performing during the four-day concert marathon. (Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Quasimodo, and other sites. (www.berliner-festspiele.de)

European Photography Month
November tbd
The “European Photography Month Berlin” takes place for the fourth time in November 2009. Again, 140 museums, galleries and other cultural institutes will be devoting themselves to the medium of photography in its various forms and varieties – from historical images to news- and experimental photography. www.mdf-berlin.de

Christmas Fairs and WinterMagic
December
The Yuletide season offers a wide variety of events and celebrations for visitors and Berliners. Beginning at the end of November, Berlin is home to about 60 Christmas markets, including Germany’s largest fair in Spandau’s Old Town, the historic market at Gendarmenmarkt square, and the nostalgic fair at the Opernpalais Unter den Linden. Holiday concerts, ranging from classical to vaudeville, enhance the spirit, while countless winter activities, such a tobogganing and ice skating make for unique urban winter experiences. More information and a calendar of events at (www.wintermagicberlin.com.

New Year's Eve at the Brandenburg Gate
New Year’s celebrations prove extra special in recent years when up to one million Berliners and visitors gather at Brandenburg Gate to call in the New Year and witness a dramatic fireworks display. The party stretches along the Straße des 17. Juni all the way to the Victory Column, and features show stages, DJ towers, dance floors, a Ferris wheel, and delicacies from all over the world. An international stage program with live acts, famous rock and pop bands, and DJs will guarantee uninterrupted entertainment until the wee hours of the morning. New Year's Eve Party at the Brandenburg Gate. December 31, 2009 (www.silvester-in-berlin.de).

For more information on Berlin's expansive calendar of events, visit Berlin Tourism Marketing’s homepage at www.visitBerlin.de

December 30, 2008   Posted in: Germany