Berlin Top Events 2010

 

brandenburg gate berlin
Berlin's Brandeberg Gate

 

Each year, the City of 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 2010, 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 2010:


Long Night of Museums

January 30, 2010 / August 28, 2010

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. (www.lange-nacht-der-museen.de, www.kulturprojekte-berlin.de).


The 60th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)           

February 2-21, 2010

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. Special Highlight will be the screening of Fritz Lang’s 1927 “Metropolis”; for the first time in its restored version. (www.berlinale.de).


 

Carnival in Berlin

February 14, 2010

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

March 26 – April 5, 2010

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.

With Pjotr I . Tchaikovsky‘s »Eugen Onegin« in Achim Freyer’s bold and provocative production, Italian director Frederico Tiezzi’s vivid and powerful production of Giuseppe Verdi’s »Simon Boccanegra« as well as with Harry Kupfer’s classic production of Richard Wagner’s »Tristan und Isolde», the FESTTAGE 2010 will present three major works of opera literature under General Music Director Daniel Barenboim.The focus of the festival days will be on French composer and musical director Pierre Boulez, and a special highlight will be the Liederabend with Anna Netrebko. (www.staatsoper-berlin.org).

 

Second Annual Extended Opera and Theater Night

April 10, 2010

During the second Extended Opera and Theater Night, some 60 Berlin stages will demonstrate their variety, originality, and distinctiveness. From 7 pm until 1 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 21-25, 2010 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 22nd, 2010. (www.karneval-berlin.de).

 

DMY International Design Festival

May 26 – 30, 2010

Berlin has long been recognized as a center for contemporary design and in 2006 was awarded the UNESCO "City of Design” designation. For five days, DMY International Design Festival annually presents well-known creative people, and shows trends as well as innovative and experimental design. www.dmy-berlin.com

 

Lesbian and Gay Street Festival

June 19/20, 2010

Berlin's Lesbian and Gay Street Festival has enjoyed growing popularity among gays and lesbians and with the public at large. In 2010, Berlin’s Rainbow Fund will present its seventeenth 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 Schöneberg district, one of Berlin’s traditional gay stomping grounds. (www.gay-stadtfest.de).

 

Christopher Street Day

June 25-27, 2010

Berlin's Christopher Street Day will celebrate its 32nd anniversary in 2010. 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 27, 2010

A cultural summer highlight will be the open-air performance by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the Waldbühne Amphitheater. In 2010, the famous orchestra will be directed by Ion Maarin. The program will be announced shortly. www.berliner-philharmoniker.de

 

Fête de la Musique

June 21, 2010

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).

 

Pyromusikale

June 24 – 26, 2010

Second annual festival of music and fireworks, stages at Berlin’s historic Tempelhof airport. www.pyromusikale.de.

 

Classic Open Air Berlin Gendarmenmarkt

July 15-20, 2010

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. The 2010 program will be annoced at a later time. (www.classicopenair.de).

 

14th Berlin International Beer Festival

August 6 – 8, 2010

Like Beer? During the 14th 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).

 

BerMuDa – Berlin Music Days

September 2010

Sleep is over-rated. Visitors to the Berlin Music Days can look forward to four nights of clubbing and electronic music. Berlin’s best clubs, including Berghain, WMF, and Watergate, invite electronic music aficionados to come dance and party. In its second year, BerMuDa is on its way to become a major international music festival. www.bermuda-berlin.de

 

37th Real Berlin Marathon

September tbd

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

October 7-10, 2010 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 October 7-10, 2010. 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. (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 19 – 31, 2010

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 4 – 7, 2010

The series of festivals in Berlin traditionally draws to a close with JazzFest Berlin which will be held for the 50th time November 4-7, 2010. 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)

 

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.

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, 2010 (www.silvester-in-berlin.de).

 

Fashion Calendar 2010

 

Bread & Butter

January 20-22, 2010

Under the motto “The Original”, the renowned Fashion Fair “Bread and Butter” is returning to the Tempelhof Airport Location to showcase the latest in street and urban wear

Some 550 labels and designers participated in the show in 2009, many of which have already signed up to return.www.breadandbutter.com

 

Berlin Fashion Week

January 28 - 31

Fashion, and more fashion: Shortly after the Bread and Butter, international top labels will be showing their new collections at the Berlin Fashion Week. During the bi-annual event, sellers, buyers, designers and media meet at fashion shows and off-site events. At the showroom mile, Berlin designers will be featured next to top national and international labels. www.berlin-fashionweek.de

 


Eco-Fashion now is more stylish and more glamorous than ever. During Fashion Week, “thekey.to” even goes one step further and offers green and sustainable labels from street to athletic wear to high fashion at this special platform. The program inclused fashion shows, organic gastronomy, as well as organic beauty products. www.thekey.to

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