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Carnival of Cultures 2019
May 6th 2019
By Visit Berlin
Every year at Pentecost, Kreuzberg is transformed into a carnival stronghold: hundreds of thousands of people congregate at Berlin's most popular street festival to celebrate multicultural diversity with culinary delights and cultural performances. The high point of the festivities is the colourful street parade with over 4,000 participants from all parts of the world. In 2019, the festival will be held from 7 to 10 June.Carnival of Cultures: a celebration of diversity, a festival steeped in tradition
What originally started as a political statement against xenophobic clashes in 1996 has turned into a cosmopolitan festival. This is when Berlin celebrates its cultural diversity with colourful street festivities and a cheerful parade. In the beginning, several tens of thousands of carnival fans turned up for the festival in the German capital. However, within the space of 20 years, the annual number of visitors has increased to around one million. And not without reason: there are only a very few places where you can experience such a lively and peaceful atmosphere as here and celebrate cosmopolitanism in a creative and passionate way. More than 4,000 actors and artists from the most diverse countries and cultures, wearing elaborate costumes and playing all sorts of instruments, create an unforgettable street parade. Stages showcasing over 100 DJs, solo artists, and bands take you on a musical journey around the world. Visitors can regale themselves at the food trucks and various stands with the culinary delights of the many different countries.
Berlin's colourful street festival: musical, cultural, and culinary delights from all over the world
- At more than 350 stands around Blücherplatz, you will find diverse arts and crafts, information on local initiatives, and culinary delicacies awaiting you.
- Musical diversity is also taken care of, ranging from the captivating sounds of African drums to exotic samba rhythms to first-class jazz music.
- French crêpes, Asian noodle dishes and African beer - the range of specialities from the most diverse regions of the world knows no bounds.
- In the Green Area, everything revolves around environmental sustainability. This is where you can find associations that are particularly concerned with environmental issues. Furthermore, you can enjoy healthy and innovative dishes from the urban Food Truck Movement.
- At the Rasen in Aktion, all visitors are encouraged to “join in!” Here you can give juggling a go or move to traditional African music.
Outdoors and free: tips for a visit to the Carnival of Cultures
The Carnival of Cultures officially kicks off on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. Most visitors are drawn to the Global Village around Blücherplatz over the weekend where you can celebrate from 11 a.m. to midnight. Pentecost Sunday holds a very special highlight in store when the famous street parade sets off in Yorckstrasse /Großbeerenstrasse at 12:30 p.m. The festivities then slowly wind down on Monday between 11 a.m.and 7 p.m. You don’t need to worry about buying tickets in advance: admission for both the street festival and the parade on Sunday is free to all visitors.