Berlin presents itself as an European metropolis with the festival “Carnival of Cultures”. With approximately 1.35 million visitors and more than 5,800 active participants it is one of the biggest summer festivals in Europe. The “Carnival of Cultures” is a unique urban festival in the world due to its significant cultural diversity. Each year, the Kreuzberg-Blücherplatz is transformed into a space of music, dance and performance. Berliners and artists from around the world perform on four stages and one off-stage area, four days long.
More than 350 booths with culinary delicacies and handicrafts expand the artistic programme of the various stages, so the street festival meets everyone’s taste. Highlight every year is the one-day street parade on Whitsunday, which crosses the Berlin district Kreuzberg. Whether Brazilian samba, urban beats or angels on stilts - over 5,000 different participants rehearse for months and prepare costumes and decorations for the floats well in advance. The parade takes place over a distance of four kilometre and is a transcultural spectacle with 750,000 spectators.
Berlin reports a rising member of visitors and overnight stays during the past 10 years. With 2.8 million overnight stays each year, the district Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg holds 11.2% of the total 24,900.000 Berlin-nights. Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg alone represent an increase of 80 percent since 2005. This is due to the variety of subjects related to tourism offers. From the idyllic stroll along the “Landwehr Canal” with the family to the party scene on Orange road, visitors can do everything here. Kreuzberg offers families, singles, young and old enough space to unfold. Above all, artistic diversity is the hallmark of Kreuzberg: the art space “Kreuzberg/Bethanien” presents works by contemporary artists, in the three venues of the theater “Hebbel am Ufer” are experimental forms of theater performed and at the Martin-Gropius-Bau and the world famous Jewish Museum exhibitions of international standing take place year round.
Berlin fascinates people around the world with its lively and cosmopolitan character and the “Carnival of Cultures” has helped decisively to shape this image since 1996. It is a metropolis where people from 168 different countries are at home and approximately 25% of the population has an ethnically diverse background. The creation of multicultural experiences make a valuable contribution to a more open society. Carnival tourists, as well participants and journalists, will not just increase the revenues in the classic tourism industry, such as hospitality and catering services. A retail services will also benefit, including car rentals, public and private cultural institutions, clubs and bars, event service providers such as security and law enforcement services, copy shops, administrative and translation services, exhibition and fair fitters, parking garages, gas stations, telecommunication and photographic industry as well as credit intermediation, public transport and taxi companies. Arts and culture diversity is a key motive for visitors to travel from all over the world to Berlin. Approximately 60% of national visitors and almost 80% of guests from abroad create its special atmosphere and image of a living cultural center a center of attraction. The Carnival of Cultures is a brand and must not be missed as a cultural ambassador. It is also a continuous investment in the image of the metropolis Berlin.
target groups
_active families with children
_active and experience-orientated Berliner (singles, couples and group of friends/peer group)
_Berlin-tourists
_cosmopolitan, digitally networked und highly mobile
_high interest in discovering new things/something special and to meet new people
