Every spring, 5,000 performers and half a million attendees turn Berlin’s streets into a blossoming meadow for the Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures) parade, which is held on June 8. However this year’s parade will be relocated from the usual Kreuzberg to Friedrichshain.
The new route will start at 1:30pm on the intersection of Frankfurter Allee and Proskauer Str. and go along Karl-Marx-Allee, before ending at its intersection with Berolina Str. The route was changed temporarily due to years of ongoing construction on the parade’s original route on Gneisenaustr. Keep in mind that the central median on Karl-Marx-Allee is a nature reserve – organizers have advised attendees to avoid the area.
This does not mean that the parade will be any less spectacular. This year, you can expect to see 69 different floats, bands and dancing troupes, with performers representing everywhere from Angola and Armenia to Bolivia and Vietnam. Highlights include Ecuador Multicolor, Jamah Africa Bongo and Carnival Explosion, which will be participating for the last time. If you’ve never gone, you can get an idea of what the parade is like here and here.
- Karneval der Kulturen Parade, intersection of Frankfurter Allee and Proskauer Str., June 8, details.
The weekend festival
The Karneval der Kulturen parade is the highlight of a four-day street festival packed with concerts, dancing, stunt shows and a surprising number of clown acts located in Kreuzberg’s Blücherplatz. Here’s what you can expect to see if you go to the festival, which has free admission.
Featured musical acts will be performed on three different stages – the aptly-named Klang Plaza, Neue Pumpe and Sound Avenue. The lineup includes salsa and son group Tempo Havana, reggae artist Vido and Turkish pop singer and radio personality Esra Erkut.
A series of lawn performances titled “Rasen in Aktion” features interactive theatre acts from Kompanie Kabinet Mirage and Grotest Maru. Keep an eye out for Luciana Arcuri, a professional clown and organizer of the first-ever Berlin Clown Festival in 2023.
You can find just about anything in the festival’s “shantYtown,” a collection of stands and food trucks selling everything from pastries to dance lessons. Besides food trucks, sustainable clothing stands and dance workshops, you can expect to see shows put on by Bike Stunts Berlin, Luise Grell and Daada.
- Karneval der Kulturen Festival, Blücherplatz, Kreuzberg, June 6-9, details.
Kinderkarneval der Kulturen
Additionally, the Kinderkarneval der Kulturen (Childrens’ Carnival of Cultures) parade will be held on June 7. Under the motto “Sei dabei, Papagei,” (“Be there, parrot”) the parade is a fundraiser for funding children’s cultural events and political education.
Starting at 11:30am in front of the Bethanien art gallery, the parade will begin with a rally in Mariannenplatz before marching towards Wiener Str. in Kreuzberg. Prepare to witness legions of costumed children competing to win jury prizes for best costume, best float and best performance.
- Kinderkarneval der Kulturen, Mariannenplatz, Kreuzberg, June 7, details.
