Thursday, October 16
Germany’s biggest New Years Eve party is moving to Hamburg
ZDF’s traditional New Year’s Eve broadcast will not take place at Brandenburger Tor this year. Instead the ZDF will broadcast its live show ‘Willkommen 2026’ in Hamburg. The broadcaster moved Germany’s biggest New Year’s bash after Berlin mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) announced in the summer that Berlin would not help fund the celebration. Wegner stated that “it is not taxpayers job to help finance such events. Especially not in times of tight budgets.”
SPD party favourite for the upcoming 2026 election, Steffen Kraach accused Wegner of being “far too short-sighted and that a New Year’s Eve party at the Brandenburg Gate has a global advertising effect for the city.” Additionally Krack emphasised that a party of this magnitude “has an impact on the restaurant industry, on retail, on the hotel industry.”
Wegner announced that the city is looking for alternatives and mentioned the possibility of fireworks and assured that “[the city] will once again welcome the New Year joyfully at the Brandenburg Gate.” An alliance of cultural figures is independently calling for a rally at the Berlin landmark, with a music programme and fireworks.
