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View of the TV Tower from Kollwitzplatz in springtime
Kollwitzkiez around spring © visitBerlin, Foto: Dagmar Schwelle

Whitsun in Berlin

Holidays in May

At the end of May, Berlin celebrates Whitsun at street festivals, festivals and open-air folk festivals. On Whit Sunday and Whit Monday, 19 and 20 May 2024, and of course throughout the weekend, the capital offers its visitors numerous events for young and old, whether carnivals, markets or fairs - there is something for every taste. Here we show you the best Whitsun tips for your short trip to Berlin. You can find an overview of all the events at Whitsun in our events calendar. 

 Calendar of events

The Highlight: Carnival of Cultures

Karneval der Kulturen

The Carnival of Cultures celebrates the diversity of Berlin's lifestyles and communities. For four days from 17 to 21 May, the street festival on Bülowplatz invites you to enjoy delicious street food from all over the world. On Whitsunday, the colourful parade then makes its way through Kreuzberg, where Berlin's communities show just how colourful and diverse the city is.

Whitsun concerts

Konzerthaus Berlin - Great Hall

Enjoy outstanding concerts of various genres on this long Whitsun weekend:

  • The Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin invites you to selected chamber concerts at Heimathafen Neukölln on 17 May
  • Compositions by Louise Farrenc, Jan Václav Vorišek and Ludwig van Beethoven will also be performed at the Philharmonie on 17 May
  • Kirill Petrenko will conduct the Karajan Academy's summer concert in the Philharmonie's Chamber Music Hall on 17 May.
  • Nina Chuba will delight her fans with her Glas Tour 2024 in the Max-Schmeling Halle on 18 May.
  • One of the most successful bands on the European fokl-rock scene will also storm SO36 on Good Friday: Fiddler's Green
  • With the animated film Fantasia by Disney, the Konzerthaus invites you to a family concert on 18 May: film with live music
  • Francois-Xavier Roth dedicates himself to Bruckner's impressive symphonic music and a new work by Vito Zura at the Philharmonie on 18 and 19 May
  • Works by American composers and composers from immigrant backgrounds will be performed by the Berlin Academy of American Music at the Konzerthaus Berlin in the Werner-Otto Saal on 18 May
  • Along with some of VNV Nation's most popular orchestral interpretations and pieces from the upcoming album "Music for Orchestra Vol.2" at the Admiralspalast will be premiered on 18 May
  • Song and poetry: Heinrich Heine - pianist and curator Julius Drake and baritone André Schuen will dedicate themselves to Robert Schumann's famous Heine cycles at the Pierre Boulez Saal on 19 May.

More Concerts

Festivals & Markets

Chain carousel at a fair in Berlin

Festivals and markets are part of Whitsun. Let yourself drift and enjoy.

  • In addition to the traditional Carnival of Cultures from 17 to 20 May
  • the traditional Steglitz Weeks also take place from 24 May to 9 June and the colourful fairground rides in Bäkepark take place directly after the Carnival of Cultures.
  • At the Berlin Flea Market at the Karlshorst harness racing track at Whitsun, you'll find a huge flea market with everything that retro fans will love: antiques, furniture, art and second hand.
  • The Hoppegarten racecourse is also the scene of the Irish Raceday at 19 May.
  • On Whitsun, Berlin's churches also open their doors for the Long Night: on 19 May you can take part in numerous events.
  • The whole world of tango will come together in Berlin for the Embrace Festival from 14 to 20 May. Numerous workshops, milongas and dance classes will also take place over the Whitsun weekend.

Mehr Open Air-Events

Children and families

   A family having a picnic in the park

And another long weekend in May where families can spend time together in Berlin. There are exciting things to do in Berlin for the whole family - no matter whether they are small children, schoolchildren or teenagers. Attractions, theatres, cafés, museums, events, guided tours - Berlin has it all especially for children.

  • Whitsun at the Wendenschloss lido with a beautiful beer garden on the waterfront.
  • Family guided tour at the Deutsche Oper with a look over the stages and into the stage design magazine.
  • The FEZ starts on Saturday with the new programme for children between one and five: I can do it all by myself!
  • Tierpark Berlin has its own Dinoworld on its grounds until October. 
  • A nice destination for your family outing on the long Whitsun weekend is the Museumsdorf Düppel (Düppel Museum Village). Here you can travel back in time on a Whitsun excursion and experience what it might have actually looked like in a medieval village around 800 years ago.
  • more events für children in Berlin.

Day Ticket: Tierpark Berlin

Castles and gardens

Park Schloss Charlottenburg im Frühling

At Whitsun, the whole of Berlin is ablaze with colourful blossoms. Visit the Botanical Garden, the Britzer Garten or the Gärten der Welt (Gardens of the World). The palace gardens in and around Berlin also invite you to a particularly splendid Whitsun excursion.

More parks and gardens

Use our sanssouci + day ticket for your excursions to nearby Potsdam:

Daytickets sanssouci+

Museums and attractions in Berlin

Spree view of the Museum Island

Many attractions and museums in Berlin, including the world-famous Museumsinsel and the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) are looking forward to seeing you. Use the long weekend over Whitsun for a trip to the museum or an exciting exhibition - there is something for everyone in Berlin! 

Tickets für Museums in Berlin

Open-air cinemas in Berlin

Freiluftkino Kreuzberg

The first open-air cinemas have already opened. The open-air cinemas offer current blockbusters, films in OmU and old classics. Enjoy films under Berlin's starry sky.

Open-Air cinemas at Berlin

Boat and Spree trips

Boat trip in Berlin Treptow

The sun deck of a Spree ferry is a particularly relaxing way to discover Berlin from the water. Choose between sightseeing tours, swimming trips or exploration tours out to Wannsee and as far as Potsdam.

Tickets for boat and Spreetrips