July in Berlin is full of opportunities to rediscover the city - light on your feet, in the open air and in good company. Whether you're dancing to live music through balmy nights, strolling through street food markets, celebrating your sporting and musical idols or getting to know exotic sounds in hidden courtyards - in the Berlin summer, you can feel that you're in the city of freedom. The whole of Berlin is bathed in cheerful rainbow colours in July: it's Pride Month.
Tip 1: Celebrate Pride Month in Berlin
July in Berlin is all about love, freedom and respect: it's Pride Month! For four weeks, the city pulsates in rainbow colours when cultural events, political discussions, vivid parties and creative performances celebrate queer diversity.
The crowning glory is Christopher Street Day (CSD) on 26 July, Berlin's largest demonstration for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Hundreds of thousands of people gather on the streets to stand up for diversity and acceptance in a colourful and proud way. The CSD is a rousing mix of political protest and exuberant parade. An event that you have to see and feel!
When: 26 June to 26 July
Where: Various events throughout Berlin
Tip 2: Look forward to Lollapalooza
What is probably the capital's most electrifying music festival is just around the corner: Lollapalooza Berlin is set to shake the Olympic Stadium and Maifeld. For two days, tens of thousands will party to the beats of international superstars such as Justin Timberlake, J-Hope, Armin van Buuren, Gracie Abrams, Brutalism 3000 and RAYE - a line-up that leaves nothing to be desired and catapults you right into the heart of the current music scene. Whether electronic sounds, indie vibes or pop thunderstorms - there's something for every taste.
The Grünen Kiez is all about sustainability, cohesion and conscious togetherness. Here you can chat over a cool drink, get information or simply discover new perspectives. Families are very welcome - at Kidzapalooza, an imaginative children's programme with music, theatre, games and creative workshops awaits the youngest festival fans. This makes Lollapalooza a cross-generational highlight in the centre of Berlin.
When: 12 and 13 July
Where: Maifeld am Olympiastadion, Charlottenburg
Tip 3: Enjoy classical music open air at Gendarmenmarkt
This July, the newly renovated Gendarmenmarkt will finally be the stage once again for the Classic Open Air spectacle. The traditional festival opens with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, conducted by Joana Mallwitz, who is considered one of the most exciting conductors of her generation.
Artists from various genres will perform on five evenings. Gregory Porter brings jazz to the historical centre with his deep, soul-soaked voice. Giovanni Zarrella combines Italian pop songs with classical instrumentation.
On the final evening, Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov will take to the stage - their arias and duets are among the highlights of the international art of singing. The events will be complemented by light shows and pyrotechnic effects that will enchant you under the nocturnal summer sky over Berlin.
When: 17 to 21 July
Where: Gendarmenmarkt, Mitte
VEGAS ROUGE - The Sexiest Show from Las Vegas
Prepare to feel naughty! VEGAS ROUGE is a unique, ravishing and elegant spectacle, a sizzling mixture of variety and comedy, revue and burlesque that joyfully crosses boundaries. It’s a journey of seduction and adult adventure designed to unleash one’s fantasies and bring them to life on stage. A provocative cast of stunningly gorgeous topless men and women will stimulate your senses, as well as please and tease your inner voyeur.
Tip 4: Cheer on top athletes at ISTAF 2025
The International Stadium Festival (ISTAF) brings top athletics to Berlin's Olympic Stadium every year. The historic facility becomes a fantastic backdrop when athletes from all over the world compete in events such as the long jump, hurdles, javelin throw, pole vault, discus throw and sprint over several 100 metres. Spectators experience precise technique, peak physical performance and direct competition at the highest level. In the more than 85-year history of the ISTAF, 16 world records have already been achieved. In 2025, the event will once again offer you the chance to experience sporting history live.
When: 27 July
Where: Olympiastadion, Charlottenburg
ISTAF 2025
Tip 5: Become sporting heroes and heroines yourself
When the asphalt glows and the samba drums start, the Kurfürstendamm becomes a race track. At the adidas Runners City Night, thousands of runners and inline skaters compete on a flat 5- or 10-kilometre course through the City West. There's a festival atmosphere between the start and finish at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church: lights, music and cheering spectators line the route as runners chase their personal best times or simply enjoy the atmosphere.
And once the last sprint has been completed, it's straight on to the open-air street party. The City Night is not an event for the early morning, but for balmy Berlin summer nights - sporty, urban and open to everyone who wants to get moving. Both beginners and experienced runners can take part.
When: 26 July
Where: Kurfürstendamm, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Tip 6: Be enchanted at the Britzer Gartennacht
At the Britzer Gartennacht, from dusk onwards, you will experience an expansively staged area with light art, music, artistry and walk-in storytelling spaces. The dreamlike illuminated paths lead through different adventure areas: the Valley of the Elves, the Land of the Dwarves, the Dragon's Nest and other themed areas with light objects, musical productions and figures from the world of fairy tales.
You will meet jugglers and acrobats all over the grounds who will draw you even deeper into this fantastic world. A great summer event for the whole family!
When: 26. July
Where: Britzer Garten, Sangerhauser Weg 1, Neukölln
Tip 7: Find out about the latest fashion trends at Fashion Week
When sustainable materials, new silhouettes and digital fabric experiments meet DJ sets, after-parties and industrial halls in Berlin, it's Fashion Week. For four days, the summer edition of Berlin Fashion Week shows how fashion will be thought, designed and lived in the year 2025. The focus is on young labels, international designers, innovative concepts and a clear stance on more sustainability and inclusion.
Big names and newcomers can be admired here in equal measure. Talks, exhibitions and showrooms are open not only to industry professionals, but also to curious visitors. Many formats are open to the public, such as the Future Fashion Lab in the Reel2Reel Studio or the Next Gen Pop-Up by PLATTE Berlin.
When: 30 June to 3 July
Where: Various locations in Berlin
Extra tip for Fashion Week: Discover sustainable fashion at COSH! Pop-Up-Store or with a Green Fashion Tour Fashion Week Special.
Tip 8: Feel the summer on your tongue
Flavoursome street food stalls on balmy summer evenings are some of the best activities summer has to offer. July gives you many opportunities to celebrate summer with culinary delights.
- Pizza Street Food Festival 2025 on 13 July. - An absolute must for all pizza lovers, who can feast their way through the best pizzas in Berlin.
- Kosher Streetfood Festival on 7 July. - Anyone who thinks that there is nothing to discover here apart from hummus should see for themselves.
- Street Food Fest Pankow from 4. to 6 July. - In the heart of Pankow, you can sample hearty and exotic dishes and enjoy the cosy atmosphere.
Tip 9: Celebrate 50 years of the Berlinische Galerie
The Berlinische Galerie is turning 50 - and is opening its doors and forecourt for an extensive programme of art and culture throughout the summer. From June to early September, you can experience talks, performance art, readings, concerts and artistic interventions in the newly created BG Garden.
In addition to the extensive programme, the Berlinische Galerie is presenting a redesigned collection presentation in its anniversary year, supplemented by previously unseen works. The focus is on Berlin art from 1870 to the present day. Don't miss the chance to discover new and interesting positions.
When: 19 June to 1 September
Where: Berlinische Galerie, Alte Jakobstraße 124-128, Kreuzberg
Tip 10: Take a look behind the scenes at Berlin University of the Arts
Once a year, the studios, stages, exhibition spaces and rehearsal rooms of Berlin University of the Arts open their doors to the public. During the UdK Tour, students from around 70 degree programmes show what they have been working on - painting, photography, performance, acting, jazz, design, scenic writing, film, sculpture and more.
On your exploration tour, you will move between the locations on Hardenbergstrasse, Fasanenstrasse, in the Westend or on Einsteinufer and will often be accompanied by student guided tours or spontaneous performances.
When: 18 to 20 July
Where: Various locations of the UdK
Tip 11: Enjoy international sounds at the Humboldt Forum
The music festival "Durchlüften" brings music from all over the world to the Schlüterhof of the Humboldt Forum on twelve summer evenings - open air, free of charge and barrier-free. Experience musicians, bands and DJs from five continents. The spectrum ranges from cumbia punk from Mexico, soukous from the Congo and frafra gospel from Ghana to Afrofuturistic big bands, Caribbean-influenced Japanese folk, hip-hop from Sheffield and experimental jazz from Puerto Rico.
When: 17 July to 9 August
Where: Schlüterhof in the Humboldt Forum, Mitte
You can find even more tips for events in July in our Events calendar.
