As the leaves change, this autumn promises to be an eventful one. Gallery openings, extraordinary festivals, and many musical, culinary, and sporting highlights are on the agenda as the weather cools. Here are our Top 11 must-dos this autumn, whatever the weather:
Tip 1: Festival week on 30 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall
The 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall will take place on 9 November 2019. Berlin takes this as the occasion for a whole festival week celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall. During this time, open-air exhibitions and events will take place. There will therefore be open-air stages at seven locations in the city relevant to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Be impressed by the productions and projections.
When: 4–10 November 2019
Where: at seven locations in Berlin
Tip 2: Concert on the evening of 9 November at the Brandenburg Gate
On the actual day of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the evening of 9 November, numerous artists are expected at the Brandenburg Gate. Their stories and music are closely linked to the fall of the Berlin Wall. With a concert they want to show us why the Peaceful Revolution was so important.
Do you also have a message and a wish on the occasion of 30 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall? Then become part of the art installation, where thousands of messages, wishes and hopes will float in the sky above the Brandenburg Gate during the festival week. Or you can make your own Berlin HANDSHAPE (see tip 3).
When: 9. November 2019
Where: Brandenburg Gate, Mitte
Tip 3: Berlin HANDSHAPE
Become part of an art project with your handprint and also get into conversation with a stranger? For Berlin HANDSHAPE 10,957 - so many days have passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall - handshapes and stories will be collected. In the end, the result will be a work of art for Berlin.
If you want to be part of Berlin HANDSHAPE: At the Berlin Wall Memorial, our promoters await you and bring you into conversation with another person. Make your Berlin HANDSHAPE.
When: Tuesday until Sunday 12.30 until 5.30pm
Where: Dokumentation centre, Bernauer Str. 111, Prenzlauer Berg
More information about Berlin HANDSHAPE
Tip 4: Berlin leuchtet & Festival of Lights
As the days grow shorter in September and October, the city lights up with two festivals. The first, Berlin leuchtet, begins at the 9 of October and features over 70 lighting projects in the city. The Brandenburg Gate, the Victory Column, the Konzerthaus on Gendarmenmarkt, and many other buildings will be bathed in a bright array of colours that create a very special autumn atmosphere. Then, on 11 October, the international Festival of Lights adds to the fun, with entire light shows projected onto the city's sights and squares. Experience the creative illuminations on foot, on a bus tour, or on a leisurely boat ride at night.
When: Berlin leuchtet: 9-20 October 2019, Festival of Lights: 11-20 October 2019
Where: all over Berlin
More information about Berlin leuchtet & Festival of Lights
Tip 5: BMW Berlin-Marathon
The forty-sixth race is set for 29 September, so ready, steady, go! Whether you're the sporty type or not, you'll want to be a part of one of the biggest sporting events of the year. 40,000 people run the Berlin-Marathon, but many times more stand along the course and cheer the participants along. They run, skate, or roll past the Victory Column, the Reichstag, and the Memorial Church on their way to the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate.
When: 29 September 2019
Where: Berlin city centre
More information about BMW Berlin-Marathon
Tip 6: Exhibition "Original Bauhaus"
In 2019 we will also be celebrating 100 years of Bauhaus - and this exhibition should not be missed at all. Even though the Bauhaus only existed for 14 years, it still has an effect today. On the occasion of the anniversary you can marvel at famous and not so well-known original Bauhaus pieces and experience the history behind the objects. Until the end of January you can have a look at the exhibition.
When: 6 September 2019 – 27 January 2020
Where: various venues
More information about the exhibition
Tip 7: Berlin Food Week
For all the gourmets among you: this year, Berlin will once again become foodie heaven for a week with a wide range of events for culinary and cultural exchange. Find out more about the latest food trends, take part in cooking courses, or feast on the treats offered by the food trucks at House of Food. Or check out one or more of the 70 restaurants in the city that are featuring a themed menu for the motto of this year's Food Week. The Great Tasty.
When: 21-27 September 2019
Where: various venues
Tip 8: Exhibition "Durch Mauern gehen" (Walking through walls)
The Gropius Building is located on the former Wall - in the anniversary year of 30 years of the fall of the Wall, the current exhibition offers you a national and international perspective on the consequences of divided societies. The exhibition includes works by Jose Dávila, Mona Hatoum and Nadia Kaabi-Linke.
When: 12 September 2019 – 12 January 2020
Where: various venues
Tip 8: No Photos on the Dancefloor!
In keeping with the great anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the C/O Berlin is showing you photography, videos and film material from the club scene after 1989. And what's special about the exhibition: In the night you can dance here, when a part of the exhibition space becomes a club with parties and well-known DJs.
When: 14 September – 1 December 2019
Where: C/O Berlin (im Amerika-Haus), Hardenbergstraße 22, Charlottenburg
Tip 9: Jazz Festival
For 4 days, more than 200 international musicians and 30 bands will fill the city with music. The Haus der Berliner Festspiele is opening its doors for the start of the 56th Berlin Jazz Festival. In addition to this main venue, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and many other locations in Berlin will also be swinging to the sounds of jazz.
When: 31 October – 4 November 2018
Where: various venues
Tipp 10: Pablo Picasso x Thomas Scheibitz
From September the Museum Berggruen shows you the exhibition "Pablo Picasso x Thomas Scheibitz". The contemporary artist Scheibitz creates sculptures as free reality montages. The influence of Picasso and Cubism can hardly be overlooked. In the exhibition, the two artists and their works are juxtaposed.
When: 11 September 2019 – 31 January 2020
Where: Museum Berggruen, Schloßstraße 1, Charlottenburg
Tip 11: Q Berlin Questions
Finding answers in a world full of questions. With this slogan, Q Berlin Questions invites you to its third two-day conference in Berlin. In the year of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, everything revolves around freedom. At STATION Berlin, international speakers will talk about current issues and challenges of our time - from New Work to Urban Life. Q Immersions will also give you an exclusive insight into selected organisations and companies. You will deepen the contents of the conference and see Berlin from a different perspective - that's a promise.
When: 7 and 8 November 2019
Where: STATION Berlin, Luckenwalder Str. 4-6, Kreuzberg
