The fact that Berlin is well known is proven yet again this year by the capital of Germany on Whitsun weekend at the Carnival of Cultures. From Friday 18th May until Whit Monday, 21st May 2018, original inhabitants of Berlin, as well as national and international new-comers, together with visitors from all over the world, celebrate the intercultural get-together. At the lively street party and the impressive procession from Berlin-Kreuzberg to Berlin-Neukölln the carnival protagonists, with different origins and culturally diverse backgrounds, impart a creative expression to their ideas.
For more than 20 years, since 1996 to be exact, the Carnival of Cultures takes place in Berlin. The carnival stands for variety, internationality, and cosmopolitanism. Everyone is welcome who is open to other cultures and welcomes a multi-cultural togetherness. “The Carnival of Cultures is a joyful statement for an open and intercultural society”, proclaims the official website of the Carnival of Culture, Berlin.
And the motto of the Berlin carnival holds what it promises. Around the Blücherplatz in Berlin-Kreuzberg, in various open-air areas, with music, dance, theatre and many other forms of art, the colourful and intercultural life is celebrated. Professionals, as well as young international artists, show, in different ways, a part of their own culture. Here, the open-minded public provides for a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere. At the Carnival of Culture, variety is celebrated.
A big highlight of the celebration is the approximately three-kilometre long street procession on Whit Sunday, 20th May 2018. More than 4,000 carnival artists, in 68 groups, parade from Berlin-Kreuzberg to Berlin-Neukölln. Here the artists, with their colourful costumes and engaging music, present their cultures and rouse the audience. A spectacle at which the protagonists, on top of everything, are honoured for various themes, such as, for example, “music and dance”, “costume, props and figures” or also “sustainability. ”The Carnival of Cultures invites everyone – Berlin residents as well as visitors to the capital – to celebrate the wonderful variety of our cultures. Whoever comes to Berlin will quickly realise that it’s not only at the Carnival of Cultures that this city brings people together from all countries and cultures. Berlin is a city that welcomes the world every day of the year.
