Best Festivals in Germany
Festivals in Germany are abundant and give an incredible chance to plunge yourself into German culture. From the food to the drinks to the attire to the camaraderie, the vibe at a festival in Germany is much different than it is here in the states. Here are a couple of the major festivals you can attend on your trip to Germany.
Oktoberfest
The most famous place for tourism in Germany is Munich. The city is occupied with beautiful architecture, monuments, and castles. Taking place in Munich, Oktoberfest is the most popular of all the festivals of German tradition and it is the biggest beer festival all over the world. Throughout the duration of Oktoberfest, massive crowds connect on the Wiese. This festival is not only about drinking (but drinking does tend to take the main focus), there are food stands, games, rides, and shops on festival grounds. The festival starts in mid-September and ends on the first Sunday of October. It remains for a minimum of 16 days.
Berlinale
The Berlinale is the biggest international film festival in the world and it has taken place every year since 1978. 400 plus films are broadcasted, competing for prizes called Gold or Silver Bears.
Even though it is a large, lavish event in Europe, Berlinale is accessible to people outside the film industry as well. Berlinale provides tickets for a single screening at very cheap rates of around 12 euros for the general public. It’s, in fact, not a much higher price than watching a movie in the cinema.
Reeperbahn
Reeperbahn is the biggest music festival in Europe and the equivalent of SXSW (South by Southwest). The whole city of Hamburg brightens up with music. Rather than being held in a specific location in the town, it expands to most of the music spots like bars and clubs all over the city. There are over 800 shows that take place over the course of 4 days in September. This festival also welcomes newcomers to make their debuts and to be discovered.
DFB Pokal
DFB Pokal is one of the most outgoing and extroverted events in Germany. It is widely known that Germans have a strong devotion for their football teams. DFB Pokal is a knockout competition between 64 top football teams. The finals of this tournament are held in the summer in the Olympic stadium in Berlin. The spirit of people for their teams in finals is extraordinary- singing, dancing, face painting, slogans, chants, banners, etc.
Unity Day
Unity Day is celebrated on October 3rd (German alternative of the 4th of July) as the largest German national holiday. It celebrated in the memory of reunion of East and West Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Celebrations in the city of Berlin are huge as compared to other cities. These celebrations include music concerts, parade marches, exhibitions of art and history. If you are in Berlin on Unity Day, be prepared to have the time of your life.
Ready to take your festival game to the next level? We’re putting together a group trip to Oktoberfest in 2022. Interested? Reach out to me and join us.