Overview
- Berlin commissioned Kulturprojekte to design a state-backed New Year’s program at the Brandenburg Gate for about 20,000 people, according to a tender reported by Berliner Morgenpost.
- The plan features a DJ-led lineup and a 10-minute fireworks display with laser projections, free entry, and security managed through 24 checkpoints.
- A separate coalition led by Verein Warriors has registered a demonstration-concert at the Gate for roughly 100,000 attendees, with a stage, a ferris wheel and fireworks arranged, organizers say.
- Polizei Berlin confirmed the large demonstration registration, and the Senate says discussions on how the city will mark the evening at the landmark are ongoing.
- ZDF’s ‘Willkommen 2026’ broadcast is moving to Hamburg’s HafenCity, as Berlin’s subsidy cutoff drew criticism from SPD’s Steffen Krach and prompted opposition in Hamburg from Die Linke.