Berlin Revises Budget Cuts, Restores Funds for Culture and Transport

The Berlin Senate's updated 2025 budget plan reduces cuts in key areas like theaters and public transport, but shifts reductions to other sectors.

Berlin's black-red coalition has revised its 2025 budget, softening previously planned cuts to cultural institutions and the transport sector.
Smaller theaters such as the Grips-Theater and Theater an der Parkaue will no longer face funding cuts, while reductions for larger venues like the Schaubühne have been scaled back.
The city's public bike-sharing system, Nextbike, will retain its funding, and planned cuts for cycling and pedestrian infrastructure have been reduced or reversed.
Despite these adjustments, the overall €3 billion savings target remains, with deeper cuts now redirected to areas like artist workspace programs and museum projects.
The revised budget proposals are not yet final and will be debated in the Berlin House of Representatives on December 19, 2024.