Winter 2025/26 Events in Berlin: Christmas Markets, Holiday Fun, Film, Art and Festivals
Best things to do in Berlin Winter 2025/26
Spending the winter in Berlin needn’t be cold and gray as the forecast may suggest — as a thriving international hub of art, technology and culture, Berlin offers up a wealth of ways to brighten those longer nights. With exhibitions, concerts, festivals and Christmas markets, the city has a crowded calendar of events all winter long. Below we’ve curated a list of the best things to do in Berlin this winter season.
What to do for Christmas and New Year’s in Berlin
Being a cosmopolitan capital and melting pot of various cultures and religions, Berlin may not be known for its Christmas feel, but you can still find the spirit here during the season – and it won’t be hard to look. We’ll explore some of the best Christmas events and traditions that make the holiday season special in Germany’s capital.
Christmas Markets in Berlin – November 24 to December 31, 2025
If you’re in Berlin during the Christmas season, there’s no better way to partake in Christmas cheer than to visit one of the many Christmas markets in Germany’s capital. With over 100 options to choose from, you can easily find a festive market wherever you’re staying in Berlin. And all that competition means markets may have to make a special effort to stand out, beyond simply offering the best bratwurst and Glühwein in town.
One of our favorites is the Christmas market at Alexanderplatz for its unconventional Christmas pyramid decorated with more than 5,000 lights, skating rink and mixture of Christmas festivities with the occasional techno party. At Potsdamer Platz, the market is dubbed Winter World, complete with a 12-meter-high slide, with skating lesson on the weekends. The Christmas market at Bebelplatz includes an artisans’ tent where you can watch expert crafstpeople make art, ceramics, wood carvings and more.
If you’re feeling like making more of a journey outside the center, check out the Christmas markets in Potsdam, a bustling suburb of Berlin and more off the beaten path for tourists. The Old Town Christmas market is a favorite for its fairytale charm, with the surrounding booths and buildings adorned with traditional Christmas decor of wreaths and lights.
While Christmas markets offer the classic street foods of sausages, roasted almonds, and gingerbread, you’ll have to reserve a table at a local restaurant for a traditional Christmas dinner. What constitutes “traditional” depends on the day (as well as the region). On Christmas Eve, the traditional dish is a simple meal of sausages and potato salad, while on Christmas Day, many Germans around the country tuck in to a much heartier meal: roast goose with red cabbage and dumplings. Many restaurants are closed on December 25 and 26, but some are open with special holiday menus.
Take a tour with Insight Cities
If you’re in Berlin this winter for the first time, let us introduce you to the city! Insight Cities’ introductory tour of Berlin will take you to several major landmarks, such as Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall, and the Holocaust Memorial, while an expert guide will share the dramatic stories behind them. All our guides have bona fides in relevant fields, making them certified experts on Berlin’s eventful history. Book with us today and we’ll match you with the perfect guide.
Christmas Garden Berlin – November 19, 2025 to January 11, 2026
Each Christmas, the Botanical Garden in Berlin is decked in lights and transforms into a winter wonderland. Along this relaxing magical stroll you’ll find reindeer, a Singing Tree, and prismatic light installations. The Christmas Garden brings season’s tidings of peace and magic that the whole family can enjoy.
Holy Shit Shopping – November 29 & 30, 2025
Berlin doesn’t have the reputation of being the world’s hipster mecca for nothing. And keeping in line with its reputation, the city’s young designers transform an unused heating plant into a fun-filled Christmas market, making holiday shopping way more fun. Taking place the first weekend that hits December, this special edition market has everything you can imagine a hip young Berliner desires – music, food, cosmetics, fashion, drinks, and lots of Christmas gifts.
New Year’s Eve at Brandenburg Tor – December 31, 2025
Berlin is a place to party, so what better place to be than Berlin on the biggest party night of the year? The festivities stretch across a mile along Strasse de 17. juni to Brandenburg Tor, with twenty live music acts, a food truck festival, light shows, and of course, fireworks. At 10 euros a ticket, it’s a reasonable price to pay for ringing in the new year Berlin style.
Ice skating – various locations, December 2025 to January 2026
Europeans love going outside all times of year, and winter is no exception. Ice skating rinks are the perfect place to warm up and get some movement in on the coldest, darkest days of the year. Like many other European cities, Berlin has outdoor ice rinks set up all over town for the winter. Skate around the Neptune Fountain in front of City Hall, at the open-air stadium near Tempelhof, or make the trek to the 600-square-meter ice rink at Friedrichshagen lido with a view of Müggelsee, a lake in the southeast of Berlin.
Art
Transmediale – January 28 to February 1, 2026
Transmediale is a festival exploring the intersections of art, culture, and technology, attracting artists, activists and thinkers from all over the world. The theme of the 39th edition in 2026, “By the Mango Belt & Tamarind Road: Compassing, Protocoling, Metaphoring,” invites a focus on the geographical and relational channels through which technology moves us.
Music
Classical Concerts on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – December 31, 2025 & January 1, 2026
If you prefer to spend your New Year’s Eve in a more sophisticated setting, Berlin has not one but three options for you. For a traditional concert experience go to the New Year’s Eve concert from Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin featuring Beethoven’s Symphony number 9. On New Year’s Day, the RIAS Kammerchor will perform a selection of seasonal works by Venetian composers at the Berlin Philharmonic.
For a concert with some theatrical flair, see the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester play with Circus Roncalli, where acrobats will be performing to various symphonic pieces.
Film
Berlinale – February 12–22, 2026
The Berlin International Film Festival, known as Berlinale, is one of the biggest film events of the year in Berlin, attracting thousands of film lovers from around the globe. Up to 400 films are screened each year, in just about every genre you can name, representing a diversity of languages and countries. The program is revealed only in the lead-up to the big event, so be sure to follow Berlinale for program updates.
Around the World in 14 Films – November 28 to December 6, 2025
If you can’t make it to the Berlinale in February, going Around the World in 14 Films is a decent substitute. Showcasing 14 feature films, each from a different country, and nine short films, Around the World in 14 Films presents remarkable cinematic works from filmmakers across the globe. This year’s edition, the 20th, features the Berlin premiere of the Norwegian film “Sentimental Value,” which won the Grand Prix in Cannes and is Norway’s submission for the 2026 Academy Awards.
Doc.Berlin – December 9–12, 2025
Berlin’s documentary film festival features excellent new entries into the canon of European documentary filmmaking. This year’s screenings include entries from Poland, Germany, and the Ukrainian diaspora.
British Shorts Film Festival – January 22–28, 2026
British film geeks will want to check out the British Short Films Festival in Berlin, showing 150 films across five different venues in Berlin. In its 19th edition, both a jury and audiences will judge what is the best British short film from the selection.
Fashion
Berlin Fashion Week – January 30 to February 2, 2026
Fashion aficionados flock to Berlin every February for Berlin Fashion Week to celebrate innovations in fashion. Given that it’s Berlin, expect to see some alternative and avant-garde styles that pushes the boundaries of high fashion. Berlin-based designer Gerrit Jacob, luxury designer David Koma, and Nigerian brand Orange Culture are among the dozens of featured fashion houses.
Exhibitions
Saâdane Afif, The Fountain Archives at Hamburger Bahnhof – opens December 12, 2025
The centerpiece of French-born artist Saâdane Afif’s first institutional solo exhibition is an artistic archival project of Marcel Duchamp’s legendary “Fountain” installation, revealing the hundred-years-long conversation that artists and critics have engaged with the work. The exhibition includes a bookshelf installation with various artists’ commentary on The Fountain, as well as original pieces that were created in conversation with other famous artistic pieces.
Close Enough at C/O Berlin – until January 28, 2026
As part of the photography gallery’s grand re-opening, Close Enough features the work twelve Magnum photographers who helped shaped the agency’s visual language — and all of whom happen to be women. The exhibition shows intimate, moving and socially relevant works that focus on human closeness and vulnerability, including the relationship between photographer and subject, and explore the blurred boundaries between documentary photography and personal expression.
Unicorn: The Mythical Creature in Art at the Museum Barberini in Potsdam – until February 1, 2026
The unicorn is a mythical creature that has captivated cultures across thousands of years, even as the significance and symbolism of the unicorn have varied. Exhibiting works spanning from 2000 BCE to the present day, the exhibition will show over 100 artistic interpretations of the unicorn, including works by artists within and outside Europe. The exhibition will include paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and manuscript illustrations, and art chamber objects, all with their own unique depictions of the creature.
Food and Drink
Markthalle Neun – Open Monday to Friday 12:00 – 6:00 PM, Saturdays 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
The center of Berlin’s food scene in the fast-gentrifying Kreuzberg district is a hip, modern tribute to the heydays of the old German beer and market hall. Markthalle Neun plays both roles – of regular marketplace for locally sourced fruit and veg and gourmet foodie paradise with fancy cheeses, exotic wares, wines and charcuterie on offer. Highlights include its Street Food Thursdays, when dozens of vendors battle for your taste buds and wallet.
If you’re in Berlin to take in its cultural offerings, why not take Insight Cities unique Kaleidoscopic Kreuzberg tour which can be done on foot, or by bike if you dare to brave the winter. This fun and deeply insightful tour provides perspective on the Kreuzberg district, Berlin’s creative center, explaining how its multicultural melting-pot character lies at the heart of its success.
We work all year round and have flexible options and tour accommodations, so whether you want to join a small group, have a private tour, or have special requests, we’ll be happy to show you around. Contact us to organize your tour today.