Berlin, September 2026. Berlin is one of the most exciting cities in Europe. Major exhibitions, events, new festivals, and cultural highlights will shape the coming months. The highlight will be the reopening of the Pergamon Museum in June 2027. 

The world is waiting for this: The Pergamon Museum reopens on June 4, 2027. 
The most significant cultural event in Berlin in 2027 will be the reopening of large parts of the  Pergamon Museum on Museum Island. On June 4, 2027, the world-famous museum will welcome visitors again for the first time. This will make the central Pergamon Altar publicly accessible once more. The reopening is also the highlight of the celebrations for the  200th anniversary of Museum Island , a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Europe's most important cultural sites.

New open-air staircase at the Humboldt Forum:
From summer 2027, a new open-air staircase at the Humboldt Forum will offer visitors and Berliners new perspectives of the Spree River and Museum Island. The 38-meter-wide staircase with seating steps and a balcony overlooking the water will create a new urban meeting point in the heart of the historic center, connecting culture, architecture, and urban space.

Top-class entertainment
: Berlin has new show highlights. Cirque du Soleil presents  its first permanent show in Europe, Alizé , at the Theater am Potsdamer Platz  . The production combines artistry with magic and masterful storytelling, underscoring Berlin's reputation as a cosmopolitan, international entertainment metropolis. At the Friedrichstadt-Palast, a new grand show is underway: In " Blinded by Delight, " over 100 artists transport the audience to a dream world on the world's largest theater stage. 

Art and Culture Highlights:
A current visitor magnet in Berlin is the Hamburger Bahnhof – National Gallery of Contemporary Art: The installation " We Make Years Out of Hours, " made of 400,000 wooden blocks, invites visitors to participate in its construction until January 2027. To mark its 30th anniversary, the Hamburger Bahnhof is also presenting the exhibition " A Thousand Times Berlin " until December 30, 2027. More than 70 works by over 50 international artists showcase Berlin as an artistic space of resonance between history, politics, and global movements. Works by artists including Katharina Grosse, Mona Hatoum, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Katharina Sieverding, Thomas Struth, and Danh Vo reflect the city's myth as a place of subculture and hedonism within an international context.

Until September 27, 2026, the Alte Nationalgalerie is dedicating a major special exhibition to the art dealer Paul Cassirer, featuring more than 100 masterpieces of French Impressionism.

From September 10, 2026 to March 7, 2027, the Neue Nationalgalerie will present “ Maurizio Cattelan. NIGHT ”, the first major solo exhibition of the Italian artist in Germany. The artist, selected by an international jury for the 2026 Nationalgalerie Prize, brings key works from his oeuvre to date, as well as new pieces created specifically for the exhibition, into a striking dialogue with the iconic architecture of Mies van der Rohe.

Berlin can also expect a top-class exhibition program in 2027. At the Museum of Decorative Arts, “ Verner Panton – World of Colours ” will bring the visionary world of the Danish designer and architect to life from March 4th to July 18th with more than 100 exhibits, creating a vibrant and sensual experience.

The Alte Nationalgalerie presents an art historical sensation: To mark the 200th anniversary of Arnold Böcklin's birth, the exhibition " Böcklin. Beyond the Myth, " running from March 19 to August 1, 2027, brings together for the first time the four surviving versions of his most famous motif, the "Isle of the Dead," from Basel, Berlin, Leipzig, and New York. A total of approximately 150 paintings, sculptures, and drawings offer insight into the work of one of the most important artists of Symbolism.

From April 23 to August 29, 2027, the Neue Nationalgalerie will honor Katharina Sieverding with her first comprehensive retrospective in Berlin: Around 40 large-format photomontages, multi-channel slide projections and room-filling film projections will guide visitors through six decades of her work.

From May 5, 2027, Ai Weiwei, one of the most influential voices in contemporary art, will be featured at the Bode Museum. Existing and newly created works, as well as personal objects belonging to the artist, will enter into a dialogue with 2,000 years of art history until June 4, 2028. These interventions will open up new perspectives on belonging and exclusion, power and resistance, memory and loss.

To mark the 300th anniversary of Thomas Gainsborough's birth, the Gemäldegalerie presents the exhibition " Thomas Gainsborough: Painter of the Living " from May 14 to September 12, 2027. Around 50 works from Berlin's unique collection of British paintings and top-class international loans make the show the central contribution of mainland Europe to the Gainsborough anniversary year.

Another international highlight follows in the autumn: From September 3, 2027 to July 2, 2028, the Hamburger Bahnhof will dedicate its first comprehensive retrospective exhibition in Berlin to the American light artist James Turrell . Light sculptures, large-scale spatial installations, as well as designs and models will guide visitors through six decades of his work and make art tangible as an immediate spatial experience.

In September, Berlin Art Week brings together international artists, galleries, and creatives in the capital. The Musikfest Berlin presents top orchestras and international ensembles at the Philharmonie and other venues throughout the city. In autumn, from October 9th to 18th, the Festival of Lights transforms the city once again into a spectacular open-air gallery of light art and projections. Interactive and immersive exhibitions are becoming increasingly important: around  20 museums  in Berlin offer a backdrop for selfies and digital art experiences. 

Since its reopening in 2026, the Hohenzollern crypt in Berlin Cathedral has once again been accessible. After six years of restoration, visitors can now experience the 1,500-square-meter crypt containing 91 Hohenzollern coffins.

Berlin's top exhibitions at a glance

Experience Berlin's Museum Landscape Anew:
Berlin's museum landscape continues to evolve, setting new standards for culture, art, and knowledge. A key project in Berlin's museum landscape is looking ahead to 2027: the Bauhaus Archive / Museum of Design . The listed museum building, designed by Walter Gropius, is currently undergoing extensive renovation and being expanded with a new building. The world's largest collection on the Bauhaus will be presented in approximately 2,000 square meters of exhibition space. A new architectural landmark is a 20-meter-high glass tower, forming the main entrance and offering four floors of space for educational programs. The museum complex will also include an event hall, a public library, a study room, and a separate building housing a café and shop. As part of the Open Monument Day, visitors can get a first glimpse of the historic museum building on September 12 and 13, 2026. Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, with the full reopening following in 2027.

A new Museum Mile Mitte has sprung up around Berlin's main train station , featuring four museums along a single mile: the Museum of Natural History, the Hamburger Bahnhof, the Futurium, and the Museum of Medical History at the Charité are all within easy walking distance of each other, connecting science, medicine, contemporary art, and future-oriented topics. Together, these four internationally renowned institutions form a unique cultural and intellectual hub in the heart of the capital.

Berlin is also a magnet for large  live events . With  TFELD, Berlin will get a new major festival on Tempelhofer Feld in 2026: On August 22nd, the one-day event will unite hip-hop, techno, and Berlin club culture on four stages, bringing together national and international acts such as Paul Kalkbrenner, Ellen Allien, Pashanim, and Marlon Hoffstadt. The summer of 2027 will also see top international acts take to the stage in Berlin: Ed Sheeran will play four concerts on Tempelhofer Feld, and Harry Styles will perform there on July 2nd, 3rd, and 9th.

Cinema News from Berlin:
Berlin is one of Europe's most important film and cinema cities. The  German Film Archive (Deutsche Kinemathek) has opened its first permanent exhibition at its new location in the E-Werk, dedicated to Berlin's special role as a center of international film and subculture. The historic  Kino International on Karl-Marx-Allee has celebrated its reopening after a historically sensitive renovation. And the  Arsenal arthouse cinema is relaunching in the  Silent Green cultural quarter , a former crematorium in Wedding, adding another attraction to this exciting cultural venue. The cinema scene is also expanding in Prenzlauer Berg: A new arthouse cinema with two screens will open in spring 2027 in the former Bassy Club on Pfefferberg, aiming to combine film screenings with school films and cultural events under one roof.

Design and a new attraction showcasing the fascinating marine world:
Berlin celebrates its 20th anniversary as a UNESCO City of Design in 2026. Over 30,000 creative businesses make the city one of the most exciting design locations worldwide – from sustainable fashion to open innovation spaces like CityLab Berlin. Festivals such as  Berlin Design Week , design museums, street art spots, and neighborhood tours highlight the diversity of the scene. Special events are planned for the anniversary year, including  DesignDays.Berlin in September , the new festival for interior design, architecture, and design.

A state-of-the-art marine experience center called " Ocean Berlin " is currently under construction in Lichtenberg . Its centerpiece is a 7.5 million-liter predator fish tank. Innovative educational formats combine entertainment, learning, and a commitment to marine conservation, adding another family attraction to Berlin's marine offerings. The opening is scheduled for spring 2027.

Between future and tradition: Berlin's hotel highlights.
Germany's tallest hotel tower opens:  The opening of the Estrel Tower at the end of 2026 will  be a highlight. The 45-story skyscraper will be Germany's tallest hotel tower – a spectacular place to stay, work, meet, and network. It will feature event and coworking spaces as well as a restaurant with a sky bar.

120 Years of the Hotel Adlon – Anniversary of a Berlin Icon:  In 2027, the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin will celebrate its 120th anniversary. The legendary luxury hotel at the Brandenburg Gate looks back on an eventful history: Opened in 1907, it was a meeting place for Kaiser Wilhelm II, Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich, and Josephine Baker. After its destruction in the Second World War, the name Adlon remained a Berlin legend until the hotel reopened in 1997 as the first new building on Pariser Platz – a symbol of German reunification and the new Berlin. Events are planned throughout the year to mark the anniversary, including a gala, historical presentations, and an open house, during which the Adlon will consciously open its doors to the people of Berlin.

More hotel news from Berlin

Spreepark to reopen in 2027 as a park for art, culture, and nature.
In spring 2027, Spreepark in Plänterwald will reopen – not as a traditional amusement park, but as a new type of park dedicated to art, culture, nature, and recreation. Spanning 23 hectares, the park will combine preserved and reinterpreted relics of the former amusement park with contemporary art, event venues, expansive green spaces, and recreational opportunities. The centerpiece will be the renovated and artistically redesigned 45-meter-high Ferris wheel, which will turn again for the first time in more than 25 years. Berlin will thus regain an extraordinary public space that will delight Berliners and visitors from around the world alike.

Experience History and Freedom in Berlin:
Together with Kulturprojekte Berlin and the Berlin Wall Foundation, Berlin will commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's construction from August 13 to 16, 2026. The centerpiece of the citywide program is a roughly 30-meter-long installation at the Brandenburg Gate on Platz des 18. März (March 18th Square), which makes the former border fortifications tangible and encourages reflection on freedom, borders, and democratic values. The accompanying open-air exhibition "Wall Views: Berlin 1961–1990" will showcase historical photographs of everyday life in the divided city. Guided tours, discussions with eyewitnesses, and events at key memorial sites such as the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße will complement the program. Furthermore, the capital is planning a major new exhibition on freedom, starting with the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 and exploring questions of freedom today and in the future against the backdrop of Berlin and German history. This exhibition is planned to be shown at the Humboldt Forum.

Following its successful premiere in November 2025, Berlin – the city of freedom – is planning another  Berlin Freedom Week for 2026  (November 7–14, 2026). This citywide week of events will focus on freedom, democracy, and human rights. The highlight of the week will be the international Berlin Freedom Conference on November 10, 2026, which will bring together committed voices from politics, civil society, and culture. On the occasion of the 37th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the German capital will once again become an international stage for bold ideas, open exchange, and shared visions. Cultural events, workshops, and interactive formats for all generations are planned – open to Berliners as well as international guests. Berlin Freedom Week creates space for dialogue and encounters in a place that, like no other, embodies the value of freedom.

From the end of November, the Christmas markets in Berlin's districts provide additional seasonal reasons to travel.

"What the FUNK!" 100 Years of the Berlin Radio Tower and Other Highlights of the Trade Fair and Congress Metropolis Berlin.
Among the special anniversaries in Berlin in 2026 is the 100th birthday of the Berlin Radio Tower on the exhibition grounds, which is reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower. Under the motto "What the FUNK," Messe Berlin is showcasing the 150-meter-high radio tower, one of the city's most famous landmarks, with a light installation. After extensive renovations, it is once again open to visitors. The platform offers a unique view over Berlin.

The capital's trade fair and congress calendar is also full. Important dates include the  ILA Berlin from June 10th to 14th, the  IFA Berlin from September 4th to 8th, and the 30th  InnoTrans from September 22nd to 25th. 

Berlin remains a popular location for international health and science congresses: From October 11 to 13, the  World Health Summit will bring  together experts from politics, science, business, and society. From November 4 to 7, the  Neuro Week will follow , combining several major medical conferences. The congress year will conclude from December 9 to 12 with the  European Headache Congress,  which will bring together international experts in headache research.  

The visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer. It is committed to positioning the capital as a sustainable and innovative congress destination. The  website offers a wealth of information for event organizers . 

Major sporting moments
await in 2026, with Berlin hosting the world's basketball elite. From September 4th to 13th, the  FIBA ​​Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 will be a major sporting event. Under the motto "Time for HER Game," the best female basketball players in the world will compete for the world title in the Uber Arena and the Max-Schmeling-Halle – a powerful statement for women's sports. On September 26th and 27th, the BMW Berlin Marathon will draw runners and visitors from around the globe to the capital.

Berlin has received numerous awards in international 
rankings, confirming its attractiveness as a travel destination: The capital is among the top ten cities worldwide, ranks among the four most sustainable metropolises, and is second among the best destinations for solo travelers. The Berlin Marathon, Europe's most popular marathon, and Berlin's reputation as a leading live music metropolis further underscore the city's international appeal.