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Berlin Carnival of Cultures

Building bridges and celebrating cultural diversity

May 07th, 2018
Berlin Global, News from Berlin
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From the 18th-21st of May Berlin celebrates cultural diversity through the Carnival of Cultures Berlin WelcomeCard

From 18-21 of May around Pentecost, Berlin celebrates its cultural diversity at the Carnival of Cultures. The Carnival of Cultures is believed to be the biggest street festival in Berlin celebrated annually since 1996. For four days within May, the festival actually culminates in a colorful street parade with music and dance on Pentecost Sunday. Every year in the early summer, the Carnival of Cultures celebrates the cultural diversity of Berlin. The hrand finale is the street parade on Pentecost Sunday in Kreuzberg where thousands of dancers, musicians and artists perform and about half a million people from all over the world are able to attend.

In the meantime, the carnival parade has grown to 5000 participants from all parts of the world. Brazilian samba, Chinese dragon dance and African drum music are offered. In addition to the four-day street festival, the parade on Sunday is the highlight of the carnival. Over 100 different trucks with different music so there is for everybody a type of music!

What is actually being celebrated during these couple of days is the multiculturalism. Costumes, dance, music, rituals - the carnival is a great opportunity for members of Berlin's ethnic groups to make their cultures visible and for everybody to participate and enjoy such a unique transnational experience. Powerful make-up, imaginative masks and decorated handcarts move through the streets demonstrating the power of diversity in Berlin. The street festival takes place at Blücherplatz in the Kreuzberg district where also Berlin's World Music scene and international bands play concerts.

The organizers of the festival proclaim that "the Carnival of Cultures is open to everybody and all forms of cultural expression. It is regarded as a platform for a “proud expression of hybrid cultural identities”, containing traditional and contemporary elements. It includes and attracts all age groups, professional artists and amateurs, people from all walks of life."

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News from Berlin