The event, known locally as the Karneval der Kulturen, is one of Berlin’s most established public festivals and continues to function as a major site of cultural diplomacy within the urban space. Performances, parades and street activities reflected the diversity of communities living in the city, with particularly visible contributions from countries across South and Central America.

Groups representing Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Mexico contributed music, dance and visual traditions that shaped much of the festival’s atmosphere. Samba rhythms, Andean music and Caribbean-influenced performances formed part of a wider programme that brought together different diasporic and local communities in a shared public setting.

Beyond performance, the festival also provided a space for community organisations and cultural initiatives to present work on identity, migration and belonging. In doing so, it reinforced the role of Berlin as a meeting point for global cultures and as a city where cultural diplomacy is increasingly practised in informal and public environments rather than formal institutional settings.

The Carnival of Cultures continues to demonstrate how large-scale urban festivals can function as platforms for intercultural exchange, where Latin American cultural traditions are not only presented but actively embedded in the city’s evolving social fabric.

• Independent