International Workers Day!
International Workers’ Day in Berlin is one of the city’s most anticipated annual events, combining political demonstrations, street parties and all-day celebrations across the capital. It showcases Berlin’s unique mix of activism, culture and nightlife, with events ranging from large-scale protests to open-air dancing and neighbourhood street parties. May Day is always marked by a packed programme of events throughout the city, making it one of the most important dates in the city. May Day in Berlin attracts both locals and visitors looking for protests, street festivals and alternative cultural events. Whether you’re looking for the right protest to attend, a place outside of the chaos to bring the kids or the best place to dance all day and into the night, there are plenty of events to go around.
The Revolutionary May Day protest has (in)famously been going on annually since 1987. It returns to Kreuzberg and Neukölln this year under the motto: “Freedom. Peace. Solidarity.” All left-wing and anti-capitalist causes unite in this huge revolutionary movement.
Starts at Oranienplatz, 18:00.
Stop the A100 – Save Club Culture
Originally scheduled for Treptower Park but banned by the police and district office, protestors are gathering on nearby Puschkinallee to protest the further expansion of the A100 motorway and the displacement and commercialisation of clubs. Demonstrations, speeches and live music will aim to ignite the revolutionary spirit. The organisers cite the UNESCO-acclaimed cultural heritage of techno in Berlin as one of the key reasons for protesting on behalf of club culture, while calling for the city to prioritise people instead of cars.
Puschkinallee, more information to come.
Free Görli – Rave Against the Zaun
This year marks the first time Görlitzer Park will be surrounded by a fence on May Day, and people are not happy about it. May 1 will see exactly two months since the nightly closures took effect, and a large crowd with DJs and live performances is expected in the park to voice discontent towards populist politics and rally for a free Görli.
Labor Day Rally at Mariannenplatz
Left-wing parties and organisations will take over Mariannenplatz in Kreuzberg, with concerts and speeches aiming to unite the workers of the world. With the location nestled between Oranienplatz and Görli, the entire area around Oranienstraße is likely to look like one big demo-party once again.
Mariannenplatz, from 11:00.
MyGruni
Away from the centre of the chaos in Kreuzberg, this year’s bicycle demonstration starts under the Brandenburg Gate and will move down to Johannaplatz in Grunewald. The motto this time is: “Parking spaces to tennis courts, or cycle paths”.
Starts at Brandenburger Tor, 10:30, details.
Club Nights & Festivals
The party doesn’t end at 10pm on May 1 – especially when the next day is a Saturday! Those done with being revolutionaries for the day can continue May Day celebrations after the sun goes down a number of venues across the city. Or for those who want to get started, the night before May 1, Walpurgisnacht, is also cause for celebration. The night marks the traditional pagan welcoming of the spring, and is usually celebrated with dance and fire.
Walpurgisnacht & BODIES Anniversary at AEDEN
AEDEN has a jam-packed lineup for the weekend. The festivities start on Walpurgisnacht on Apr 30 for an event that combines artistic performance, art exhibitions by Sophia Bsiri and Ashmodee and live sets, some of them vinyl. On May Day, they reopen their doors starting at 14:00 for the fourth anniversary of their BODIES party, blurring the lines between party and play.
Walpurgisnacht: AEDEN, Apr 30, from 22:00, details.
BODIES: AEDEN, May 1, from 13:00, details.
36 Hour Party at diskoBabel
The artistic collective by the Greifswalder Straße S-Bahn station opens its doors on the evening of April 30 for two consecutive nights of high-energy celebrations. Even if you don’t want to stay in one place for the whole 36 hours, with such a packed lineup, it’s definitely worth checking out – especially considering 2026 is likely to be diskoBabel’s last season due to ongoing disputes with land owners.
diskoBabel, Apr 30, from 22:00, details.
LE TEMPLE: GENRE-BENDER
The queer, sex-positive party and artistic platform from Geneva prides itself on being inclusive and welcoming to all. Sound-wise, expect a unique blend that defies boundaries of categorisation, inviting movement and self-expression. Best of all, entry to the party is free until 23:00.
Crack Bellmer, May 1, from 20:00, details.
Walpurgisnacht V Festival
Despite the name, this extreme two-day metal festival actually starts on May 1 and goes on through Saturday. What started off as an offshoot of the De Mortem et Diabolum festival is now an established annual event drawing metalheads from all over Germany and beyond.
OrwoHaus, May 1, from 14:00, details.
Free May Day Parties
AEDEN and Crack Bellmer aren’t the only venues where you can get in for free on Labour Day. Club Ost is expected to draw crowds with its Sound Metaphors showcase, and OXI, ELSE and Renate, among others, are also offering free entry until late evening hours.
Club Ost, from 13:00, details.
OXI, from 12:00, details.
ELSE, from 14:00, details.
Renate, from 14:00, details.
Family-friendly events
Frühlingsfest am Kurt-Schumacher-Damm
This annual spring festival is on until May 3rd, with a special fireworks display planned for May 1. Over 85 attractions are expected this year, including a ferris wheel, bumper cars and an 80-meter tall Gravity Tower for the especially brave. There are also delicious food options like cotton candy and churros to sweeten the deal!
Zentraler Festplatz Berlin, May 1-3, 13:00-23:00, details.
Walpurgisnacht at Neue Zukunft
The Neue Zukunft open air cinema by Ostkreuz celebrates its opening on the eve of May 1 with a curated selection of kid-friendly movies, along with performances and open-air concerts, all free of charge.
Neue Zukunft Freiluftkino, Apr 30, from 16:00, details.
Walpurgisnacht in Mauerpark
Music, dancing, fire performances and huge soap bubbles floating through the air will mark the beginning of May where the Berlin Wall once stood. The atmosphere is usually calm and peaceful, making it a popular choice for Prenzlauer Berg-style family fun.
Mauerpark, Apr 30, from 16:00, details.
May Day Dance in Hellersdorf
An annual Hellersdorf tradition, Helle-Mitte is a family-oriented fun fair with games and attractions for kids such as a carousel, bumper cars and duck fishing. There’s also an all-ages dance floor and a beer garden where the adults can quench their thirst. Available food options include hearty grilled food, cotton candy and crêpes and waffles made on site.
Alice-Salomon-Platz, Apr 30-May 3, 12:00-20:00, details.
ufaFabrik Maifest
Live music and a children’s circus are among the attractions planned for the family-friendly festival at the ufaFabrik cultural centre in Tempelhof.
ufaFabrik, May 1, from 14:00, details.
BerlinGoing outMusicProtestEvents
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13353 Berlin © Copyright 2026
The Revolutionary May Day protest has (in)famously been going on annually since 1987. It returns to Kreuzberg and Neukölln this year under the motto: “Freedom. Peace. Solidarity.” All left-wing and anti-capitalist causes unite in this huge revolutionary movement.
Starts at Oranienplatz, 18:00.
Stop the A100 – Save Club Culture
Originally scheduled for Treptower Park but banned by the police and district office, protestors are gathering on nearby Puschkinallee to protest the further expansion of the A100 motorway and the displacement and commercialisation of clubs. Demonstrations, speeches and live music will aim to ignite the revolutionary spirit. The organisers cite the UNESCO-acclaimed cultural heritage of techno in Berlin as one of the key reasons for protesting on behalf of club culture, while calling for the city to prioritise people instead of cars.
Puschkinallee, more information to come.
Free Görli – Rave Against the Zaun
This year marks the first time Görlitzer Park will be surrounded by a fence on May Day, and people are not happy about it. May 1 will see exactly two months since the nightly closures took effect, and a large crowd with DJs and live performances is expected in the park to voice discontent towards populist politics and rally for a free Görli.
Labor Day Rally at Mariannenplatz
Left-wing parties and organisations will take over Mariannenplatz in Kreuzberg, with concerts and speeches aiming to unite the workers of the world. With the location nestled between Oranienplatz and Görli, the entire area around Oranienstraße is likely to look like one big demo-party once again.
Mariannenplatz, from 11:00.
MyGruni
Away from the centre of the chaos in Kreuzberg, this year’s bicycle demonstration starts under the Brandenburg Gate and will move down to Johannaplatz in Grunewald. The motto this time is: “Parking spaces to tennis courts, or cycle paths”.
Starts at Brandenburger Tor, 10:30, details.
Club Nights & Festivals
The party doesn’t end at 10pm on May 1 – especially when the next day is a Saturday! Those done with being revolutionaries for the day can continue May Day celebrations after the sun goes down a number of venues across the city. Or for those who want to get started, the night before May 1, Walpurgisnacht, is also cause for celebration. The night marks the traditional pagan welcoming of the spring, and is usually celebrated with dance and fire.
Walpurgisnacht & BODIES Anniversary at AEDEN
AEDEN has a jam-packed lineup for the weekend. The festivities start on Walpurgisnacht on Apr 30 for an event that combines artistic performance, art exhibitions by Sophia Bsiri and Ashmodee and live sets, some of them vinyl. On May Day, they reopen their doors starting at 14:00 for the fourth anniversary of their BODIES party, blurring the lines between party and play.
Walpurgisnacht: AEDEN, Apr 30, from 22:00, details.
BODIES: AEDEN, May 1, from 13:00, details.
36 Hour Party at diskoBabel
The artistic collective by the Greifswalder Straße S-Bahn station opens its doors on the evening of April 30 for two consecutive nights of high-energy celebrations. Even if you don’t want to stay in one place for the whole 36 hours, with such a packed lineup, it’s definitely worth checking out – especially considering 2026 is likely to be diskoBabel’s last season due to ongoing disputes with land owners.
diskoBabel, Apr 30, from 22:00, details.
LE TEMPLE: GENRE-BENDER
The queer, sex-positive party and artistic platform from Geneva prides itself on being inclusive and welcoming to all. Sound-wise, expect a unique blend that defies boundaries of categorisation, inviting movement and self-expression. Best of all, entry to the party is free until 23:00.
Crack Bellmer, May 1, from 20:00, details.
Walpurgisnacht V Festival
Despite the name, this extreme two-day metal festival actually starts on May 1 and goes on through Saturday. What started off as an offshoot of the De Mortem et Diabolum festival is now an established annual event drawing metalheads from all over Germany and beyond.
OrwoHaus, May 1, from 14:00, details.
Free May Day Parties
AEDEN and Crack Bellmer aren’t the only venues where you can get in for free on Labour Day. Club Ost is expected to draw crowds with its Sound Metaphors showcase, and OXI, ELSE and Renate, among others, are also offering free entry until late evening hours.
Club Ost, from 13:00, details.
OXI, from 12:00, details.
ELSE, from 14:00, details.
Renate, from 14:00, details.
Family-friendly events
Frühlingsfest am Kurt-Schumacher-Damm
This annual spring festival is on until May 3rd, with a special fireworks display planned for May 1. Over 85 attractions are expected this year, including a ferris wheel, bumper cars and an 80-meter tall Gravity Tower for the especially brave. There are also delicious food options like cotton candy and churros to sweeten the deal!
Zentraler Festplatz Berlin, May 1-3, 13:00-23:00, details.
Walpurgisnacht at Neue Zukunft
The Neue Zukunft open air cinema by Ostkreuz celebrates its opening on the eve of May 1 with a curated selection of kid-friendly movies, along with performances and open-air concerts, all free of charge.
Neue Zukunft Freiluftkino, Apr 30, from 16:00, details.
Walpurgisnacht in Mauerpark
Music, dancing, fire performances and huge soap bubbles floating through the air will mark the beginning of May where the Berlin Wall once stood. The atmosphere is usually calm and peaceful, making it a popular choice for Prenzlauer Berg-style family fun.
Mauerpark, Apr 30, from 16:00, details.
May Day Dance in Hellersdorf
An annual Hellersdorf tradition, Helle-Mitte is a family-oriented fun fair with games and attractions for kids such as a carousel, bumper cars and duck fishing. There’s also an all-ages dance floor and a beer garden where the adults can quench their thirst. Available food options include hearty grilled food, cotton candy and crêpes and waffles made on site.
Alice-Salomon-Platz, Apr 30-May 3, 12:00-20:00, details.
ufaFabrik Maifest
Live music and a children’s circus are among the attractions planned for the family-friendly festival at the ufaFabrik cultural centre in Tempelhof.
ufaFabrik, May 1, from 14:00, details.
BerlinGoing outMusicProtestEvents
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13353 Berlin © Copyright 2026
