November 21, 2025, 6:23 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
After parting ways with the previous organizer and due to budget cuts by the Berlin Senate, the capital is organizing its own New Year’s Eve bash for the first time in front of its most famous backdrop. What guests can expect, why the show is different now—and how to attend for free.
After the Berlin CDU/SPD Senate cut financial support for the traditional New Year’s Eve spectacle, the ZDF show with Andrea Kiewel and Johannes B. Kerner is moving to Hamburg. Instead, according to a report by BILD, Berlin is launching its own format—with a live broadcast by ARD, DJs, and a roughly seven-minute fireworks display.
“We want to send images from the Brandenburg Gate to the world,” explained Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU). For him, the new approach with a dance floor and local club DJs is a better fit for the capital.
ARD and RTL to Broadcast New Year’s Eve Party at Brandenburg Gate Live
This time, the midnight images from the Brandenburg Gate will be broadcast by ARD—embedded in the Florian Silbereisen show—as well as RTL. “It will be an event of high artistic quality,” announced Economic Senator Franziska Giffey (SPD). She expects around one million guests in Berlin in December, many of them over the New Year.
The new concept is designed to operate with significantly less taxpayer money. Four Berlin Senate departments are contributing a total of 300,000 euros, with an additional 290,000 euros coming from the Lotto Foundation. Last year, the city’s costs were still 750,000 euros. Wegner defended the decision to exclude the previous organizer: “The private organizer wanted significantly more. Coming up with a letter at the last minute saying we need more money—that’s not acceptable.” Many of the costs would be incurred for security measures anyway.
Entry Only with Ticket—Access Strictly Regulated
This time, the party area on Straße des 17. Juni extends to Yitzhak-Rabin-Straße and will be secured with a 1.65-kilometer-long fence. The Brandenburg Gate will remain fully visible without a stage for the first time. Entry begins at 9:30 p.m., with the party starting at 10 p.m. and ending at 1 a.m. Admission is free, but only with a pre-reserved ticket. For safety reasons, the number of visitors is limited to 20,000 people. Information on ticket distribution will be published in early December on the Kulturprojekte Berlin website.
Music will be provided by DJs from the Berlin club scene along the entire route. The central highlight remains the 7.5-minute fireworks display at midnight, organized by Potsdam Feuerwerk. “The fireworks will be the most beautiful in Berlin and have four highlights with quiet and loud moments,” promised chief organizer Moritz van Dülmen.
Visitors should expect bag checks. Glass bottles and personal fireworks are prohibited on the premises. Some sales stands, including those with champagne for toasting, will be available on site.