New Year's celebration cancelled at Brandenburg Gate.
The much-anticipated New Year's Eve celebration at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate has been canceled this year due to financial reasons. The Berlin city government, led by Mayor Kai Wegner, has decided to withdraw financial support for the event, citing budget constraints and the view that it is not a taxpayer responsibility to finance such festivities.
In a statement, Benedikt Alder, CEO of Berlin Celebrates New Year's Eve (BfS) GmbH, confirmed that an event like the one at Brandenburg Gate will not happen this year. The celebration, which has been a fixed ritual for many people, typically attracts tens of thousands of visitors.
Regarding alternatives, German public broadcaster ZDF is planning to produce a television program to mark New Year's Eve in place of the canceled public party. ZDF has taken note of the cancellation of the New Year's Eve party in its previous form and is working on filling the celebratory gap.
Berlin's mayor, Kai Wegner, indicated that the administration is discussing alternative concepts for New Year's Eve celebrations, though no specific public event plans have been finalized or announced beyond the TV program. One possibility discussed is an organizer collaborating with ZDF for the New Year's Eve party, with a different financing or concept.
The cancellation of the celebration is significant as it has taken place at the Brandenburg Gate for decades. Over the years, the event has featured numerous artists and has been moderated by Andrea Kiewel and Johannes B. Kerner for ZDF.
Mayor Wegner announced that the traditional New Year's Eve celebration in the city center will no longer receive any subsidies from the state. The event's cancellation was due to the lack of financial support from the state, which amounted to several hundred thousand euros in recent years.
Despite the cancellation, Berliners and visitors can still look forward to a special New Year's Eve program on ZDF. The details of the program are yet to be announced, but it promises to bring in the New Year with style and celebration.
Given the cancellation of the traditional New Year's Eve celebration at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, there's a shift in entertainment options this year. To bridge the celebratory gap, German public broadcaster ZDF is planning a special TV program to mark New Year's Eve, broadcasting movies-and-tv and possibly including social-media elements, as people share their experiences and anticipation on various social-media platforms.
