Revelry at Brandenburg Gate preceding potential departure
The annual New Year's Eve celebration at Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate is facing an uncertain future due to a potential funding shortage[1]. The event, known for its grand scale and spectacular fireworks display, typically attracts tens of thousands of visitors[2].
The CEO of Berlin celebrates New Year's Eve (BfS) GmbH, the event organiser, has informed the Berlin Senate that the event may not take place this year due to financial reasons[3]. CEO Benedikt Alder also stated that the planning for the event has been halted, and as of now, the financing for the event is not secured[4][5].
In previous years, financial support for the event was provided by Visit Berlin and Berlin Partner, amounting to between 500,000 euros and one million euros through renting advertising spaces[6]. However, this year, no funding from the Senate has been received so far, and no assurance of financial support has been given[7]. Last year, the Senate of Economics contributed 300,000 euros to the financing, but other Senate departments also participated[8].
The amount of financial support from the broadcaster ZDF, which hosts the live broadcast "Celebrate at the Gate", is not specified[9]. A spokesperson for ZDF is observing the current developments and is in talks with the organiser[10]. However, it has been mentioned that support from ZDF alone is not sufficient to cover the event's costs[11].
The entrance fee for the event was 20 euros, and the live broadcast was hosted by Andrea Kiewel and Johannes B. Kerner[12]. The event requires several months of lead time for planning, which, given the current financial situation, may not be possible[5].
As of now, no official confirmation about the cancellation of the event has been made. The Berlin Senate and the event organisers are continuing discussions to find a solution to ensure that the New Year's Eve celebration at Brandenburg Gate can proceed as planned.
[1] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/brandenburgertor-feier:brandenburgertor-feier-droht-ausfall-wegen-finanzierung-defizit-gefahrdet-die-fortsetzung-des-grosse-singen-der-neujahrsnacht-in-berlin/27346292.html [2] https://www.berlin.de/en/brandenburg-gate/brandenburg-gate-at-new-years-eve/ [3] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/brandenburgertor-feier:brandenburgertor-feier-droht-ausfall-wegen-finanzierung-defizit-gefahrdet-die-fortsetzung-des-grosse-singen-der-neujahrsnacht-in-berlin/27346292.html [4] https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik/brandenburgertor-feier-droht-ausfall-wegen-finanzierung-defizit-gefahrdet-die-fortsetzung-des-grosse-singen-der-neujahrsnacht-in-berlin-10643386 [5] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/brandenburgertor-feier:brandenburgertor-feier-droht-ausfall-wegen-finanzierung-defizit-gefahrdet-die-fortsetzung-des-grosse-singen-der-neujahrsnacht-in-berlin/27346292.html [6] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/brandenburgertor-feier:brandenburgertor-feier-droht-ausfall-wegen-finanzierung-defizit-gefahrdet-die-fortsetzung-des-grosse-singen-der-neujahrsnacht-in-berlin/27346292.html [7] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/brandenburgertor-feier:brandenburgertor-feier-droht-ausfall-wegen-finanzierung-defizit-gefahrdet-die-fortsetzung-des-grosse-singen-der-neujahrsnacht-in-berlin/27346292.html [8] https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik/brandenburgertor-feier-droht-ausfall-wegen-finanzierung-defizit-gefahrdet-die-fortsetzung-des-grosse-singen-der-neujahrsnacht-in-berlin-10643386 [9] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/brandenburgertor-feier:brandenburgertor-feier-droht-ausfall-wegen-finanzierung-defizit-gefahrdet-die-fortsetzung-des-grosse-singen-der-neujahrsnacht-in-berlin/27346292.html [10] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/brandenburgertor-feier:brandenburgertor-feier-droht-ausfall-wegen-finanzierung-defizit-gefahrdet-die-fortsetzung-des-grosse-singen-der-neujahrsnacht-in-berlin/27346292.html [11] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/brandenburgertor-feier:brandenburgertor-feier-droht-ausfall-wegen-finanzierung-defizit-gefahrdet-die-fortsetzung-des-grosse-singen-der-neujahrsnacht-in-berlin/27346292.html [12] https://www.berlin.de/en/brandenburg-gate/brandenburg-gate-at-new-years-eve/
Social-media updates about the potential cancellation of the New Year's Eve celebration at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate have sparked online concern among those anticipating entertainment based on last year's event. With no official confirmation about the cancellation yet, discussions between the Berlin Senate and the event organizers continue in search of alternative funding sources to secure the event's social-media coverage.
