On June 20th – June 21st, Stadtfest, an annual Lesbian and Gay Festival, will be celebrated. It will be held in Schöneberg. The festival is expected to spread over 25,000 square meters and will feature sports, radio, spoken word, film and politics along with other exhibits from a range of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups.
In addition to a number of information booths, there will be a sampling of culinary treats, and on both days there will be five venues – “The Connection,” featuring house and techno music, “The Disco Ball”
playing hits of the 70s and 80s, the “Queer Media,” which will feature lesbian and gay entertainers and DJs, and the “Women’s Showcase.” With over one hundred projects from the world over, it stands to be the biggest celebration of the community.
In addition, on Saturday, June 27th, Berlin will celebrate Gay Pride Berlin, or Christopher Street Day as it is known to the locals. The celebration has a march and a rally at the end of the day. In English, the motto of CSD is “We’re all different. We’re all equal.” The festivities kick off at 12 pm in Berlin-Charlottenburg. Berlin’s Mayor, Michael Muller will be there to celebrate the opening, as well as ambassadors of the Netherlands, the United States, Israel, France, Slovenia and other areas.
The final rally will take place in front of the Brandenburg Gate. The stage programme will begin at 4:30 pm and will feature music, entertainment and politics. Acts, bands and DJs will perform on stage, while there will be speeches in between, as well as the Soul of Stonewall Award ceremony.
Berlin has cultivated a healthy and lively gay scene that goes way back in history. Because of the open-mindedness of the community and its many cultural offerings Berlin’s gay population is flourishing and can be found throughout the city. Other gay highlights in Berlin include New Year’s Eve, the Berlinale film festival, and Folsom Europe.
