New Year’s Eve in Berlin: 1–4 Day Hour-by-Hour Itineraries

Over New Year some of Berlin’s Christmas markets are still open, and at midnight there’s a party with fireworks at the Brandenburg Gate. Our routes are built around places that close early on 31 December and open late on 1 January, and take into account the Reichstag’s early closing, short shop hours and the closures around the gate for the set-up. There are two paces: relaxed and balanced–packed.

Plan with your own dates

Enter your arrival and departure; the route adapts to that day’s opening hours, markets and your flights.

Itineraries by length

Where to be at midnight

At midnight Berlin’s streets fill with uncontrolled fireworks, so the route suggests controlled areas. The midnight step is your choice: we suggest Gendarmenmarkt at a relaxed pace and the Brandenburg Gate at a balanced–packed pace. To avoid a long wait in the cold, stay somewhere warm after dinner and head out around 11–11:30 pm.

Brandenburg Gate: A free open-air party with fireworks at midnight. Last year tickets were reserved in advance, entry opened at 9:30 pm and the area held 20,000 people; the Senate is planning the party again for 2026, but the programme and tickets haven’t been announced. No food, alcohol, fireworks or large bags allowed.
Gendarmenmarkt: The market’s last night: a DJ, waltzing outdoors and big fireworks above the Konzerthaus. An enclosed, controlled area; the 2026 entry fee and hours haven’t been announced.
New Year’s Eve cruise on the Spree: Dinner, drinks and midnight on the river; sells out early.
Streets and parks: Neighbourhoods and parks are very crowded with uncontrolled fireworks; some places, such as Alexanderplatz, are firework-free zones (2025 arrangement). We don’t recommend them.

When are the Christmas markets open?

Market	Dates	Hours
Gendarmenmarkt (WeihnachtsZauber)	23 November – 31 December	Sun–Thu 11 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–11 pm; 24 December noon–6 pm. Entry €2, free on weekdays 11 am–2 pm.
Red Town Hall (Berliner Weihnachtszeit)	23 November – 3 January	Mon–Fri noon–10 pm, Sat–Sun 11 am–10 pm; closed on 24 December
Humboldt Forum (Schlossplatz winter market)	18 November – 3 January	Daily 11 am–10 pm; closed on 22 November and 24 December
Memorial Church (Breitscheidplatz)	23 November – 3 January	Last year Sun–Thu 11 am–9 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–10 pm; 2026 hours pending
Alexanderplatz	23 November – 26 December	Daily 11 am–10 pm
Charlottenburg Palace	23 November – 27 December	Mon–Thu 1–10 pm, Fri–Sun noon–10 pm; closed on 24 December
Potsdamer Platz Winter World	Late October – late December (expected)	Daily 11 am–10 pm; until 4 pm on 24 December
Lucia (Kulturbrauerei)	23 November – 22 December	Mon–Fri 3–10 pm, Sat–Sun 1–10 pm

Open and closed on 31 December and 1 January

Place	29–30 December	31 December	1 January
Gendarmenmarkt market	11 am–10 pm ✓	open; New Year’s party hours not announced !	closed (ended on 31 December) ✓
Red Town Hall market	noon–10 pm ✓	not published !	not published !
Humboldt Forum winter market	11 am–10 pm ✓	11 am–10 pm ✓	11 am–10 pm ✓
Memorial Church market	11 am–9 pm ◷	11 am–8 pm ◷	1–9 pm ◷
Neues Museum (Museum Island)	10 am–6 pm ✓	10 am–4 pm ◷	noon–6 pm ◷
Reichstag dome (registration)	8 am–midnight ✓	last entry 2:30 pm ✓	not published !
Berlin Cathedral	9 am–6 pm ✓	not published !	not published !
Charlottenburg Palace	10 am–4:30 pm ✓	10 am–2:30 pm ✓	11 am–4:30 pm ✓
Shops	open ✓	most close early in the afternoon (KaDeWe 3 pm) !	closed (public holiday) ✓
Brandenburg Gate area	partly closed for the set-up from 29 December ◷	party area; the station closes after 4 pm ◷	partly closed (until the evening of 2 January) ◷
Public transport	normal ✓	U-Bahn and S-Bahn all night ◷	Sunday timetable from about 9 am ◷

Officially confirmed for 2026
Based on the last published season; the 2026 schedule is pending
Not published yet; check again before you go

Tips

In Berlin, shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays (25–26 December, 1 January) and by law close at 2 pm on 24 December. There’s no legal limit on 31 December, but most shops close early in the afternoon (KaDeWe at 3 pm). The Christmas markets are open on Sundays too.
The Reichstag dome is free, but you must register in advance at bundestag.de and bring ID; slots fill up early. Closed on 24 December; last entry 2:30 pm on 31 December.
Most markets open on 23 November. Lucia (Kulturbrauerei) ends on 22 December, Alexanderplatz on the 26th, Charlottenburg Palace on the 27th and Gendarmenmarkt on the 31st; the Red Town Hall, Memorial Church and Humboldt Forum markets stay open until 3 January. Most are closed on 24 December.
On Christmas Eve (24 December) most restaurants are closed or close early; book Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve dinner in October or November. The classic on 25 December is Christmas goose.
On New Year’s Eve the streets fill with uncontrolled fireworks; some places, such as Alexanderplatz, were firework-free zones (2025 arrangement). Prefer controlled areas (the Brandenburg Gate party, Gendarmenmarkt).
On New Year’s Eve the U-Bahn and S-Bahn run all night; Brandenburger Tor station is closed after 4 pm on 31 December (2025 arrangement). Public transport thins out on the evening of 24 December, so stay central.
The Neues Museum on Museum Island and Charlottenburg Palace are closed on Mondays; the Pergamonmuseum is closed for renovation. Neues Museum tickets
In December it gets dark around 4 pm and the cold bites: bring a warm coat, hat and gloves; you’ll be standing at the markets for a long time.

Frequently asked questions

Are there fireworks in Berlin on New Year’s Eve?

Yes: there are fireworks at midnight at the free party at the Brandenburg Gate (7.5 minutes last year). There are also fireworks at the Gendarmenmarkt market’s New Year party. Elsewhere the city is full of uncontrolled fireworks.

How do I get into the Brandenburg Gate party?

Last year entry was free but tickets had to be reserved in advance; entry opened at 9:30 pm and the area held 20,000 people. The Senate is planning the party again for 2026; the programme and ticket dates haven’t been announced yet.

Are the Christmas markets open on New Year’s Eve?

The Red Town Hall, Memorial Church and Humboldt Forum markets stay open until 3 January; Gendarmenmarkt closes with its New Year’s party on 31 December. The Alexanderplatz (26 December) and Charlottenburg Palace (27 December) markets end before New Year.

Are museums open on 1 January?

Last year the museums on Museum Island opened at noon on 1 January; Charlottenburg Palace is open 11 am–4:30 pm for 2026/27. That’s why our 1 January routes start late.

When should I book New Year’s Eve dinner?

In October or November. Most restaurants serve a set menu and fill up early.

How do I get back to my hotel after midnight?

Last year the U-Bahn and S-Bahn ran all night (every 10–20 minutes); Brandenburger Tor station was closed after 4 pm. Staying in Mitte and walking back is easiest.

Are shops open on 31 December?

There’s no legal limit, but most shops close early in the afternoon (KaDeWe at 3 pm). 1 January is a public holiday and shops are closed. We put shopping around midday on 31 December.

Sources

Hours compiled from official sources (21 October 2026). The marks in the table show each time’s status: confirmed for 2026, based on the last season, or not yet published. Holiday hours can change; check the official websites before you go.