Berlinale

What the Berlinale is

The Berlinale, officially the Berlin International Film Festival, is one of the major film festivals in the world and the first big one of the cinema calendar each year. Its top prize is the Golden Bear, and the programme combines a competition with sections for debut films, documentaries, shorts and retrospectives. What makes it unusual among the big festivals is that the public can buy tickets to many screenings, so it is not only an industry event but also a city-wide cinema outing.

For 2028 our data shows a window from Thursday 10 February to Sunday 20 February, eleven days in total.

Dates in 2028 and how they are set

The 2028 dates have not been published, so this window is an estimate that follows the usual pattern of the second week of February. The festival has traditionally opened on a Thursday and closed on the second Sunday after that, which gives the eleven-day span shown here.

Please treat the dates as provisional. The organiser publishes the final schedule on berlinale.de, usually well ahead of the festival, and the advance ticket sales start only shortly before the opening. Do not pay for a non-refundable hotel in Berlin until you have seen the official dates.

Character of the festival and what to do

The Berlinale was founded in West Berlin in 1951 and has grown with the city, which is why screenings are spread over many cinemas rather than one site. The central hub is around Potsdamer Platz, where the Berlinale Palast is the venue for gala premieres, and further venues sit across the city. Red-carpet evenings draw crowds, but most visitors simply pick films from the programme and move between cinemas by tram and U-Bahn.

Plan for February weather. Berlin in winter is grey and cold, so build in time for museums on Museum Island, a visit to the Reichstag dome with prior registration, and warm cafés between screenings. A day with three films is enjoyable, but a day with five is tiring.

Food and drink

Berlin offers everything from a currywurst at a street stand to Turkish döner, Vietnamese soups and fine dining. Around Potsdamer Platz you will find cafés and restaurants for a quick meal between films; in the neighbourhoods of Kreuzberg, Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg the choice is far wider. Book evening tables in advance, since festival nights fill the city's restaurants.

Getting there and where to stay

Berlin has the main station Hauptbahnhof with long-distance trains from all major German cities, the Berlin Brandenburg airport BER, and a dense S-Bahn, U-Bahn and tram network. Potsdamer Platz has its own station, so staying anywhere on the main lines works.

Choose a hotel close to a U-Bahn or S-Bahn line rather than to a single cinema, because your screenings will be scattered. Mitte, Charlottenburg and Kreuzberg are all good bases. Compare prices once the dates are confirmed, and pick a flexible rate until then.

Planning around public holidays and bridge days in 2028

There is no public holiday in Berlin during the estimated window. February 2028 holds no statutory holiday at all, and the nearest one is International Women's Day on Wednesday 8 March, a Berlin-only holiday that falls after the festival. That means every day of the Berlinale is a working day, and a trip has to be covered by vacation days or a weekend.

The estimated window starts on a Thursday and ends on a Sunday. If you attend only the closing weekend, from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 February, you need one vacation day. A long stay from Thursday 10 to Sunday 20 February covers eight working days, so it costs eight vacation days. A middle path is Monday to Friday of the second week for five days. Because the dates are an estimate, ask your employer for leave only after you know the final schedule.

Tips and who it suits

The Berlinale suits film lovers, couples and friends who enjoy discovering films that may never reach a regular cinema. Popular screenings sell out quickly, so read the ticket rules on the official site, keep a second choice in mind and dress warmly for queueing. Check the confirmed dates before booking transport or a room.