Venue
Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 1, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, Germany
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Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) guide
Berlin's public film festival in February.
In short
The Berlinale is the most open of the major film festivals, with most screenings sold to the public. The 77th edition runs from 10 to 21 February 2027, with the Golden Bear announced on 19 February and two new Audience Days at the end. Book a hotel near Potsdamer Platz early and dress for winter.
The Berlin International Film Festival, known everywhere as the Berlinale, is one of the largest public film festivals in the world. Founded in 1951, it fills cinemas across Berlin every February, with the Berlinale Palast at Potsdamer Platz hosting the competition premieres and the Golden Bear awarded at the end.
What sets Berlin apart from Cannes or Venice is how open it is. Most screenings are sold to the public, and the festival has always counted ordinary Berliners among its audience, queueing in the cold for films from every corner of the world.
The 77th edition runs from 10 to 21 February 2027 and opens on a Wednesday for the first time. The final two days, 20 and 21 February, are new Audience Days given over to the public.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Sunday, 21 February 2027
Where: Berlin, Germany
Venue: Berlinale Palast
Held: Every year
Type of event: Cultural Events, Arts Festivals, Film Festivals
Currency: Euro (EUR, €)
Time zone: Central European Time, UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer)
Language: German
Map
Close to the venue
- Brandenburg Gate Attraction · 800 m
- Reichstag Building Attraction · 1 km
- Checkpoint Charlie Attraction · 1.2 km
- Jewish Museum Berlin Attraction · 1.7 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Buying tickets quickly and queueing
Popular screenings sell out within minutes, so plan your ticket buying.
- Programme first
- mark your choices as soon as the full programme is published.
- Be online on time
- know when sales open for each day and have payment ready.
- Arrive early
- doors close at the start, and seating can be unreserved in some cinemas.
- Phones off
- photography during screenings is not allowed.
Clothing for cold, icy weather
Berlin in February is cold, grey and often icy.
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for queues and the red carpet.
- Waterproof shoes with good grip for icy pavements.
- Layers you can remove in heated cinemas.
- A BVG day ticket or multi-day pass for moving between venues.
What happens on the day
- Wed 10 February
Opening
The festival and the European Film Market open.
- 12 to 17 February
Berlinale Talents
The programme for emerging filmmakers runs alongside the screenings.
- Fri 19 February
Awards ceremony
The Golden Bear and Silver Bears are announced.
- Sat 20 and Sun 21 February
Audience Days
Two days of screenings dedicated to the public.
Planning screenings by area
The full programme is published shortly before the festival, and tickets for each screening are released a few days ahead. Plan your days by area, because venues are spread across the city and crossing Berlin between screenings eats time. Potsdamer Platz is the hub, but cinemas elsewhere often have easier tickets.
The new Audience Days on 20 and 21 February are a good target for first-time visitors: the awards are known by then, and the programme is aimed at the public. For more on the city and country, see our Germany travel page.
The Berlinale's 1951 founding in West Berlin
The Berlinale was founded in 1951 in West Berlin, with backing from the Allies, as a showcase for the free world in a divided city. It soon became one of the three major European festivals alongside Cannes and Venice.
Since 2000 its centre has been Potsdamer Platz, rebuilt after reunification. Over the decades the festival has become known for its political edge and its audience: hundreds of thousands of tickets are sold to the public each year, which makes it unusual among the major competitive festivals.
Getting there
Flying in
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) is the city's airport, with the FEX airport express and regional trains to the centre.
By train
Long-distance trains arrive at Berlin Hauptbahnhof, a short ride from Potsdamer Platz.
To Potsdamer Platz
S-Bahn and the U2 underground line stop at Potsdamer Platz, steps from the Berlinale Palast.
Between venues
BVG buses, trams, U-Bahn and S-Bahn link cinemas across the city.
Where to stay during the festival
Hotels around Potsdamer Platz and in Mitte keep you close to the main venue, and they book up early for the festival. Neighbourhoods such as Kreuzberg, Schöneberg or Friedrichshain are cheaper and well connected by U-Bahn and S-Bahn.
Weather and what to pack
February in Berlin is cold. Climate normals for Berlin give February average highs of around 4 to 5°C and lows a little below freezing, with frequent cloud and the chance of snow or sleet.
Expect short daylight hours and icy pavements on some days.
Worth packing
- A warm winter coat, hat and gloves
- Waterproof shoes with good grip
- Layers for heated cinemas
- A power bank for e-tickets
- A BVG transport pass
Car hire in Berlin
Airport transfer to Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)
Met at arrivals and driven door to door to Berlinale Palast.
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Need help?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Booking
Yes, and that is one of the festival's defining features. Most screenings are open to the public, with tickets sold online and at the festival's ticket counters in the days before each screening.
General
They are new for 2027. The festival now opens a day earlier, and the last two days, 20 and 21 February, are set aside as Audience Days for the public after the awards have been handed out.
The Goldener Bär is the top prize of the main competition. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, which is why the festival's awards take its form.
The Berlinale Palast on Marlene-Dietrich-Platz at Potsdamer Platz hosts the competition premieres and the red carpet. Other screenings are spread across cinemas throughout the city.
Yes. Fans gather along the barriers around the Berlinale Palast for the evening premieres. It is outdoors in February, so dress for freezing temperatures.
Most films are shown in their original version with English subtitles, and German-language films usually carry English subtitles too. Check each listing for details.
The EFM is the industry market held alongside the festival, where films are bought and sold. In 2027 it runs from 10 to 16 February and is open only to accredited trade visitors.
Some films carry age recommendations, and the Generation section is programmed specifically for children and teenagers, with screenings that families can attend together.
No. The festival publishes its programme in English, and English is widely spoken in Berlin's cinemas, hotels and on public transport.
Timing & weather
The official awards ceremony is on Friday 19 February 2027, the second Friday of the festival.