Berlin Beer Festival 2020

Berlin, Germany

Berlin Beer Festival 2020 has been cancelled  

Each year Berlin steps up to host the world’s longest beer garden for the Internationales Berliner Bierfestival. Instead of the raucous event that is Oktoberfest, the Berlin Beer Festival aims to be a slightly calmer affair (albeit featuring over 2000 beer specialities) and is considered one of the 6 best alternatives to Oktoberfest for beer tasting in Europe. 

Running along Karl-Marx-Allee, the Biermeile features over 2km of beer tents, foodie pop-ups and live music to keep visitors entertained. Although a wealth of German beer specialities are showcased throughout the event, each year’s festival also highlights a selection from a relatively unknown beer destination (e.g Vietnam, New Zealand, Czech Republic) to allow them to present their version of the amber nectar.

The whole world of beer brewery is displayed at the Berlin Beer Festival (think: 350 breweries from over 90 countries!), giving a chance for even the most sceptical drinkers to find a brew they love. Even if you don’t know your pilsners from your porters or have never even heard of a weissbeer, you certainly will have after a weekend with the experts from the Internationales Berliner Bierfestival.

‘The event is free for all festivalgoers (although we can’t guarantee your wallet will come back intact when you see all the temping food and beverages on offer!)’

Where to view the Berlin Beer Festival

The Berlin Beer Mile runs from Frankfurter Tor to Strausberger Platz along the famous tree-lined avenue Karl-Marx-Allee. Rebuilt after WWII, Karl-Marx-Allee is a grand six-lane street that aimed to portray the progress of the socialist regime with the installation of cafes, kinos and cultural institutions that were built for the people. Today it still hosts a number of public events including the Berlin Marathon and, of course, the Berlin Beer Festival.

Make your way along Karl-Marx-Allee stopping off at vendors and mini beer gardens along the way or at one of the 18 music stages where you can enjoy everything from folk to electronica.

How to get around Berlin

Berlin has an exceptional public transport system so you’d be foolish not to make the most of it while getting around the city. The line U5 of the Berlin underground (U-Bahn) will take you from Alexanderplatz to Lichtenberg (in Mitte) stopping at Strausberger Platz and Frankfurter Tor along the way. The rest of the city and the festival can be explored on foot – so put on some comfortable shoes, grab a stein and enjoy!

Where to stay for Berlin Beer Festival

Berlin is an eclectic city with a whole host of accommodation types. With everything from trendy hostels, to boutique hotels and large-scale chain hotels, you’re sure to find something to suit your style. Although accommodation in and around the festival will be more expensive and booked up early over the event, you can easily stay slightly further out on the U5 line and be able to get around the city with ease.

See the map below for an idea of where to stay in Berlin for the Berlin Beer Festival.

Things to do in Berlin

The Berlin Beer Festival itself offers a great range of activities so you will have other things to keep you occupied over the weekend aside from solely consuming beer! Culinary demonstrations (with tastings, of course), live gigs from both renowned and unknown artists and plenty of friendly games and competitions will keep you busy from morning ‘til night.

Fancy dress is also highly encouraged with locals and visitors alike putting on some outrageous outfits over the weekend!

Of course, if you can add extra time to your Berlin festival weekend, why not enjoy a walking tour of the city, visit the Berlin Wall and check out some of the quirky cafes, bars and restaurants the city has to offer.

Berlin Beer Festival 2020 Dates

Berlin Beer Festival was to take place between August 7 – 9, 2020. The festival has now been cancelled.