• National and international event and tourism experts will be getting to know Berlin on 25 and 26 August.
  • Franziska Giffey, Governing Mayor of Berlin, is the event’s patroness.
  • The city’s many faces will be presented – from “Wild Berlin” to the “Urban Jungle.”

Berlin, 18 July 2022  Around 800 German and international representatives of the event sector and travel industry will be attending the Bestival, an innovative and festive event, in Berlin from 25 to 26 August. Governing Mayor of Berlin Franziska Giffey is the patron of the event. The Berlin Convention Office and the Market Management at VisitBerlin, as well as numerous partners in the Berlin event and tourism industry, sent out the invitations. The participants will be able to enjoy a comprehensive, two-day schedule with presentations, workshops, networking opportunities, and site inspections.

Franziska Giffey, Governing Mayor of Berlin: “Berlin relies on a strong tourism and event industry. Both sectors have been hit hard by the pandemic. Our goal is for Berlin, and these industries, to regain their former strength. We are on the right track to achieving this, and already have nearly as many visitors to our beautiful city as we did before the pandemic. The Bestival shows what Berlin has to offer.”

Stephan Schwarz, Senator for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises: “This year’s Bestival will present the full breadth of the capital’s diversity. I am looking forward to this new start after the past years have hit the tourism and event industry particularly hard. It’s all the more fitting that this Bestival is also a revival, and we can meet each other on-site again. Constant dialogue is key to the industry, and I hope for many more impulses and ideas from this event.”

Burkhard Kieker, CEO of VisitBerlin: “After our successful debut in 2021, we are inviting again to this year’s Bestival, our innovative best practice festival of Berlin’s tourism and event industry. For two days we will focus on personal encounters and unique services for professionals that can only be experienced live and in Berlin.”

The participants can make their own schedules. From “Wild Berlin” and “Berlin Glamour & Lifestyle” to “Urban Jungle”, the overall five theme areas show the city’s many facets. Each theme will have its own presentations, live acts, and podium discussions on the first day. Organised thematic tours will be offered on the second day. More than 100 industry partners are represented at the festival, many of whom invite to post-events on Friday, and to the “Long Night of Hotels” for a drink and networking in the evenings.

Speakers and live acts 

Speakers like Petra Hedorfer, Chairwoman of the Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus; Prof. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, tourism researcher and Director of the Meaningful Tourism Center; Mariette Rissenbeek, CEO of the Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin; Mathias Schulz, Director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden; and Marcel Weber, CEO of the scene club “Schwuz” and Board member of the Clubcommission Berlin, will be presenting their ideas and paving the way for the future in keynotes, presentations, and roundtable talks. The live acts include Berlin pop artist Jim Avignon and DJ duo Bader & Bernhard.

Berlin is becoming an event location

The Bestival is being held in various locations throughout Berlin, including Kino International and the Café Moskau on Karl-Marx-Allee. The Badeschiff and its beach bar Spree offer up some summer feeling. The venue is part of the adjacent event hall Arena Berlin, where presentations and networking events are also held. Berlin’s legendary dance venue Clärchens Ballhaus is renowned for its unique atmosphere and dance-filled nights.

Prioritising sustainability

The entire planning, organisation, and execution of the Bestival follow a sustainability strategy based on the criteria of the Sustainable Meetings Berlin initiative and ISO 20121 for sustainable event management from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The goal is to hold the Bestival sustainably in the long term. The event is part of Berlin’s revamp of its tourism and event industry and is funded by the Senate Department for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises.

More information on Bestival here.