Berlin events & things to do in December 2026
Start with Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag Building and Dome, plus Museum Island. December in Berlin averages 4°C / 39°F highs, -1°C / 30°F nights, and about 10 rainy days.
Expect 4°C/39°F days and about 10 rainy ones in December. Start with these:
- Brandenburg Gate★ 4.7 · 185.0k reviewsCarl Gotthard Langhans designed the neoclassical gate, completed in 1791 at the end of Unter den Linden.
- Reichstag Building and Dome★ 4.7 · 9.9k reviewsThe parliament building opened in 1894, burned in 1933, and was rebuilt with Norman Foster's glass dome after reunification.
- die besten Comedians Deutschlands | Logen-SeatDec 1Uber Arena · Source: Ticketmaster
30% off a Going membership when you plan your trip.
By TripSapien Research · Updated June 3, 2026
Berlin in December 2026
Weather
TempTemperature
39°F / 30°F
4.1°C / -0.9°C
RainPrecipitation
10d
1.6in · 40mm
LightDaylight
7.4h
December is cold and festive, with Gendarmenmarkt-style Christmas markets and museums needing warm layers.
Events & festivals
Event calendar- Dec 1 – Dec 31
Berlin Christmas Markets 2026
Various traditional Christmas markets across Berlin featuring crafts, food, and festive entertainment.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 1 – Dec 6
Festival of Lights 2026
Annual event where Berlin's landmarks and monuments are illuminated with artistic light installations.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 1 – Dec 31
WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt 2026
One of Berlin's most famous Christmas markets located at Gendarmenmarkt, featuring crafts, gourmet food, and live performances.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
Show all 39 events for December
- Dec 1 – Dec 31
Wintergarten Varieté Christmas Show 2026
A festive variety show with acrobatics, music, and cabaret performances during December.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 2
- Dec 2
- Dec 2 – Dec 31
- Dec 2
- Dec 3
- Dec 3
- Dec 3
- Dec 4 – Dec 5
SDP & THE CAPITAL DANCE ORCHESTRA | Box seat in the Ticketmaster Suite
Music · Rock.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Dec 4
- Dec 4 – Dec 27
- Dec 4
- Dec 5 – Dec 24
Advent Concert Series at Berliner Dom 2026
Daily Advent concerts featuring classical and choral music in the Berlin Cathedral.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 5 – Dec 19
- Dec 5
- Dec 5
BERLIN | Old but Gold Ü30 Hip Hop Party @ Metropol on 2 Floors
Music · Hip-Hop/Rap.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Dec 6
- Dec 6
- Dec 6
- Dec 6
- Dec 7
- Dec 7 – Dec 28
- Dec 7
- Dec 8
- Dec 9
- Dec 9
- Dec 10 – Dec 20
Berlin International Film Festival – Winter Special Screenings 2026
Special winter edition screenings and retrospectives organized by the Berlinale team.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 10
- Dec 11
- Dec 11 – Dec 12
- Dec 13
- Dec 16
- Dec 17
- Dec 28
- Dec 28
- Dec 31
Holidays, observances & long weekends
Holiday and observance schedules can affect services and venue hours; confirm each place directly.
- Dec 24Christmas EveBank holiday
- Dec 25Christmas DayPublic holiday
- Dec 26Boxing DayPublic holiday
- Dec 31New Year's EveBank holiday
- Dec 24-Dec 27Long weekend with bridge day
- Dec 25-Dec 27Long weekend
- Dec 31-Jan 3Long weekend with bridge day
About Berlin
City overview
Berlin spreads across the Spree and former Cold War borders, with Mitte, Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg, Neukoelln, Charlottenburg, and Schoeneberg giving the city separate political, museum, nightlife, immigrant-food, and residential cores. Prussian avenues, Wall sites, Nazi-era memorials, East German architecture, lakes, and late-night clubs sit on the same U-Bahn and S-Bahn map.
Food & drink
Berlin food is best read through kiosks and migrant neighborhoods: currywurst is sliced sausage under curry ketchup, doner kebab stacks shaved meat and salad into Turkish bread, boulette is a pan-fried meat patty, and Pfannkuchen is the jam-filled doughnut outsiders often call a Berliner. Markthalle Neun, Thai Park, Maybachufer market, Kantstrasse, Sonnenallee, and Kollwitzplatz add schnitzel, eisbein, beer-garden snacks, Turkish bakeries, Vietnamese kitchens, and late-night falafel.
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Museum Island
- 2Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
- 3Charlottenburg Palace
- 4Berlin Wall Memorial
- 5East Side Gallery
- 6Topography of Terror
- 7Berliner Fernsehturm
- 8Checkpoint Charlie and Berlin Wall panorama
1Museum Island
4.7★ · 4,054outdoorThe UNESCO island holds the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode Museum, and Pergamon-related collections on the Spree. Friedrichsbruecke and Lustgarten place it between Mitte and Unter den Linden.
WikipediaTimed museum tickets are safest for Neues Museum and Pergamon-related exhibitions.
2Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
4.6★ · 48,997outdoorOpen dailyPeter Eisenman's field of 2,711 concrete stelae opened in 2005 near Brandenburg Gate. The underground information center adds names, documents, family histories, and site context.
Wikipedia
3Charlottenburg Palace
4.6★ · 31,095outdoorClosed MonThe Hohenzollern summer palace began in the late 17th century for Sophie Charlotte and later grew with baroque and rococo rooms. Gardens, the Neuer Pavillon, and museums sit west of the center.
Wikipedia
Show 3 more sights
- 4Berlin Wall Memorial
- 5East Side Gallery
- 6Topography of Terror
Neighborhoods
1Mitte
Mitte is museum-and-government heavy, with Museum Island, Unter den Linden, Brandenburg Gate, Hackescher Markt, Alexanderplatz, and the Spree in one dense core.
2Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg is canal-side and nightlife-led, with Kottbusser Tor, Markthalle Neun, Viktoriapark, Turkish food, street art, and bars around Graefekiez.
3Friedrichshain
Friedrichshain is club-and-East-Berlin oriented, with East Side Gallery, RAW-Gelaende, Boxhagener Platz, Karl-Marx-Allee, and late venues near Warschauer Strasse.
Day trips
35km / 30-45min by S-Bahn or regional train from Berlin Hauptbahnhof
Potsdam and Sanssouci
Sanssouci Palace, Neues Palais, Dutch Quarter, Cecilienhof, lakes, and gardens make the classic rail day.
35km / about 45min by train to Oranienburg, then bus or walk
Sachsenhausen Memorial
The former concentration camp site has preserved gates, barracks traces, memorials, documentation rooms, and guided historical context.
25km / 25-40min by S-Bahn from central Berlin to Wannsee
Wannsee and Peacock Island
Lake beaches, ferry rides, villas, Pfaueninsel paths, and Glienicke Bridge add a quieter western water day.
Getting around
BVG and VBB cover U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, buses, ferries, regional trains, and ABC fare zones with contactless and app tickets. Use U-Bahn for inner districts, S-Bahn for ring and airport trips, trams in the east, and regional trains for Potsdam and Oranienburg.
Planning a Berlin trip?
Add your dates and we'll check every place for closures, limited hours, and booking needs in December.
Common questions about Berlin in December
- What to pack for Berlin in December
Pack for December's weather, not a generic Berlin checklist.
- A warm coat and insulating layers for average highs around 4°C / 39°F.
- A heavier evening layer because nights average -1°C / 30°F.
- Compact rain gear and shoes that handle wet pavement across about 10 rainy days.
- How many days do you need in Berlin
- 4 days covers the main Berlin highlights at a realistic pace. Add 3 extra days if you want the listed day trips.
- Is Berlin worth visiting in December
- Yes. December in Berlin averages 4°C / 39°F highs, -1°C / 30°F nights, and about 10 rainy days.
Ready to plan Berlin?
You've seen what's on — now get a day-by-day Berlin plan for December 2026, every place checked for your exact dates.