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Seven corona-safe events not to miss in Germany in September 2020

September 2020 may not see typical big events in Germany like Oktoberfest in Munich or the Berlin Marathon. But there's still a lot of fun (safely) in store.

Published: 2 September 2020 15:15 CEST
Updated: 4 September 2020 14:18 CEST
Seven corona-safe events not to miss in Germany in September 2020
Berlin's concert house at Gendarmenmarkt at the Festival of Lights in September 2019. Photo: DPA

Last Thursday, federal and state governments agreed to relax measurements on mass gatherings and events in Germany from September 1st.

This is good news for tourists and locals alike, as many events across the country will be allowed to take place this year in spite of the pandemic, albeit with adaptations.

In Berlin, September 1st will see the maximum capacity for indoor events increased from 500 to 700, and from 1,000 to 5,000 for events taking place outside. 

Saxony and Brandenburg will also permit capacities of 1,000 for both indoor and outdoor events. In Bavaria, the first day of the month will mark the resumption of large conventions, exhibitions and events, subject to strict adherence with safety measures. 

READ ALSO: Germany to extend ban on major events and limit numbers at social gatherings

Whilst permitted capacities are significantly smaller in other federal states, the new measures still introduce a long-awaited taste of a crowd atmosphere, and allow many of Germany’s cultural highlights to remain firmly on the calendar. 

Here are seven recommendations for the best events still taking place in Germany this month.

Berlin Festival of Lights: September 11th – September 20th 

The Brandenburg Gate illuminated at 2019's festival. Photo: DPA

This spectacular 10-day celebration sees Berlin’s world-famous monuments illuminated with colourful displays every year and will take place in 2020 even in times of corona. 

Across the city, buildings will be transformed into bright, kaleidoscopic works of art with the use of light projectors. The website makes clear that maintaining a distance of 1.5 metres is required, and face masks recommended. 

Open Air Cinema at the Olympic Park, Munich: September 1st – September 13th

The set-up for the outdoor cinema this year. Photo: gomuenchen.com

Enjoy a selection of the latest German and international films against the idyllic backdrop of the lake at Munich’s Olympic Park.

The venue’s bars and beer gardens will also be open, offering a selection of traditional German refreshments. Two-person deckchairs are the seating of choice, and masks are mandatory everywhere at the venue.

Heritage Day: September 12th – September 13th 

Biesdorf Palace. Photo: DPA

Berlin’s Heritage Day, also known as Day of the Open Monument, allows for public access into and guided tours of the city’s buildings which otherwise remain closed, aiming to strengthen engagement with cultural heritage.

This year, the theme is “Denk_mal nachhaltig”, featuring a play on the imperative “Denk” (think) and the word “Denkmal”, meaning moment, and focusing on the concept of sustainability.

Medieval Festival, Selb: September 10th – September 12th 

A concert at the festival in 2019. Photo: Bernd Sonntag

Though restricted to only 400 attendees this year, the Medieval Festival in Selb in Bavaria will nonetheless offer its extensive program to fans of the Middle Ages.

Complete with concerts from Medieval rock bands, a medieval market and beer garden, literary events and performances from jugglers, this is certainly a unique way to make the most of the month.

Düsseldorf Festival: September 9th – September 27th

The festival celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and will still be able to take place despite the pandemic. Instead of in the usual theatre tent, artists and performers will showcase their talent under the motto “Face to Face”, performing solo for one visitor at a time. 

The Mitsubishi Electric Halle will also be utilised to host circus acts and bands as well as dance and art shows, whilst strictly adhering to North-Rhine Westphalia’s corona-safe policies.

Hamburg Film Festival: September 24th – October 3rd

The festival in 2015. Photo: DPA

Though adapting to the coronavirus by also making video-on-demand tickets available, Hamburg’s “Filmfest” will still go ahead this year, screening up to 70 films across six cinemas. As the third largest international film festival in Germany, showing independent, art-house films to major blockbusters, the festival showcases the work of both internationally-renowned directors and rising stars.

Berlin Art Week: September 9th – September 13th

Die Berlinische Galerie. Photo: DPA

Offering an exciting program, the renowned Berlin art week will take place in a combination of both digital and open-air set-ups this year, aiming to immerse the whole city in the capital’s art scene.

Over 150 exhibitions and events are set to take place among 55 partners, including the Berlinische Galerie, the Akademie der Künste, and the Kindl Center for Contemporary Art.
 

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TRAVEL NEWS

Why are fewer British tourists visiting Spain this year?

Almost 800,000 fewer UK holidaymakers have visited Spain in 2023 when compared to 2019. What’s behind this big drop?

Published: 23 August 2023 11:36 CEST
Updated: 26 August 2023 18:32 CEST
Why are fewer British tourists visiting Spain this year?

Spain welcomed 12.2 million UK tourists between January and July 2023, 6 percent less when compared to the same period in 2019, according to data released on Monday by Spanish tourism association Turespaña.

This represents a decrease of 793,260 British holidaymakers for Spain so far this year.

Conversely, the number of Italian (+8 percent), Irish (+15.3 percent), Portuguese (+24.8 percent), Dutch (+4 percent) and French tourists (+5 percent) visiting España in 2023 are all above the rates in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. 

German holidaymakers are together with their British counterparts the two main nationalities showing less interest in coming to Spanish shores.

Britons still represent the biggest tourist group that comes to Spain, but it’s undergoing a slump, with another recent study by Caixabank Research suggesting numbers fell particularly in June 2023 (-12.5 percent of the usual rate). 

READ ALSO: Spain fully booked for summer despite most expensive holiday prices ever

So are some Britons falling out of love with Spain? Are there clear reasons why a holiday on the Spanish coast is on fewer British holiday itineraries?

According to Caixabank Research’s report, the main reasons are “the poor macroeconomic performance of the United Kingdom, the sharp rise in rates and the weakness of the pound”.

This is evidenced in the results of a survey by British market research company Savanta, which found that one in six Britons are not going on a summer holiday this year due to the UK’s cost-of-living crisis.

Practically everything, everywhere has become more expensive, and that includes holidays in Spain: hotel stays are up 44 percent, eating out is 13 percent pricier, and flights are 40 percent more on average. 

READ ALSO: How much more expensive is it to holiday in Spain this summer?

Caixabank stressed that another reason for the drop in British holidaymakers heading to Spain is that those who can afford a holiday abroad are choosing “more competitive markets” such as Turkey, Greece and Portugal. 

And there’s no doubt that the insufferably hot summer that Spain is having, with four heatwaves so far, has also dissuaded many holidaymakers from Blighty from overcooking in the Spanish sun. 

With headlines such as “This area of Spain could become too hot for tourists” or “tourists say it’s too hot to see any sights” featuring in the UK press, budding British holidaymakers are all too aware of the suffocating weather conditions Spain and other Mediterranean countries are enduring. 

Other UK outlets have urged travellers to try out the cooler Spanish north rather than the usual piping hot Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol destinations.

Another UK poll by InsureandGo found that 71 percent of the 2,000+ British respondents thought that parts of Europe such as Spain, Greece and Turkey will be too hot to visit over summer by 2027.

There’s further concern that the introduction in 2024 of the new (and delayed) ETIAS visa for non-EU visitors, which of course now also applies to UK nationals, could further compel British tourists to choose countries to holiday in rather than Spain.

READ MORE: Will British tourists need to pay for a visa waiver to enter Spain?

However, a drop in the number of British holidaymakers may not be all that bad for Spain, even though they did spend over €17 billion on their Spanish vacations in 2022. 

Towns, cities and islands across the country have been grappling with the problem of overtourism and the consequences it has on everything from quality of life for locals to rent prices. 

READ ALSO: ‘Beach closed’ – Fake signs put up in Spain’s Mallorca to dissuade tourists

The overcrowded nature of Spain’s beaches and most beautiful holiday hotspots appears to be one of the reasons why Germans are visiting Spain in far fewer numbers. A recent report in the country’s most read magazine Stern asked “if the dream is over” in their beloved Mallorca.

Spanish authorities are also seeking to overhaul the cheaper holiday package-driven model that dominates many resorts, which includes moving away from the boozy antics of young British and other European revellers.

Fewer tourists who spend more are what Spain is theoretically now looking for, and the rise in American, Japanese and European tourists other than Brits signify less of a dependence on the British market, one which tends to maintain the country’s tourism status quo for better or for worse.

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