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Berlin's Karneval der Kulturen Draws 770,000 to 30th-Anniversary Parade

Organisers launched a public fundraising appeal to cover higher security and sanitation costs, underscoring growing operational pressure on the festival

Overview

  • The parade on Sunday attracted a joint police and organiser estimate of about 770,000 people and featured roughly 67 groups with around 4,000 performers.
  • Berlin police deployed about 1,500 officers, set up mobile stations and water dispensers, and reported the large event proceeded without incidents.
  • Because of ongoing construction in Kreuzberg the procession ran along broader streets in Friedrichshain on Frankfurter Allee and Karl‑Marx‑Allee, changing crowd flows and logistics.
  • Organisers launched their first public fundraising drive to collect €85,000 for extra security, toilets and cleanup and had counted roughly €20,000 by Sunday evening.
  • The four-day festival marked the carnival's 30th anniversary, a celebration that began in 1996 as a civic response to racism and continues to promote diversity while organisers coordinate prize ceremonies and post-event cleanup.