UEFA EURO 2024 FESTIVAL

On behalf of the Berlin Senate Department for the Interior and Sport and the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion, the team at Kulturprojekte Berlin was responsible for planning the official Fan Zone Berlin took place during the Euro 2024 from 14 June to 14 July at two key sites, one at the Brandenburg Gate and one at the Reichstag. Kulturprojekte Berlin was also responsible for designing and organising the FUSSBALLKULTURSOMMER programme of cultural events and entertainment in cooperation with several partners drawn from the city’s vast creative community.

After two-and-a-half years of planning, which involved the efforts of a team of roughly 13,000 on-site workers in the fan zones, 24,000 m² turf, one special goal post, one special gate, two new event venues, 8,470 metres of construction fencing, 56,000 metres of cable, 647 toilettes, more than 500 deck chairs, 41 complementary drinking water fountains, 15 sunscreen dispensers, 16 video screens, 51 matches and artists from roughly 20 nations, the outcome was an extraordinary month of shared excitement and joint celebration.

The FUSSBALLKULTURSOMMER kicked off on 12 June with a big opening show at the Brandenburg Gate. In addition to public viewing opportunities and cultural offerings in the Fan Zone Berlin, visitors were also invited to enjoy events relating to football and fan culture throughout the entire city on all 31 subsequent days of the Euro 2024. All events were free of charge and took place outdoors.

Together with the Berlin Senate Department for the Interior & Sport and UEFA, we will be planning the official FAN ZONE BERLIN and creating a highly memorable series of cross-city football events. To celebrate this major football tournament, we are going to transform the Brandenburg Gate into the biggest football goal in the world, making it the perfect backdrop for unforgettable summer nights. And because every football goal needs a football pitch, we are also going to turn the neighbouring Straße des 17. Juni Boulevard into a pop-up park and the perfect place to gather for Berliners, guests and football fans from all over the globe.
Moreover we organise the SUMMER OF FOOTBALL CULTURE – a festival on the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag fan zones as well as in Berlin’s urban space with a wide variety of players from Berlin’s diverse cultural landscape. There will be concerts, open-air cinema, theme days, DJ sets, performances, exhibitions and much more to experience additional to the public viewing.

The fan-zone concept was also characterised by a focus on social sustainability, including safeguarding concepts, accessibility and services for all types of visitor groups. In addition, no form of disposable packaging was used anywhere in the fan zone, and all food and drinks were served based on a deposit system of reusable tableware. It was the first time this approach was used for an event of this size. Over the entire month, this focus on sustainability made it possible for the organisers to save 24 tonnes of garbage and over 100 tonnes of CO2. In recognition of this innovative approach, the NGO known as Environmental Action Germany (Deutsche Umwelthilfe) awarded Kulturprojekte Berlin and the Host City Berlin its “Best Practice Award”.