PRESS RELEASE | Berlin celebrates European football fest together with over 1 million visitors

The 2024 UEFA European Football Championship came to a close in Berlin with roughly 150,000 visitors from all over the world enjoying a spectacular final weekend at the fan zone and across the city at cultural events associated with the Fußballkultursommer. Over the course of the weekend, and especially in the lead-up to the eagerly awaited final between Spain and England at Berlin’s Olympiastadion on Sunday, the crowds gathered at Brandenburg Gate enjoyed the exhilarating atmosphere created by top acts such as the Sugababes and André Schnura, who performed football hits live on his saxophone in the midst of euphoric football fans.

The day of the Euro 2024 final marked the end of an exceptional month of football and culture in Berlin. Things had gotten underway four weeks earlier, on 12 June, with a huge opening show at the Brandenburg Gate featuring artists Luciano, Álvaro Soler, Leony and Elif. After that, the full month of events was celebrated in equal measure by Berliners and international guests at the official Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag fan zones at as well as at venues all over the capital.

The Fußballkultursommer, which offered a diverse programme of cultural and football-related events, was able to reach visitors and Berliners in areas of the city far beyond the fan zones. The programme involved everything from large-scale concerts to laid-back open-air cinema nights, dance performances, plays, exhibitions and readings. Among the 40 top-notch Berlin-based cultural partners cooperating in the programme were the Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlinische Galerie, Kulturforum, Literaturhaus, RambaZamba Theater, Maxim Gorki Theater, Staatsoper, 48 Stunden Neukölln, Brotfabrik, Haus der Statistik, Holzmarkt, Else and many more.

As soon as it opened, the stunning large-scale goal post and turf installation at the Brandenburg Gate quickly became Berlin’s most spectacular location for public viewing, but also a pop-up park that attracted thousands of enthusiastic Berliners and tourists alike. On days when no Euro 2024 matches were played, the area served as a perfect place to meets friends and go for a relaxing stroll.

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, a family of foxes, 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. No doubt visitors will remember their experiences in Berlin for a long time to come.

Joe Chialo, Berlin Senator for Culture and Social Cohesion: “What an amazing four weeks it’s been for our city! Berlin was a great host and welcomed guests from all over the world in a deeply warm-hearted way. Some of our best cultural organisations – both large and small – were on hand throughout the entire city, wonderfully showcasing the full breadth of Berlin’s cultural diversity at events that were free-of-charge and open to all. Sport and culture came together to create a unique atmosphere, and Berlin succeeded in spreading that feeling of social cohesion to the rest of the world! The spirit of EURO2024 will also live on here in the city, because the turf used to create the fan mile will be divided up and donated to football pitches in districts throughout Berlin!”

Sustainability was the principle guiding all efforts involved in the planning and implementation of the Berlin fan zone. For an entire month, everything was oriented towards the goal of operating in the most environmentally friendly and sustainable way possible. Over 80% of the structures and materials used were rented and will now be funnelled into the circular economy by means of a meticulous reutilisation concept. This includes the turf, which will be re-used in the coming months at sporting facilities, football pitches, schools and childcare facilities throughout Berlin.

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 the realm of ecological sustainability, the focus was on logistics that relied on regional service providers and products wherever possible. 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”.

“We’re delighted to have celebrated the largest football-culture party of the year at the fan zone and throughout the city. It was a great four weeks here in Berlin and we hope that all of our amazing guests and visitors will continue to revel in the positive atmosphere they experienced here for a long time to come. From our perspective, things couldn’t have gone better, and we’re so proud that our sustainability concept was able to set a new environmental standard!” said Moritz van Dülmen, CEO of Kulturprojekte Berlin.