The Story

From Idea to Structure.

We Are Berlin did not start with an association. It began with a specific situation: In the summer of 2025, it became known that the previous large New Year's Eve event at the Brandenburg Gate would no longer continue in its existing form. A coalition of cultural organizations and civil society reacted with its own initiative for a public New Year's Eve celebration in Berlin.

The existence of this coalition and the corresponding assembly registration is also documented by publications from the Berlin Administrative Court. A reaction evolved into a larger question: How can culture, societal participation, and public spaces in Berlin be conceived together?

2025: An Initiative Emerges

Within a short time, cultural professionals, event organizers, initiatives, associations, and other stakeholders came together. The project was publicly discussed and received media coverage. By the end of the year, two different New Year's Eve formats ultimately emerged: the state's event at the Brandenburg Gate and the We Are Berlin event, registered as a demonstration, at Großer Stern.

Berlin.de documented a larger We Are Berlin event around the Victory Column with several trucks and DJs for December 31, 2025. This marked the first time an idea had transformed into a real public format.

2026: A Project Becomes an Association

The experiences from this collaboration led to the next step. On July 22, 2026, the founding statutes of We Are Berlin were adopted. A project-based initiative evolved into a permanent association structure with a much broader mission: promotion of art and culture, international cooperation and understanding, and democratic opinion-forming and civic engagement.

The association is not only intended to realize its own projects. Its statutes explicitly provide for cooperation, networking, and the support of other associations, organizations, and communal initiatives.

This changes the perspective. An event becomes a structure. Individual stakeholders become a collaboration. One night becomes a long-term mission.

December 31, 2026: The Next Chapter

New Year's Eve remains one of We Are Berlin's most visible projects. The initiative is registered again at Großer Stern for December 31, 2026. However, We Are Berlin e.V. is now more than just this one project.

The association sees culture as a societal infrastructure and Berlin as a place where new forms of collaboration can emerge.

In 2025, an initiative began. In 2026, it became an association. The story continues.