Revolutionary art and Pussy Riot: Visit the Berlin Wall on the 35th anniversary of its fall

Every 9 November, the fall of the Berlin Wall is commemorated with live music, exhibitions and a 100-mile (161 km) run along its former edge.

2024 marks 35 years since the physical manifestation of the Iron Curtain was torn down, reuniting East and West in the German capital.

Whether you’re in the city for the momentous occasion or planning a trip in the year ahead, here’s how to delve deep into its history - from the best tours of the Berlin Wall to this month’s ‘Mauerfall’ celebrations.

Berlin’s 35-year anniversary celebrations of the fall of the Wall began back in July but will ramp up on 9 November when the streets come alive with the ‘Fest der Freiheit’ (Festival for Freedom).

One thousand musicians will form a huge parade blaring out songs that represent freedom. Along the route, video screens will display the history of the Wall, including the fateful night of 9 November 1989.

Various talks, music concerts, and exhibitions are also taking place across the city, including ‘Hold Freedom Up High!’, a four-kilometre-long open-air installation of new and historical posters displaying peaceful but revolutionary messages.

Follow the installation along the former course of the wall, which takes in the Berlin Wall Memorial, the former border crossing Checkpoint Charlie, and the Brandenburg Gate, where themed exhibitions make the events of 1989-90 tangible through photos, interviews and reports.

Don’t miss the closing concert by Russian feminist protest and performance art group Pussy Riot, which will take place in front of the former Stasi headquarters on 10 November.

If you’re not in Berlin on 9 November, you can still commemorate this historic anniversary with a thought-provoking tour along the Berlin Wall.

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