Festival for Democracy and Tolerance – Treptow-Köpenick

A classic political neighbourhood festival

The Festival for Democracy and Tolerance is one of Berlin's most prominent neighbourhood festivals. It was launched in the early 2000s by the Alliance for Democracy and Tolerance Treptow-Köpenick – a broad alliance of churches, trade unions, associations, youth facilities, district politicians, and residents. The 22nd edition will take place in 2026. This makes the festival one of the most continuous political festivals in the city.

Treptow-Köpenick and its relationship with democracy

The district of Treptow-Köpenick in southeastern Berlin is large, geographically fragmented, and politically complex. Alongside parts of the district with a strong civil society – Friedrichshagen, Adlershof, Niederschöneweide – the district also includes areas where right-wing extremist structures have gained a foothold over decades. The Alliance for Democracy and Tolerance is dedicated to precisely this tension: it aims to make democratic engagement visible, networked, and supported – not defensively, but as self-confident neighbourhood life.

Program structure at Michael-Brückner-Platz

Michael-Brückner-Platz on Schnellerstraße in Niederschöneweide is the venue. On the main stage, live bands, dance, and cabaret performances alternate with panels from politics, science, and civil society. Around forty info booths line the area – from the local history workshop to anti-racist initiatives, trade unions, church organizations, and youth facilities. For children, there are hands-on activities, drawing stations, and theatre. The day is explicitly designed as a space for encounter: politics becomes approachable, associations showcase their work, and residents engage in conversation.

Live music as a connecting element

Music forms the connecting element of the day. Over the seven hours of the program, bands from the district and from all over Berlin perform – pop-rock, singer-songwriters, hip-hop acts with a political message, and occasionally international guests. The quality has grown, but the focus remains on the shared neighbourhood experience rather than the concert.

In the state of Berlin

In the state of Berlin – Berlin is both a city and a state – Treptow-Köpenick is the largest district by area. With the Festival for Democracy and Tolerance, the district has presented itself for two decades as a place of active, democratic civic engagement and serves as a model for similar alliances elsewhere beyond its own borders.