Name: Newroz Festival Potsdam 2026
Start: 2026-03-21T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-21T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Volkspark Potsdam – Veranstaltungswall

Newroz Potsdam

About Newroz Potsdam

On March 21, 2026, the event stage in Volkspark Potsdam will transform into a colorful stage for Kurdish culture. Newroz – literally 'new day' – is the Kurdish New Year and Spring Festival, celebrated on the vernal equinox on March 21. Around 2,000 members of the Kurdish community from Brandenburg and Berlin gather in Potsdam for dances, music, and one of the largest Kurdish diaspora events in Eastern Germany. Traditional costumes, live music, fire ritual – free admission.

Dates 21 Mar — 21 Mar 2026

Venue Potsdam (12054)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Newroz Potsdam — edition 2026

Newroz – the Kurdish New Year and Spring Festival – will be celebrated on March 21, 2026, on the vernal equinox in Volkspark Potsdam. Around 2,000 members of the Kurdish community from Brandenburg and Berlin gather on the event stage for traditional dances (Govend), live music, costume shows, and the ritual fire jump. Free admission.

At the beginning of spring 2026, Volkspark Potsdam becomes the stage for the Kurdish community. In Kurdish culture, Newroz symbolizes freedom, resistance, hope, and new beginnings – a festival with Zoroastrian roots, celebrated today worldwide by Kurds.

On the event stage, dance groups, live bands, market stalls, and associations gather. Highlights include the Govend dances in traditional colorful costumes and the fire jump, symbolically bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.

Highlights Newroz Potsdam 2026

Kurdish New Year Festival, Govend dances, live music, fire jump.

Programme Newroz Potsdam 2026

Festival Schedule

12:00 p.m. — Opening of the festival grounds
Afternoon — Live music with Kurdish bands, dance groups with traditional Govend dance, costume presentations
Late Afternoon — Fire ritual with fire jump as symbolic purification and renewal
Evening — Joint dances and conclusion of the festival

On Site

Stage with live music and dance
Market area with Kurdish food and crafts
Association stands with information about Kurdish culture

Prices Newroz Potsdam 2026

Free admission. Food and drinks at market stalls.

Practical information

Practical information — Newroz Potsdam

Getting There

Tram 91 or 92 from Potsdam Central Station to the 'Volkspark' stop. By car via the A115 or B2. Parking available around the park.

Admission

Free. Food and drinks available at the market stalls.

Tip

Come between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. – that's when the dance groups and stages are most active. Traditional festive clothing in red, green, or yellow is appropriate.

Newroz – The Kurdish New Year

The Newroz Festival is one of the most important celebrations in Kurdish culture. It stands for freedom, resistance, hope, and new beginnings and is celebrated on the astronomical vernal equinox on March 21. Its roots reach back to Zoroastrian times; today, Newroz is celebrated by Kurds in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and in the diaspora worldwide.

Volkspark Potsdam as a Stage

In Potsdam, the festival has taken place for years on the event stage in Volkspark – a wide, open area in the state capital of Brandenburg. In 2026, the festival begins at 12 p.m. and attracts around 2,000 visitors throughout the day.

Program

Several stages and a market area are set up on the festival grounds. Throughout the day, dance groups perform traditional Kurdish dances (Govend), live bands play Kurdish and Middle Eastern music, and associations showcase folklore, traditional costumes, and plays. The traditional fire jump – a symbol of purification and new beginnings – is one of the highlights.

Kurdish Community in Brandenburg

Brandenburg, and especially the Berlin-Potsdam region, is home to a growing Kurdish diaspora. Several Kurdish associations from the region organize the Newroz Festival in Potsdam together with Volkspark as the organizer and venue. The event is an important meeting point for the community and, at the same time, an invitation to the majority society in Brandenburg to get to know Kurdish culture.

Migration as Tradition

The Newroz Festival is one of the largest migration celebrations in the state of Brandenburg. It demonstrates the diversity of the cultural landscape beyond traditional folk festivals. In the district of Potsdam (independent city) and the capital region, it is a fixed date in the event calendar.