Nouruz, Newroz, Nauroz – Spring Festival at the Humboldt Forum

Spring Festival with 3,000 Years of History

With the astronomical start of spring on March 20th or 21st, hundreds of millions of people celebrate Nouruz (Persian), Newroz (Kurdish), or Nauroz (Afghan/Uzbek) – a festival that has been celebrated for over 3,000 years across a wide cultural area between Iran, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, and Central Asia. UNESCO declared the festival an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, and the UN designated March 21st as International Nowruz Day in 2010.

Berlin as a Hub for the Diaspora

Berlin is home to one of Germany's largest Persian, Kurdish, and Afghan diasporas, as well as a growing community from Central Asia. For several years, the Humboldt Forum at Schlossplatz in the Mitte district has established itself as the central venue for Berlin's Nouruz celebrations. Together with six to seven Berlin associations – including Integrationshelfer Meehr e.V., GAFCA, Rojavida, Mittani, Yekmal e.V. (Kurdish), San'at e.V. (Uzbek), and PUL e.V. – a ten-hour day is organized, providing space for connections between the communities.

What to Expect

The program is broad and aimed at families, diaspora communities, and Berliners who want to discover the festival:

• Concerts with Persian, Kurdish, Afghan, and Uzbek artists
• Dance performances by Kurdish, Afghan, and Central Asian ensembles
• Dance workshops to join in (Uzbek, Kormanji, Kurdish)
• Hands-on activities: kite making, egg painting, henna tattooing, flower crown weaving
• Bazaar with handicrafts and specialties
• Tea bar and culinary specialties from the participating communities

Schlossplatz in the Mitte District

The Humboldt Forum at Schlossplatz in Berlin's Mitte district – directly opposite Museum Island – has been one of the capital's central cultural venues since its opening in 2021. With the Nouruz program, the institution demonstrates its conscious role as a place for the cultural diversity of contemporary Berliners.