Street Circus & Food Festival Karlshorst

Karlshorst Racecourse – an unusual festival backdrop

The Karlshorst racecourse in the Karlshorst locality (Lichtenberg district) has been a horse racing venue since the 1890s. The grandstands, the oval asphalt track, and the extensive grounds with the characteristic clock tower form the backdrop for horse races, major events, and – several times a year – the Street Circus & Food Festival. The combination of sports venue atmosphere and festival mood makes the location unique.

Street Food from Around the World

On the central festival grounds, stands line up, offering culinary delights ranging from Berlin pulled pork to Vietnamese Phở, Mexican tacos, Lebanese Manaqish, Polish Pierogi, and classic bratwurst and potato pancakes. A bar mile offers Berlin craft cocktails, spirit tastings, mulled wine variations (in winter), or ice-cold Hugo drinks (in summer). The selection changes depending on the season – the March 2026 edition will focus more on hot drinks and winter dishes.

Walk-Acts and Live Programme

The 'Circus' part of the name is the programme: walk-acts roam the grounds during the festival – stilt walkers in fantasy costumes, fire jugglers, acrobats, living statues, small improvisation stages. In addition, DJ sets play in the hot drinks lounge and on small stages; the tempo is slowed down in the evening.

Karlshorst – a district with character

Karlshorst is located in southern Lichtenberg between Wuhlheide and Köpenick and is one of Berlin's greenest districts with many Wilhelminian-era villas. It played a special role in history: in 1945, Germany signed the unconditional surrender in Karlshorst (today's German-Russian Museum) – a place of world-historical turning points, which today is primarily known again for horse racing and family life.