Tanz in den Mai — Helle Mitte

Berlin's May Tradition in the East

"Tanz in den Mai" (Dance into May) is a nationwide ritual on April 30th: dancing into the night of May 1st, officially bidding farewell to winter, and welcoming spring and Labour Day. In Hellersdorf, within the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district, this ritual has been extended to four days—from Thursday to Sunday—and has been centrally staged on Alice-Salomon-Platz for years.

What to Expect

• Open-air stage with dance floor: daily live music (Schlager, pop, rock covers) and DJ sets, all days designed as a dance event
• Beer garden with ample seating, umbrellas, draft beer, wine, and sparkling wine
• Small bakery with crêpes, waffles, ice cream, and sweet pastries
• Snack stands: Bratwurst, roasted almonds, candied fruits, cotton candy
• Cocktail bar with strawberry Maibowle and "magic cocktails"
• Fairground rides: bumper cars, bungee trampoline, mini-tornado
• Children's carousels, ring toss, duck fishing, shooting gallery
• Completely free admission

Helle Mitte and Hellersdorf

Alice-Salomon-Platz is located in the Hellersdorf locality of the district of the same name, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, in the far east of Berlin. "Helle Mitte" is the neighbourhood centre, built in the late 1990s in response to the surrounding large housing estates—today a vibrant quarter with a library, Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences, U-Bahn station, and a large shopping centre. The festival suits the district: not touristy, but a neighbourhood festival for the approximately 270,000 residents of Marzahn-Hellersdorf and their families.

Organiser and History

The organiser is Laubinger Event GmbH, a Berlin-based showman and festival caterer that organises several public festivals in the city. The Helle Mitte festival has existed in this form for over a decade—a firmly established brand in Berlin's spring calendar.