New Year's Eve in Berlin

Due to flight availablity, I will find myself back here after Christmas. Does anyone have the inside on what goes on here for New Year's?

Update: NYE in Berlin sign-up sheet

Depends on what you feel like doing. There's always the BIG New Year's Eve party at Brandenburger Tor with impressive fireworks and like one million people (no kidding!) or you could look for special NYE parties at clubs. I will have to work (gah), so I have no idea what's going on exactly, but I am sure you'll find something fun to do!

Try buying the Zitty or checkout out online what you can find under Silvester

There's lots going on - it's just a question of what you are looking for

Ecactly it depends what you want. Party with the massses at Brandenburger Tor (offical program not yet issued but rumour has it that Scissors Sister are the main act)

It is free (hence a million people) can be good if it is dry and not too cold.

check out:

http://www.silvester-berlin.de/English/programm.html

Many parties on:

again depends on what music you into:

http://www.bartime.de/news.sylvester-party...n-2006.291.html

Scissor Sisters are indeed performing at the B'burger Tor, performance has been confirmed, although not made official yet.

The program 2007
Stage at Brandenburger Tor

6.00 pm Achtung Baby
7.10 pm SISTEM / Roberta
8.00 pm Milk & Honey
8.30 pm Lafee
9.15 pm Hermes House Band
10.00 pm Sebastian Hämer
22.00 pm Sugarbabes
11.45 pm Paul Panzer
Midnight Fireworks
0.05 am Scissor Sisters

The above mentioned times can change.
Second Stage at the Victory Column

06.00 pm DJ RTL 104.6
07.00 pm Carina Nix
07.30 pm Dave McPharell
08.00 pm DJ RTL 104.6
08.20 pm World Music Company
09.10 pm DJ RTL 104.6
09.30 pm Pachanga
10.00 pm DJ RTL 104.6
10.30 pm Hot Chocolate
Midnight Fireworks
from 00.15am Party RTL 104.6

Okay so...the two things mentioned were Scissor Sisters at the gate, and pub crawl. So I did a bit of sleuthing and found these sites. The Gate looks like a monumental (pun intended) occasion, and something I think might be a very memorable first New Year's in Berlin experience so I would definitely be up for that. The two crawls I located look good too, for €35 you get some extras and a game plan...links follow...

Brandenburg Gate

Pub Crawl 1

Pub Crawl 2

wow. why don't we have any great live bands playing at a Tor in Munich?

<hum mode>
ooh, dooit.. take your mama out all night
Yeah we'll show her what it's all about
We'll get her jacked up on some cheap champagne
We'll let the good times all roll out </hum mode>

A word of warning - if you do go to Brandenburg Gate don't wear your nicest wrags...there are problems with people letting of fireworks in the croud with will no doubt result in a lovely burn hole in your fave leather jacket!

And i would want to know where they take you on the pub crawl...which bars/clubs/pubs...

As requested elsewhere: Berlin New Year's Eve sign-up sheet

Since I was the starter of this topic, I will be the first to place my name atop the sign-up sheet. Just don't leave me hanging there alone for long! It will start to feel like my days out in right field during gym class all over again...

Does anyone know what time is appropriate for heading over to the big excitement at Brandenburger Tor? I know it gets crowded (1 million Leute) so I'd appreciate any insight from a previous attendee.

I'm Game - but I can't be into Berlin until 8 pmish because I work and live clear the heck out in no-where.

I may bring another friend (girl) with us as well Jess.

~Rose

8 sounds lovely to me! Glad to have you (and potential friend) aboard. : )

Jess, I know exactly how you feel... Just signed up and hope some others will follow.

It does sort of feel like you are having a party and waiting for people to show up! But I'm glad you will make it, Alex and Rose, and others who may be on the fence right now. Have a great time at the Christmas gathering; I'm flying out tomorrow, but will be back for the New Year's celebrations. Frohes Fest! (I hope I spelled that right.)

Where you guys meeting and whats the game plan? I might be interested (I'm still trying to decide what to do in Berlin for New Years Eve)... Anyone have any experience with those pub crawls mentioned earlier? I'd hate to miss out on the Brandenburger Tor thing for a pub crawl if its no good.

Hello from the States! I don't have much experience with the whole pub crawl thing, so if anyone out there does and thinks it is a worthwhile plan put a post up saying so...otherwise, I think the Tor is a good start and maybe finish for the evening?

Thoughts on time and meeting place?

And of course, for all you stragglers that have yet to decide your plans, the sign-up sheet is just waiting for your name...

We'll figure it out Jess - when do you get back to Germany?

Also - PMed with my cell.
~Rose

Back on the 30th - but I'm gifted with defeating jetlag.

Hey Jess, what about doing pub crawl 2- we'll end up at the TOR for the fireworks anyhow, and it might be kinda fun. I'm not sure that I'll drink so much as they will be providing (a whole entire bottle of champaign per person - UGH!) but it sounds like a blast.

Thoughts?

In the meantime, the MORE the MERRIER! (Where are all the guys on the sign up sheet?!?)

~Rose

I would be up for the Pub Crawl! Alex? I think you need to get tickets, right?

Okay, I'm off to Meijer (for you non-midwesterners: like Wal-Mart without all the bad labor and environmental policy...and guns) to stock up on American essentials like brown sugar, Advil, Instant Oatmeal, and Jif Peanut Butter. And Kraft Mac n' Cheese!

Hey Jess & Phoenix-Rose!
Count me in! Where are we meeting?
Oh.. I miss American food!

hi!

Destination to meet up has yet to be decided, but here's the highlights (copied from the pub crawl 2 link on page 1 of the thread). May I re-iterate that I am NOT (again NOT) drinking as much as they will have available here...
My thought? Meet at Oranienburger Str or someplace just before then head over...

Go on the New Berlin New Year's Eve Pub Crawl 2007!
35€ includes at least 3 bars and 2 clubs (entrance fees included), FREE vodka shots, the world famous fireworks display at the Brandenburg Gate, a FREE bottle of champagne for every person, and drink specials along the way! You won't find a better deal in Berlin. The bars and clubs we work with reserve space for us, so even though things get very full, you still get in while a line waits outside. And better yet, your entrance fee is already included in the Pub Crawl ticket price. Yes, you can thank us later.

Ladies, please remember to wear sensible shoes. Berlin often has snow on the ground around the end of the year and you'll appreciate having shoes that don't slip while moving between some of Berlin's best bars and clubs. Trust us, 150 bottles of champagne will make it hard enough for people to keep from falling over by the end of the night.

December 31st
S-Bahn Oranienburger Str.
By the station steps
Happy Hour from 8:15 pm (FREE BEER)
Pub Crawl departs at 9 pm
Running late? Meet us at Silberfisch (our first bar)

Jess - I think we do need to purchase the tickets before the night out - but they let ya pay via Paypal so that's cool.

Also - if you do plan on going, don't forget to update your profile with a pic so we can at least have some *clue* whom we're looking for!

~Rose

Just for the record, according to the weather forecast there will CERTAINLY not be any snow on NYE. Supposedly it'll be 9 °C during the day (!) and 4 °C at night.

I didn't say snow - they did. Guess they need a new Farmer's Alminac?

They are just eternal optimists, huh?!

Tee-Hee Maybe so... Although, I'd prefer snow to this infernal FOG!

Oh me, too! This foggy weather is really annoying.

Are you coming tomorrow, too, Phoenix-Rose? To the TT get-together?

Want to - but we'll see how it goes.

Currently have two immediate problems -

a) It's snowing (I live in Teltow so it's 2 hours to get to P-berg)
I have to work until 7:30 pm and then pop by the house to let the dog out. Soonest I could make it would be 10 ish...

As a result, I'm doubting it, but I wanna try - it looks like a ton of people will be there tonite.

~Rose

PS - Looks like we got our wish - SNOW instead of Fog!! :-P

Well, the snow won't last long though.

Anyhow, if you go tonight, have fun. I'll definitely join in again next week...

Well I definitely want to go to the big event at Brandenburg Tor, and the only friends who didn't go away for the holidays don't want to come because 'there'll be too many people' (and I thought that was the point!), so I'd be glad to join.

I'm not sure I'd be up for doing the pub crawl though, after all there's gonna be beer tents all over the place, and no entry fee, so I'd rather stay around the area... also I don't want to miss the Scissor Sisters

So, is there anyone still planning to go straight to the Tor or has everybody signed up for the pub crawl already?

Anyway, I'm going to add my name to the sheet and I'll keep checking for updates, looking forward to seeing some of you fellow TT'ers there!

Hey Moni,

Things are still sort of up in the air...the Tor is on the agenda for sure, but I think we were sort of just throwing things out there. Pub Crawl was an idea to hang out with more people, but if we get a big group from TT, maybe we won't need the extra boost. Glad to see you signed up, and we'll be firming up things soon!

Jess

Ok Guys, I'm issuing a last call for input on where/what we want to do on NYE.

Options on the table are:

Straight to the TOR

PUB Crawl #2 (which winds up at the TOR for fireworks)

We currently have 5 people signed up -

If We do the pub crawl #2, we can meet with everyone at the meeting point Oranienburger strasse s-bahn. If we do the straight to the TOR, I'd say meet at Potsdamer Platz (somewhere) since it's central and then walk down to the TOR.

Weather forecast for NYE - according to wetter.com - 60% chance of rain, 9 C. clearing up into partly cloudy. Same for the 1st, so I'm thinking we should plan on getting wet.

So, ladies and gent, and anyone else - place your vote for what do do and final decision for time/place can be made Saturday.

~Rose

I am leaning towards the Tor, as I am more broke than I was upon arriving here in Indiana. I bought way too much microwave popcorn. Plus, it should be nice a toasty with a million people. Should be plenty to see and do.

Jess

Ditto on the Tor. Ok that's 2 votes for TOR, and mine makes 3. Anyone else want last minute input?

~Rose

Hi,
I would like to join, yep )
also vote for TOR
yesterday's meeting in the pub was fun, today had troubles with coming to job at proper time )))

Oleg

Ah the dangers of ending up at Hairy Mary's...

So there seems to be a few of us wanting to meet up, but not do the the crawl. I say we meet at either a pub or house before hand at about 7 or 8 ish, and make our way toward the tor with our BYO bottles packed in our bags.

Any suggestions on a location to meet up?

TOR it is then. I'm working New Year's Eve Day - so it's better for me if it's 8ish somewhere.

I'm thinking somewhere near Potsdamer Platz - it's central and within a short walk to the Tor - what is up there for Bars anyone? (Apparently there's an American Sports Cafe up there someplace but I have NO clue where...)

~Rose

Rose, there's Andy's Diner and Bar and then Play Off Sports Bar, both inside the Arkaden, were you thinking of one of these? must be on the first floor I guess.

There's also Billy Wilder's in the Filmhaus.

Never been to any of them so no preference, anything's fine for me, just as long as it's easy to spot

I'm new to Berlin. My first new year here. I'd like to tag along with you guys if at all possible. Where? When? etc...

Im new in Berlin too! Looks like you all voted for the Tor. Thats great, Im a bit low on cash too. Anyhow, I think I remember seeing an American Bar/Restaurant at the very back of the Arkadien at Potsdamerplatz... but Im so new to Berlin, that its best that I do not make any suggestions. Do you think it will be difficult finding seats on new years eve?

Hi Guys!

Wow - 3 bars in one place... Considering that I don't know which is which, I'm gonna leave that up to Jess in case she has a preference (I'm not familiar with ANY of them...) She should be Berlin-side (as opposed to state-side) sometime today.

On a side note - Welcome Alan, and yes, feel free to go with. Gururise - I hope not - but one never knows. It is kind of a high tourist area and on the way to the TOR so.. it's possible.

~Rose

So,thanks for the invite, I think we are meeting at 20.00hrs but I'm not at all clear where.Perhaps I'm a bit slow.Still, plenty of time to sort that out -I' m looking forward to New Year.

Hi Alan!

Looks like Jess is still in Transit, so I'm making an executive (as in please don't execute me?) Decision - here it is -

8 PM-ish New Year's Eve -

Meet at:
Play Off Sports Bar
Potsdamer Platz Arkaden
Berlin 10785 Germany

Which is on I believe the 1st floor. (I've never been their either so your guess is as good as mine. )

You can check out my profile to see what I look like - I have a red ski jacket if that helps. For the rest of you, please post a picture so we can flag you down if we see you before you see us!

I'll check back later tonight and on New Years Eve to see if there's any last minute postings and/or questions.

~Rose

"Play Off" is indeed on the first floor, right next to Saturn (opposite of the main entrance). I've been there a couple of times, and it was okay.

Sounds like a good choice to me, thanks Rose for taking the executive decision, someone had to

From the info I found on the internet it is on the 1st floor indeed, that is, the top floor, where most of the bars and cafés are.

Edit: oops, hadn't seen Kat's post yet! so you'll definitely be working, Kat? or any chance of joining us?

No, Moni, I will not be able to join you guys - I do have to work. *sniff* Somebody should definitely bring a camera though and take some pictures!! That would be fun to look at afterwards, since I will be in the studio til 1 am. No fireworks for me. Have fun!!!

Apparently we are supposed to keep the bottles small if we are bringing them into the Tor area. I guess there is some sort of tax or something if the bottles are too big?

Looking forward to tomorrow! Thanks everyone for rallying and coming up with a good plan for the evening!

Jess

Ok Guys - hopefully I'll be there by 8, but I might be running a little late. I work until 5 instead of 4. By the time I stop back by my house, make sure I don't have any puppy nuggets left as a new year surprise and then hop the Sbahn to berlin I might be pushing 8pm, but I WILL be there.

Does someone have a stuffed animal or something to put on the table so that we can try and make sure people find us?

Also, I'm planning on bringing my cheap camera for later blackmail (KIDDING!!) purposes.

~Rose