The Berlin Senate’s decision to slash culture funding means December 1, 2024, will be the last chance to enjoy free entry to around 60 museums in the capital.

Cuts spell the end of Berlin’s Museum Sunday on December 1

This weekend marks the last opportunity for locals and tourists to visit 60 museums in Berlin for free as part of the city’s Museum Sunday (Museumssonntag) project.

The project was first launched in July 2021 and allowed free entry to the city’s museums on the first Sunday of every month. During its successful three-and-a-half-year run, 2,2 million people visited 81 museums over 42 Sundays.

On the last Museum Sunday, many of the city’s most popular spots will allow visitors to stop by without booking a time slot. Head to the Museum Sunday website to check out what’s on this weekend.

Berlin culture workers protest planned cuts

Museum Sunday is one of the first tangible victims of culture sector cuts recently announced by Berlin’s CDU-SPD local government.

The coalition’s plan to slash funding for the city’s world-famous opera houses, theatres, nightclubs, galleries and concert halls by around 130 million euros has sparked international headlines asking if the “brutal” cuts will be the death of Berlin as a European cultural hive.

On November 29 at 3pm, thousands of workers in the culture sector are expected to gather before the city hall (Rotes Rathaus) to protest the planned cuts.

Thumb image credit: Marina Datsenko / Shutterstock.com