Germany marks 36 years since reunification on Saturday 3 October 2026. German Unity Day is the only public holiday set by federal law. The date recalls the 1990 entry into force of the union of the Federal Republic with the former GDR, after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The central 2026 ceremony is not in Berlin. Bremen, which holds the Bundesrat presidency, hosts the celebration from 2 to 4 October under the motto “Viele Stärken – Ein Land”. The Bundesrat, the other constitutional organs and all 16 Länder are due on site. A civic festival is to stretch through the city centre, along Osterdeich and out to the Weserstadion.

In Berlin the local programme runs in parallel: on 3 October seven state representations in the Ministergärten hold an open day, 11:00–18:00, free of charge. The German Historical Museum announces free admission the same day. Times, stages and any restrictions should be read on berlin.de before travelling.

For visitors, the Saturday holiday may change shop, museum and transport hours. Not every initiative is free; special exhibitions may need a ticket. A provisional programme is not a final one.

This account does not invent concerts at the Brandenburg Gate and does not confuse Bremen’s federal festival with Berlin’s local events. The main source for the central celebration is the Bundesrat.

3 October, 36 years, Bremen as federal host, Berlin with open doors. That is what is confirmed now.

Image: Thomas Wolf (www.foto-tw.de), Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. Not the 2026 federal festival in Bremen.

Source consulted: German Unity Day 2026 in Bremen — Bundesrat.