Festival: 70 years of the Berlin Airlift

12 May 2019

DC-3 "Candy Bomber"

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Airlift, Berlin is celebrating a big «Airlift Festival» with more than 50,000 expected guests at the former Tempelhof Airport.

70 years ago, on 12 May 1949, the Berlin blockade imposed by the Soviet Union on 24 June 1948 ended. West Berlin could again be supplied by land, and the legendary airlift of the Americans, British and French, among others, became superfluous. The state of Berlin celebrates this important historical event with a big Airlift Festival on the apron of the former Tempelhof Airport. A varied programme for the whole family is planned. The Airlift Festival is intended to provide an opportunity for cheerful celebration and information about the many exciting details of what happened 70 years ago.

Installation sends the guests of the «Festival of the Airlift» on a journey through time

An audiovisual installation specially conceived for the «Festival of the Airlift» in one of the hangars of the former Tempelhof airport shows film and photo shoots underpinned by a special sound design. The guests are to be sent on an emotional journey through time. The offer in another hangar is more informative and geared towards a concrete afterlife. There, original exhibits, typical decorations and media installations document the logistics and planning of the Airlift as well as the personal and humanitarian commitment that ensured the survival of the city for almost a year. Further details about the festival will be published at the end of April.