Berlin, October 20th, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – Brandenburg Gate could not be prettier than it already is. Still, workers will be upgrading the sightseeing spot. By the time the big Hanukkiah is set up for the lighting of the first Hanukkah candle on December 4th, the work is supposed to be completed. Nothing will disturb the atmosphere at and around the Gate during the Christmas holidays either.
The state-owned company Berliner Immobilienmanagement says it is installing an “upgrade for the night”. To be precise: It is a new illumination system, and the number on the price tag is rather big: 1.2 million Euro. But since the new illumination supposedly uses less energy than the old one, the investment will pay for itself.
Another reason led to the decision to upgrade Brandenburg Gate’s illumination: The old one was installed 23 years ago and has to be repaired all the time. This is expensive too, also because there are hardly any spare parts for the old system. Replacing the new LED lamps, on the other hand, will be easy.
Dark Season
According to Berliner Immobilienmanagement, the appearance of Brandenburg Gate, this one spot every single Berlin tourist will visit at least once, will hardly change. The upgrades are not being installed to make the Gate even prettier, but to make sure everyone can see it at night, during the dark season.
The total number of lamps or bulbs workers will replace is 281. This means that each one of them will cost the taxpayer 4,270 Euro, installation included. Does this sound rather expensive? You bet. But there must be a convincing explanation.
Work at Brandenburg Gate begins today. Parts of it will be blocked during the process. On October 26th, the old illumination will be switched off, but the installation of a lit ball in the middle passageway was announced. That way everyone will know where they are when they race through the Gate on their bikes or when they admire it at night.