From May 24 to 26, 2024, German citizens celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law, gathering around the Chancellor’s Office and Bundestag parliament building in Berlin’s government district. Following the official state commemoration on May 23, the public celebrations continued with the three-day Festival of Democracy. Contracted by the Federal Press Office (BPA) in cooperation with mediapool GmbH, POOLgroup acted as the technical service provider for the main stage and the town hall meetings that took place in the square in front of the Chancellor’s Office.

The goal of the Festival of Democracy was to make democracy accessible – open, diverse, and centered on people. The public could make their voices heard right in the heart of the government district, a place where legislation is usually made. Across the three days, constitutional bodies, government departments, and campaign groups hosted debates as well as cultural and musical performances.

Preparations for the Festival of Democracy started straight after the end of the official state commemoration. All pieces of infrastructure had to be reconfigured and scaled up overnight – stages rebuilt, the main stage flipped 180°, and all technical systems recalibrated.
In addition, strict security measures were in place as representatives of every federal state, federal authorities, and constitutional bodies were in attendance. Technical workflows had to be precisely planned and closely coordinated with the protocol office, police, and security services.

The POOLcrew set up the technology for the main stage and the town hall meetings – liaising closely with Mediapool and the BPA.

There was a particular focus on getting the atmosphere and staging of the government district right. The Federal Chancellor’s Office was dramatically illuminated to integrate the building’s architecture into the overall picture. The crew managed several stages on the festival grounds showcasing different program elements – from political discussions to live concerts – and ensured seamless technical coordination with artists, acts, and program points.

The services provided included:

• Audio systems, lighting, rigging, LED walls, media technology & IT
• Specialist technical planning
• Event management and consulting in close coordination with the authorities
• Conference and interpreter technology for international guests

Detailed pre-planning was crucial to ensure the running order ran smoothly during the live event. Over the course of three days, the stages hosted concerts, town hall meetings with the Federal President, the President of the Bundestag, the Federal Chancellor, the President of the Federal Council, the President of the Federal Constitutional Court, the Vice-Chancellor and the Federal Minister of Finance as well as further interactive events accompanied by music artists such as Die Fantastic Vier, Lena Meyer-Landrut, Zoe Wees, Vanessa Mai, Mine, and Florian Künstler.

A festival-like atmosphere rich with social engagement enveloped the Chancellor’s Office for three whole days. Visitors experienced lively conversations, diverse perspectives, and a candid atmosphere. The Festival of Democracy became a forum for exchange and encounters – a place where politics felt accessible and the importance of the Basic Law was evident.

Visitors and the media evaluated the Festival of Democracy as peaceful, diverse, and well organized. POOLgroup’s technical staging ensured the event was both stable and secure, and produced compelling images that were broadcast across Germany.
The event showed that democracy only works with equal amounts of technical precision and human conviction – and the POOLcrew has both.