Folsom Europe Berlin – Street Fair and Fetish Week in Schöneberg

What is Folsom Europe?

 

Folsom Europe is a BDSM and fetish festival modelled on the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco. Its centrepiece is the street fair around Fuggerstraße and Welserstraße near Wittenbergplatz: stage programme, stalls, scene clubs, shopping and plenty of parading in leather, rubber, gear and puppy outfits. Around it runs a party week with official and unofficial events in Berlin clubs.

 

Who organises Folsom Europe?

 

The organiser is Folsom Europe e.V. Around it, many other organisers run official or unofficial events around the street fair.

 

History

 

According to the association, the first street fair took place in 2004, with around 3,500 visitors at the time. Since then, Folsom Europe has grown into one of the most important dates in the international fetish calendar. According to the organiser, the PIG party alone attracts more than 3,000 men.

 

Dates and venues

 

• Next event: 8 to 12 September 2027 (according to the organiser)

• Street fair: Fuggerstraße with several stages and stalls

• Parties: various Berlin clubs. Previous venues included Metropol, KitKatClub, Connection and Arena.

 

Who is Folsom Europe for?

 

At its core, Folsom is an event of the queer, mainly gay leather and fetish scene. The street fair is public and open to everyone who comes respectfully. Many parties are men only, including PIG. The programme has broadened in recent years: in 2026 the official programme included "Bi-Plus Consexual", a format for bi+ people; in the past there were parties for women and trans people.

 

Dress code

 

There is no dress code for the street fair in the sense of a door check. Leather, rubber, gear, uniforms or puppy outfits are what you'll see there. The organiser draws one clear line: nudity is not allowed at the street fair. The parties during the week each have their own dress codes, listed on the individual party pages.

 

Awareness and rules

 

The street fair takes place in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. The organiser therefore explicitly sees it as a meeting place and not as a place for public play. The official street fair rules prohibit:

• nudity

• public sex

• flogging and other impact play

• public urination

• prohibited symbols

Anyone who doesn't comply has to leave the area.

 

For emergencies, the organiser lists points of contact, including MANEO (victim support for gay and bi men, 030 216 33 36), L-Support and LARA (support for lesbian, bi and queer women), the Berliner Krisendienst (Berlin crisis service) and the info team in the Regenbogenkiez. The organiser does not mention its own awareness team for the street fair. At the parties, the house rules of the respective clubs apply.

More on what matters for awareness: Awareness at events.

 

Side programme

 

In 2026 the official programme comprised seven parties: ADAM, Bear Dance Folsom, Testosterone, PIG, ANIMALZ, Bi-Plus Consexual and Recon Berlin. There were also Puppy Games on Sunday, a puppy sightseeing bus, city tours, a boat tour and even a classical concert. What makes it exciting, though, are the many events that happen around the official programme, such as the gay-BDSM.club Night – FETISH Weekend '27 on 10 September 2027 at sinberlin in Kreuzberg or the specials by Club Culture Houze, Quälgeist and co.

If you're interested in the puppy scene, you'll find more under Pet & Puppy Play Berlin.

 

 

Tickets

 

The street fair is free; a donation at the entrance is part of the concept. Party tickets are sold individually in advance via the official ticket shop, bus tours via Eventjet. Many parties sell out in advance.