New Year’s Reception of the Diplomatic Community
Raffle prizes every minute
By now a much-loved annual tradition: the New Year’s Reception at the Waldorf Astoria for the international diplomatic community in Berlin. On 20 January 2026, the Waldorf Astoria opened its ballroom to Their Excellencies and their partners from around the world. Following a convivial introduction with witty speeches by General Manager Christian Schwenke and Jan Martensen, Director of Government Sales, the Diplomatic Choir invited guests on cheerful excursions through the history of music.
From left to right: Mrs Oosthuizen and Andries Oosthuizen, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of South Africa; the Ambassador of Malta, H.E. Marlene Bonnici, and Mauro Sammut, First Secretary, Embassy of Malta
African Excellencies among themselves
Guests were able to indulge to their heart’s content at the numerous stands, embarking on culinary journeys ranging from savoury to spicy, from the unusual to the extravagant. Sweet desserts were also available in abundance. Thanks to the many sponsors, a wide variety of drinks was likewise plentifully on offer.
At around 8 p.m., the raffle was opened, with high-quality prizes being awarded to the international diplomats and their spouses at minute-by-minute intervals. These included overnight stay vouchers for Waldorf Astoria and Hilton Hotels in renowned European cities, KaDeWe vouchers, seminars from Touro University, and gift sets from KIKO, Babor, Ohde and Geldermann.
And there was one particularly special prize: the design of a full page in Diplomatisches Magazin. This year, it was won by the Green Party’s Economic Affairs Committee.
From left: the Ambassador of Thailand, H.E. Chittipat Tongprasroeth, and the Ambassador of South Korea, H.E. Sang-Beom Lim
The Ambassador of Sri Lanka
The Diplomatic Choir
The wife of the Cambodian Ambassador and the Ambassador of the Maldives, H.E. Aishath Shaan Shakir
The Ambassador of Ecuador, H.E. Vicente Albornoz, with his wife Maria Albornoz
The Ambassador of Kosovo, Dr Faruk Ajeti, with his wife
Raffle prizes every minute
More than thirty sponsors contributed to the success of the 2026 New Year’s Reception. The organisers would like to thank the companies for their generous donations.