During the Opening Gala, the International Jury will be introduced. The event is broadcasted on ZDF/3sat from 7.20 pm and streamed live on the Berlinale website.

The opening film, the world premiere of François Ozon's Peter von Kant, which is in Competition for the Bear Awards will be shown directly after. The director and his film team – Denis Ménochet, who plays the main part, and members of the cast, Khalil Garbia and Stéfan Crépon - will introduce the film in the Berlinale Palast.

In addition to the members of the International Jury, the Encounters Jury, the GWFF Best First Feature Award Jury, the jury of the Berlinale Documentary Award as well as members of the International Short Film Jury were seen on the Red Carpet.

A number of prominent German politicians and ambassadors also walked the red carpet along  with international and national guests :

Asia Argento, Dario Argento, Emily Atef, Iris Berben, Jonathan Berlin, Denis Côté, Anne-Marie Descôtes, Stéphane Dion, Andreas Dresen, Nancy Faeser, Maria Furtwängler, Martina Gedeck, Helene Hegemann, Annekatrin Hendel, Philipp Hochmair, Jerry Hoffmann, Louis Hofmann, Markus Imboden, Lorna Ishema, Janine Jackowski, Meltem Kaptan, Burghart Klaußner, Wolfgang Kohlhaase, Jessica Krummacher, Heike Makatsch, Ricardo Martínez Váquez, Ulrich Matthes, Arif Havas Oegroseno, Clark Price, Burhan Qurbani, Anne Ratte-Polle, Sophie Rois, Clemens Schick, Wolfgang Schmidt, Jan Schomburg, Maria Schrader, Lilith Stangenberg, Armando Varricchio, Pedro Raúl Villagra Delgado and Julia von Heinz.

Due to the Covid-19 hygiene and security measures, there will be a reduction in seating capacity in the Berlinale cinemas to 50 percent. For the guests at premieres further hygiene measures will be put in place, which will help to create a safe festival atmosphere. Due to the pandemic, it will not be possible to hold an opening party.