30 November 2023 , 15:01
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Even in WWE terms 2023 has been quite a year. From the Bloodline storyline - arguably the best week by week wrestling storytelling of a generation - through to the return of Cody Rhodes from AEW via board room changes aplenty that saw Triple H Paul Levesque take over day-to-day and the entire promotion embarking on a merger with UFC owners Endeavor, fans and wrestlers alike might not have known what to expect next.
And that's without even mentioning the return of CM Punk, after ten years away from the company and that infamous promo, to a rapturous welcome at last week's Survivor Series War Games. The event, which saw the company smash viewership, merchandise and box office revenue records for the umpteenth time this year and was the most-watched moment in WWE history on social media, is officially the last PPV of the year - but if today has been anything to go by 2024 is going to continue in similar style.
WWE is set to build on its huge current momentum and record-breaking gates from their international fanbase with a series of PPV events in other major international cities.
Wrestling fans from across Europe are set to descend on Germany on August 31 as the promotion takes over the Mercedes-Benz Arena for Bash in Berlin with UK fans joining queues to book tickets via Ticketmaster ahead of the launch this morning.
Ticketmaster struggled under the strain of thousands of fan with, at one point, us seeing more than 200,000 people in the virtual queue for tickets for the 17,000-seater venue. As at lunchtime, some seats are still available at the higher end, with prices topping €2,000 for premium seats.
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The Mercedes-Benz Arena will also be playing host to WWE Smackdown live on the Friday night and, as with London's Money in the Bank event earlier this year, fans can book combo tickets for both nights of the wrestling extravaganza.
Meanwhile, tickets are already on sale for Elimination Chamber: Perth in February, where Aussies Rhea Ripley and Grayson Waller can be expected to get a vociferous welcome and WWE has already announced the LDLC Arena in Lyon-Decines, France is to play host to both Friday Night Smackdown and WWE Backlash in May. Tickets aren't yet on sale for the event and WWE has not revealed when they will be available, although fans can sign up for the pre-sale now.
While there will be plenty of live events in the months between now and August, the poster already released for the event gives fans who booked Berlin tickets a hint of what to expect, although a certain pipebomb-dropping Chicago native hadn't made his return to WWE when it was first released.
The Bash in Berlin promotional imagery currently includes Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Drew McIntyre and German-born Intercontinental Champion Gunther. Meanwhile the Smackdown superstars included in the artwork include Kevin Owens, Charlotte Flair, Bobby Lashley, Jey Uso, Rey Mysterio and current rising star and fan favourite LA Knight.
British fans considering heading to Germany for the event are spoiled for choice with many UK airports offering direct flights to Berlin, including Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Stansted, Luton, Bristol, East Midlands, Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Airlines including British Airways, Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 and more. See Skyscanner for the full list of airlines available.