The Next Day #101: Berlin Weekend Guide
Must-see events in Berlin: May 22-25
Hi!
The weather isn’t promising sunshine, but 22º and cloudy sounds just right for a weekend of art, dance, and deep listening. Our top highlight is the premiere of “A Year Without Summer”, Florentina Holzinger’s latest at Volksbühne (tickets were still available when we closed the guide). The long-awaited retrospective of Lygia Clark also opens at Neue Nationalgalerie (yes, we’ve seen it - yes, you should go).
On Saturday, Driftmachine takes their modular explorations to a church, while on Sunday, Jazzexzess hosts a live night with Sheen Trio and Sera Kalo’s new project. And if you’re up for something more communal, Dub & Dal turns two with dub, food, and a warm gathering at MaHalla.
See you around
Lalai & Mateus
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🎸 CONCERTS
Okuda & Dyberg – Record Release: Glasscut
Wed, 21.05, 8:30 pm. Sowieso, Weisestr. 24, 12049 Berlin. Ticket: donation-based
Free jazz and experimental chamber sounds from pianist Rieko Okuda and saxophonist Mia Dyberg, celebrating their new LP Glasscut.
111 Years of Sun Ra & Marshall Allen’s 101st Birthday
Friday, 23.05, 8 pm (doors 7:30). Galiläakirche, Rigaer Str. 9 10247 Berlin. Ticket: €15 (box office)
A cosmic tribute to Sun Ra and Marshall Allen with live intergalactic jazz from Berlin’s orbit. Space is the place.
Vincent Meissner Trio – Live Jazz
Saturday, 24.05, 9 pm. Donau115, Donaustr. 115, 12043 Berlin. Ticket: Donation-based
A young German jazz trio with great chemistry and drive. Vincent Meissner’s is releasing the new album “Eigengrau.”
Sophie Auster
Sunday, 25.05, 8 pm (doors 7 pm). Franzz Club, Schönhauser Allee 36, 10435 Berlin. Ticket: €36.40
Blending indie folk, jazz-inflected pop, and poetic songwriting, Sophie Auster brings to the stage Milk for Ulcers, a deeply personal album shaped by grief, motherhood, and resilience.
Rival Consoles – A/V Live
Sunday, 25.05, 8–11 pm. Kesselhaus, Knaackstr. 97, 10435 Berlin. Ticket: €34.90
Ryan Lee West returns with a new album, “Landscape from Memory” on Erased Tapes and a live A/V show mixing ambient, textured synths and conceptual electronics.
Blank Mind: Ottomani Parker ft. Bint Mbareh, Notte Infinita
Sunday, 25.05, 8–11 pm. Morphine Raum, Köpenicker Str. 147, 10997 Berlin. Ticket: €10
Dub techno meets jazz with Ottomani Parker and guest Bint Mbareh. Notte Infinita adds ambient bass and sound system pressure, creating an immersive experience.
🎹 EXPERIMENTAL & AMBIENT MUSIC
upsammy pres. Strange Meridians + Andriy K
Thursday, 22.05, 8 pm. Silent Green, Gerichtstr. 35, 13347 Berlin. Ticket: €26.64
Audiovisual show by upsammy to present her album “Strange Meridians.” Moving away from club music, she explores ambient textures, ghostly field recordings with visuals by Tharim Cornelisse. Support artist Andriy K. Club.
krautfuzz – Record Release
Friday, 23.05, 7 pm. Schokoladen, Ackerstr. 169, 10115 Berlin. Ticket: €13.60 -limited tickets available at the door.
krautfuzz celebrates the release of Live at The Church (feat. J Mascis) with a raw, improvised set mixing kraut, fuzzed-out psych, noise, and minimalism — joined by live visuals from iLan. After 10 pm, Cosmic Kicks takes over with post-punk, shoegaze, and dark disco by DJs Plastic Penny and Disco Volante.
Driftmachine – Live Modular Set
Saturday, 24.05, 8 pm (doors 7:30). Galiläakirche, Rigaer Str. 9, 10247 Berlin. Ticket: €15.57 presale / €15 box office
Berlin duo Driftmachine offers deep modular explorations and bass-heavy atmospheres inside a church setting.
Jazzexzess: Sheen Trio + Sera Kalo’s eX.II
Sunday, 25.05, 8 - 11 pm. House of Music, Revaler Str. 99, 10245 Berlin. Ticket: €10-€20.
An evening of layered jazz, Iranian textures, and sonic experimentation. Sheen Trio brings bass clarinet, electronics, and mythic grooves; Sera Kalo’s new quartet merges new-wave jazz with deep lyricism and abstract soundscapes.
FLORA Festival [Session 2] – Deep Listening Gathering
Sunday, 25.05, 3–9 pm. Location TBA (somewhere in Berlin - connect with them on Telegram or IG). Free entry
A DIY outdoor session focused on ambient and deep listening. Lineup includes Ophélie, Emika Elena, and Martina Serra. I don’t have much context, but the event piqued my curiosity.
🪩 PARTIES
DREEEEEAMS – B2B All Night
Friday, 23.05, 9 pm – 6 am. arkaoda, Karl-Marx-Platz 16, 12043 Berlin. Ticket: €15
A night of back-to-back sets mixing disco, progressive house, and trancey pop. Hosted by Frinda di Lanco and Hendrik Stein, with Super Sound Global, Imad B2B Triqi, Din Daa Daa B2B Valentin, and more.
Laundrette – Queer House Night
Friday, 23.05, 10 pm – 6 am. Panorama Bar, Am Wriezener Bahnhof 70, 10243 Berlin. Ticket: €20
David Elimelech, Partok, and Roi Perez host another edition of their queer house night, with Jorkes, Samira, NIKS, and more. Expect deep house, nu disco, and a cruising-culture energy.
Dub & Dal – 2 Years Celebration
Saturday, 24.05, 6 pm – 4 am. MaHalla, Wilhelminenhofstr. 76, 12459 Berlin. Ticket: €15
Three-floor gathering with dub, bass, Indian food, workshops and AV installations. Featuring Ganja Riddim SoundSystem, Ophelie, Dakta Dub, and O.M.Theorem (live).
Warming Release Chill In
Saturday, 24.05, 8 pm–2 am. Kwia, Maybachufer 16, 12047 Berlin. Ticket: €10–15
A cozy ambient night celebrating WARM02, the latest release from Warning’s downtempo sub-label featuring Toxido Mask, Sui, Klex, and Mars Leder. Curated for deep listening and quiet drifting.
🎭 PERFORMING ARTS
A Year without Summer by Florentina Holzinger
Premiere: Wed, 21.05, 7:30 pm; Fri-Sun, 23–25.05 (plus dates in June), 7:30 pm. Volksbühne, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, 10178. Ticket: €16-€44.
A dark, visceral performance by Florentina Holzinger and ensemble set in a world without summer. Drawing from Frankenstein, climate catastrophe, and body-tech fantasies, it explores creation, control, and the fine line between beauty and monstrosity.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Wednesday, 21.05, 7:30 pm. Staatsballett Berlin. Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bismarckstrasse 35, 10627. Ticket: €34–€110.
Edward Clug’s poetic staging blends Shakespeare’s whimsical tale with Milko Lazar’s music. Lovers, fairies, and fools collide in an enchanted forest where reality dissolves and love reveals its many illusions.
Der Bericht für eine Akademie (A Report to an Academy)
Thursday, 22.05, 7:30 pm. In DE with EN surtitles. Maxim Gorki Theater, Am Festungsgraben 2, 10117. Tickets: €12–€40.
Kafka’s ape-turned-human Red Peter confronts the cost of conformity in Oliver Frljić’s raw, provocative staging. It’s a brutal tale of assimilation, lost identity, and the human instinct to civilize through suppression.
Drei Mal Leben (Life x 3)
Saturday, 24.05, 7:30 pm. In DE with EN surtitles. Berliner Ensemble, Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1, Ticket: €18-€57.
Three versions of one disastrous evening unfold as social masks slip and tensions rise. Yasmina Reza’s sharp comedy dissects ego, ambition, and human frailty in a witty, multilayered staging by Andrea Breth.
📩 FROM OUR INBOX
Here Surrounded by Water by JUANA
Fri-Sat, 23-24.05 , 7:30 pm. TAK Theater, Prinzenstr. 85f, 10969 Berlin. Ticket: €12–15
It’s a multidisciplinary performance merging live music, dance, and field recordings. JUANA reflects on cultural identity and urban noise. With dancers from the hip-hop scene and a photo exhibition on solitude.
🎨 VISUAL ARTS
Lygia Clark: Retrospective
Opening: Thursday, 22.05, 7 pm. Free entrance. The exhibition runs until 12.10. Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Str. 50, 10785 Berlin. Ticket: €14
This is the first German retrospective of Brazilian artist Lygia Clark, with 120 works spanning painting, sculpture and participatory art. We’ve seen it and it’s absolutely worth your time. A series of live performances titled Kollektivkörper will accompany the exhibition, activating Clark’s participatory works throughout the summer.
Julian Rosefeldt: Nothing is Original
Opening: Friday, 23.05, from 8 pm. Free admission. Exhibition runs until 16.09. C/O Berlin, Hardenbergstr. 22–24, 10623 Berlin. Ticket: €12
A retrospective of Rosefeldt’s film installations and photo works spanning 30 years. The exhibition features rare storyboards, set photos, and archive material that reveal his cinematic deconstructions and media critiques.
Synthetic Realities: Authenticity in the Age of AI Imagery
Opening: Friday, 23.05, 6–9 pm. Runs until 07.06. Galerie Met, Mariannenstr. 33, 10999 Berlin. Free entry
What does authenticity mean when machines mimic us better than we know ourselves? This group show dives deep into the illusions of selfhood, authorship, and creativity in the age of generative AI. Featuring works by artists navigating the volatile relationship between human and machine.
Open Studios Tempelhof 2025
Sat–Sun, 24–25.05, 2–8 pm. Various locations in Berlin-Tempelhof. Free & barrier-free. Artists’ party: Saturday from 8 pm with live music + DJs
Around 100 artists open their studios across five sites in Tempelhof’s industrial zone. Expect performances, talks, rooftop views, and a party on Saturday night at Zebrahaus.
🇩🇪 LEARN GERMAN (sponsored content )
Free Trial German Class at Genau Genau
Hobrechtstrasse 23, Neukölln, 12047 Berlin. The first shot is free, then from €49 per class or €159-€199 for 4, 8, or 12 sessions. Check the details here.
Learning German, humour, and logic meet there. Unbelievable, but true! Genau Genau makes it cozy and clear—with free coffee, tea and no scary grammar terms. Try a 90-minute trial class for free and see if it clicks.
🎬 CINEMA & ART
Berlin Dance Film Festival 2025
Sat-Sun, 24–25.05, various times. Kino Moviemento, Kottbusser Damm 22, 10967 Berlin. Ticket: €8–10 per screening
A two-day program of international dance films — poetic, political, sensual, and strange. From short experimental works to kinetic storytelling, all screened at Berlin’s oldest cinema.
✨ MISCELLANEOUS
Naked People Reading
Wednesday, 21.05, 8 pm. ACUD, Veteranenstr. 21, 10119. Ticket: €10-€15 at the door.
A safe, inclusive space for the queer community to listen, connect, and celebrate the power of stories and presence.
BAAM! – Berlin Artists Art Market
Thu, 22.05, 6-10 pm; Fri, 23.05, 2-10 pm; Sat-Sun, 24-25.05, 11 am - 7 pm. Monopol, Provinzstr. 40-44, 13409 Berlin. Tickets: €6-€12.50.
Berlin’s vibrant art market returns to Monopol with over 100 artists, installations, food, music, and more.
Spike x Foodie Fiction
Friday, 23.05, 7–10 pm. Spike Berlin, Goebenstr. 22, 10783 Berlin. Free entry
Live readings, the cult film Daisies, new editions and objects for sale — including knives and woodcuts. Plus a signature cocktail and, yes, hard-boiled eggs. A playful take on culture’s current foodie fever.
Linke Buchtage Berlin – Political Book Days
Fri-Sun, 24–26.05. Mehringhof, Gneisenaustr. 2A, 10961 Berlin. Free entry
A gathering of independent, non-commercial publishers focused on political theory, social critique, and engaged literature. With talks, book stands, and debates — it’s more than a book fair, it’s a space for reflection and exchange.
A Platonic Affair – Open Air & Club Night
Saturday, 24.05, 3 pm – 6 am. Kaos Berlin, Wilhelminenhofstr. 92, 12459 Berlin. Ticket: €11.30–20
From riverside workshops and record digging to all-night dancing. Expect astrology readings, a market, and a record fair, followed by 15 hours of downtempo, electro, and warm grooves from Bad Flatmates, DJ Bienveillance, Kamyar Keramati, and more.
Charity Market @ Andreas Murkudis
Sunday, 25.05, 12–6 pm. Courtyard, Potsdamer Str. 81, 10785 Berlin. Free entry
Clothes, books, design objects and food — all donated, all for a good cause. Proceeds go to four Berlin-based organizations supporting women*, children and marginalized communities.
Print Aid: Fundraiser for Burma & Palestine
Sunday, 25.05, 1–8 pm. The Boys Club, Weisestr. 27, 12049 Berlin. Free entry
Print sale with works by 30+ artists. All proceeds go to Medical Aid for Palestinians and Better Burma — food by @lotsofbroth. The profits will be donated as well.
📌 SAVE THE DATE
🎟️ Method by Kata Wéber intersection of theatre and film on 26.05 at 8 pm. Volksbühne. Tickets: €12.
🎭 The Hunger by Constanza Macras, choreography with Dorkypark ensemble on 27.05 at 7:30 pm. Volksbühne. Tickets: €11-€33.
🌈 Xposed Queer Film Festival Berlin -19th Edition between 29 May – 1 June. Tickets: €11- €13.20
🎸 Stereolab is one of my favorite bands from the ’90s. They’ll be playing at Huxley’s Neue Welt on May 29th. Ticket: €41.
🌑 Dov’è Liana brings their uninhibited, mystic synthwave ritual to Berlin. Tuesday, 03.06, 7:30 pm. Kantine am Berghain. Ticket: €34.50
🎤 Kim Deal brings your latest album 🎧 “Nobody Loves You More” to Metropol on 22.06, at 7 pm. Ticket: €45.
🎸 I can’t wait to see St. Vincent present her latest album, 🎧 “All Born Screaming,” in Berlin! The show is on 05.07 at Tempodrom. Tickets: €53-€59.
⚡ Patti Smith Quartet returns for an open-air in Berlin—still fierce, wild, and luminous. Friday, 11.07, 7 pm. Zitadelle Spandau. Ticket: €73.55.
🎤 Zaho de Sagazan at Philharmonie! Chanson. Synth. Drama. Grit. 04.11, 8 pm. Tickets from €39.90. Twenty minutes of electronic music with her here.
🎸 Wolf Alice at Columbia Halle presenting their upcoming album “The Clearing”. 19.11, 8 pm. The tickets will go on sale this Thursday.