The Next Day #53: Berlin Weekend Guide
Must-Go Events in Berlin: June 6th to June 9th
First of all, we want to thank everyone who has been with us. This week marks our first anniversary! <3
Berlin is buzzing more than ever with the start of the summer lineup, outdoor events, exhibition openings, fairs, and festivals. It's tough to choose the highlights for this edition.
If we have to pick just one show, go for Roots Reggae Legends: The Congos and The Gladiators at Lido. Especially if you couldn't secure tickets for Belle & Sebastian or BaianaSystem.
Dark Matter kicks off the Summerlights season with a live set by Max Cooper, always a must-see. For fans of experimental music, one of the highlights is Pause with Billy Bultheel & James Richards - Workers in Song at KW and Lisa Simpson at KM28.
The highlight in performing arts is the dance piece "Hatched Ensemble," directed by Mamela Nyamza, at HAU 1.
There's the Andy Warhol exhibition opening at the Neue Nationalgalerie, the "Open House" event launches the Berlin Beats season with a free 3-day program at Hamburger Bahnhof, and Akinbode Akinbiyi: 'Being, Seeing, Wandering' at the Berlinische Galerie.
There's a fashion fair at MaHalla, an Italian food festival, and a festival celebrating Tibetan culture. And don't forget to check out our "save the date" section!
❗Stay in the loop with Berlin's latest news in English through 20 Percent Berlin. Get a sneak peek of our weekend guide every Tuesday.❗
Have a nice weekend!
Lalai & Mateus
Ultra Sunn + Sarin + Skelesys
Thursday, 06.05, 8 pm. Gretchen, Obentrautstrasse 19-21, Kreuzberg. Ticket: 25,20€.
Ultra Sunn mixes Sam’s deep, dark voice with Gaelle’s analog synthesizers and industrial drum machines, inspired by Coldwave, New Beat, and modern EBM. They’ve just released the new album 🎹 "US".
Bikini Kill
Saturday, 08.06, 8 pm. Columbiahalle, Columbiadamm 13-21, 10965 Berlin. Ticket: 46,15€.
Formed in 1990, Bikini Kill is known for pioneering the riot grrrl movement, promoting feminist ideals, and delivering fierce, politically charged performances. 🎸 "Rebel Girl"
Roots Reggae Legends: The Congos and The Gladiators
Saturday, 08.06, 8 pm. Lido, Cuvrystrasse 7, Kreuzberg. Ticket: 34€.
A night featuring The Congos and The Gladiators promises legendary reggae vibes. Expect timeless classics from The Congos’ iconic 🪘"Heart of the Congos" album and The Gladiators' roots reggae anthems like 🇯🇲 "Hello Carol." Rich in history, wait for a powerful, soulful performance celebrating reggae’s finest moments.
More concerts:
🎙️ Belle & Sebastian: The indie gems from Scotland are back on stage with two fresh albums in town! Fri, 07.06, 8 pm. Admiralspalast. Tickets: 41,13/55,50€ (Sold out/waiting list). 🎧Late Developers
⚡️Max Cooper returns to Berlin to kick off the Sommerlights, the outdoor season of Dark Matter. Sat, 08.06, 8 pm. Dark Matter, Köpenicker Ch 46, 10317, Berlin. Ticket: 32€
Entangled Sounds 2024 #2 with Lisa Simpson and Graham Dunning
Friday, 07.06, 8 pm. KM28, Karl-Marx Str. 28, Neukölln. Donation based.
'Entangled Sounds' explores object-specific sounds, resonant bodies, and mechanical motion. This Friday features✂ Lisa Simpson (aka Agente Costura) with hacked sewing machines and soft electronics, and Graham Dunning with turntables and electronics.
Pause: Billy Bultheel & James Richards - Workers in Song
Fri-Sun, 8 pm. KW, Auguststrasse 69, Mitte. Ticket: 12/15€.
"Workers in Song" is a performance by composer Billy Bultheel and visual artist James Richards. It combines archival and new film and music, influenced by occult photography and spectral music. This modular piece includes poems, films, and scores by other artists, creating a fragmented narrative.
Experimental Live Sets for Palestine
Friday, 07.06, 8 pm - 4 am. Location near S Sonnenallee: DM for more info.
Catch this charity event for Palestine with experimental live sets with t0ni, trngs, Eleftheria, 🎧 bela, and more. The second part of the event features more club-oriented sets.
180 minutes with Function (live)
Thursday, 06.06, 7 pm. Zenner, Alt-Treptow 15, Treptower Park. Ticket: 22,25€.
The concept is beautifully simple: the night begins with an emerging artist, then transitions to sublime sonic realms with electronic music’s finest for a three-hour live set. The techno veteran 🎚️ Function is the next guest supported by 🎛 Sarah Wreath.
Nyege Beats for Solidarity
Thursday, 06.06, 8 pm - 4 am. Panke, Gerichtstrasse 23, Wedding.
Nyege Nyege & Panke present a new event series supporting global solidarity projects. The first edition focuses on two projects from Uganda: Homeland Brass Band and Te-Oteng Community Nursery & Primary School. 🎧 Catu Diosis
Toy Tonics presents Italomania
Sat-Sun, 08-09.06, 2 pm - 8 am. OXI, Wiesenweg 1-4, 10365 Berlin. Ticket: 18,10/22,60€.
One of my favorite parties in Berlin launches an outdoor edition with a huge line-up and three dancefloors. Don’t miss 🪩 Vio PRG playing in the garden.
Landscape
Sunday, 09.06, 8 pm - 1 am. arkaoda, Karl-Marx Platz 16, Neukölln.
Landscape event promotes active listening and creativity with interactive programs. Artists play ambient, hip-hop, and jazz. It’s a nice way to close the weekend.
Konteksty (Postartistic Congress)
Thu-Sun, 06-09.06. Floating University, Lilienthalstrasse 32, Tempelhofer Feld, 10965 Berlin. Free with registration.
Instead of defining what art is, 'postartistic' practitioners explore how to use art today. They keep it alive through collective work, self-organization, self-learning, and knowledge exchange. Their practices are grounded and embodied. The program includes lectures, screenings, performances, workshops, and listening sessions.
Adira Drag Festival: A Celebration of Arab* Drag
Saturday, 08.06, 12 pm - 6 am. Gretchen, Obentrautstrasse 19-21, Kreuzberg. Ticket: 28,25€.
The festival celebrates queer Levantine culture through drag and Arab-pop music. Held in Berlin, it features workshops, panel discussions, performances, and DJ sets, highlighting artistic talents from the Arab world. The event promotes anti-Orientalist perspectives and showcases the diverse identities of Southwest Asia and North Africa.
Tibet Festival Berlin
Sat-Sun, 3 - 10 pm. Alte Münze, Molkenmarkt 2, Mitte. Ticket: 13€.
This festival is for you if you’re interested in Tibetan culture. The event features dance, concerts, talks, workshops, food, and art.
Hatched Ensemble
Wed 05.06 and Thu 06.06 8 pm. Concept, choreography & direction: Mamela Nyamza HAU1, Stresemannstrasse 29, 10963 Berlin. Ticket: 17€ - 27€.
The poetic, emotionally haunting work is characterized by strong color symbolism and unapologetic demystification. It juxtaposes diverse musical movement material from classical Western dance history with African dance styles and vocal scores.
Alice im Wunderland
Saturday 08.06 7:30 pm. Directed by Oliver Frljić. In German with English surtitles. Maxim Gorki Theater, Am Festungsgraben 2, 10117 Berlin. Ticket: 12€ - 40€.
Lewis Carroll celebrates the anarchic power of childish nonsense in "Alice in Wonderland." It is funny, sad, and bitter all at once, questioning the nature of Wonderland. Who would Alice be today, and where would she land? Director Oliver Frljić explores how apparent nonsense can have serious consequences, highlighting that Wonderland and Nightmare Land are closer than we think.
Wir werden diese Nacht nicht sterben (We won't die tonight)
Wed 05.06 & Thu 06.06 6 pm. Text & Directed by: Guido Wertheimer. In German with English surtitles. Deutsches Theater Berlin, Schumannstraße 13a 10117 Berlin Ticket: 22€.
Guido Wertheimer writes a diary about his stay in Berlin, where his grandparents were born. In early 2020, he visits places significant to his family's history from the 1920s and 1930s. Sometimes the ghosts feel close, sometimes they disappear or hide in current events. Guest play part of ATT Autor:innenTheaterTage Festival.
Happy Days
Fri 07.06 8 pm & Sat 08.06 8 pm. Directed by Walter D. Asmus. In English. English Theatre Berlin. Fidicinstraße 40 10965 Berlin. Ticket: 17.60€.
Under a mute sky of blazing light, Winnie, sunk to her waist in a mound of sand, and her husband Willie, mostly immobile in a cave behind her, attempt to cope with their doomed situation.
Berlin, Berlin20 years of the Helmut Newton Foundation
Opening Thursday: 06.06, 7 pm. Helmut Newton Foundation, Jebensstrasse 2 D – 10623 Berlin. Exhibition until 16.02.25.
The Helmut Newton Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary in June 2024 with the group show Berlin, Berlin – and simultaneously pays tribute to the city where Newton was born.
Open House: Tage der offenen Tür
Opening Friday, 07.06, 10 am-10 pm; Sat-Sun, 11 am - 6 pm. Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstrasse 50, 10557 Berlin. Free admission.
The "Open House" kicks off the "Berlin Beats" opening season with DJ Oda Halition on Thursday at 7 pm. The event also includes the Nationalgalerie Prize 2024 exhibition and Claudia Wieser's new installation. Enjoy artist talks, tours in English and German, and open-air concerts.
Akinbode Akinbiyi: ‘Being, Seeing, Wandering’
Opening Friday: 07.06, 7 pm. Berlinische Galerie, Alte Jakobstrasse 124 – 128, Kreuzberg.
Photographer Akinbode Akinbiyi, renowned globally and based in Berlin since 1991, captures life in megacities like Berlin, Brasília, Durban, and Lagos. He sees urban spaces as labyrinths and photographs in analog black-and-white, addressing cultural change, social exclusion, and the impacts of colonialism.
Ken Nwadiogbu - "I Belong Here"
Preview Party & Opening Friday: 07.06, 7 pm. Exhibition until 13.07.24. Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, im 2. Innenhof, Linienstrasse 130, Mitte.
This thought-provoking show features vibrant paintings and mixed-media installations, bringing themes of migration, belonging, and identity. Nwadiogbu's work reflects personal and communal experiences, highlighting the complexities of home and the resilience of migrants.
Outlaw Feelings, Melanie Jame Wolf (Project Space Festival*)
Saturday, 08.06, 5 - 8 pm. Neun Kelche, Pasedagplatz 3-4 (Access via “An der Industriebahn”), 13088 Berlin-Weisensee. The performance “Burden Ballads” happens at 6 pm.
Over the years, artist Melanie Jame Wolf has moved between performance and visual art. In this new solo exhibition at Neun Kelche, she showcases exclusively sculptural works, including three latex textile pieces with metal and ceramic elements, which work in conversation across the space.
*The Project Space Festival happens until 30.6.2024: 30 days, 30 different art spaces. You can find the full program here.
Andy Warhol: ‘Velvet Rage and Beauty’
Opening Saturday: 08.06, 7 pm. Exhibition until 06.10.2024. Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Str., 50.
The Neue Nationalgalerie presents a comprehensive survey of Warhol’s quest for ideal beauty, a central theme throughout his career from the 1940s to the 1980s. Featuring over 300 works, including paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, Polaroids, films, and collages, the exhibition offers an expansive look into Warhol's artistic evolution and his lifetime pursuit of beauty, despite never publicly "coming out."
BAAM: Berlin Affordable Art Market
Fri, 07.06, 2-10 pm; Sat-Sun, 08-09.06, 12-8 pm. Monopol, Provinzstr. 40-44 13409 Berlin. Donation-based (Suggested 5€).
BAAM supports local artists and democratizes access to art. BAAM contrasts with traditional art markets, promoting a solidarity-based approach. BAAM showcases twice a year over 2000 artworks from more than 200 artists, with prices ranging from 50 to 5000 Euros.
Algorithmic Monuments: Let's talk about survival today... - Workshop with artist Lia Perjovschi
Saturday, 08.06, 11 am - 4 pm. ACUD, Veteranenstrasse 21, Mitte. Free with registration.
A brainstorming and fanzine-making session on crisis and survival strategies. The workshop is part of the "Algorithmic Monuments" exhibition.
Fetzenmarkt
Sat-Sun, 12 - 8 pm. MaHalla, Wilhelminenhofstrasse, 76, Oberschönweide. Ticket: 7€.
The Fetzenmarkt is a bi-annual fashion-focused market in Berlin, held at MaHalla. It features designer items, workshops, performances, and DJ sets.
Italian Stree Food Festival
Sat-Sun, 08-09.06, 11 am - 10 pm. OST, Alt-Stralau, 1-2, Berlin. Ticket: 5,33€.
You will find almost everything that you can think about Italian cuisine: Arancini, supplì, porchetta, arrosticini, lasagna, bignè, tiramisù, pistachio croissants, and more.
🎻 Poems by Alpha - Adi Gelbart with Ensemble KNM Berlin (live): Wednesday, 12.06, 8 pm. Berghain. Ticket: 19,47€.
🎙️ Sonic Reading Performance: "Verem. Lovesick" with Fatma Aydemir and Anthony Hüseyin. Thursday, 13.06, 7:30 - 8:15 pm. Gropius Bau. Mark your calendars and book your free tickets this Friday for next week's multilingual musical reading performance event that explores cultural metaphors of love and longing.
💥 Wasmuth Lectures | Traumata in Israel and Palestine with Gabor Maté & Macartan Humphreys (in English). Sunday, 16.06, 4 - 6 pm. Pierre Boulez Saal. Ticket: 15€.
🎙️ Belle & Sebastian: The indie gems from Scotland are back on stage with two fresh albums in town! Fri, 07.06, 8 pm. Admiralspalast. Tickets: 41,13/55,50€. 🎧Late Developers
🎹 The Smile presents the new album 🎧 Wall of Eyes. James Holden will be the opening act. ♡ 11.06, 8 pm. Uber Eats Music Hall. Ticket: 78,40/153,90€.
🎸 Garbage: Shirley Mason is back! Thu, 04.07, 8 pm. Verti Music Hall. 🎧 Betcha
🎙️ Kim Gordon's new album 🎧 "The Collective" mixes trap beats, industrial noise, and straightforward lyrics. Sat, 06.07, 8 pm. Festsaal Kreuzberg. Ticket: 47,25€.
🌕 Air play Moon Safari: Sunday, 21.07, 7 pm, Zitadelle Spandau. Ticket: 54/82€. 🎧 Moon Safari