The Next Day #79: Berlin Weekend Guide
Must-See Events in Berlin: 5–8 December. Cover photo: anaiis by Jenny Brough.
Hi,
These short, dark, and cold days make it challenging to leave the house. Luckily, Berlin’s cultural calendar is good enough to motivate and get us out the door.
Our top concert picks this week are Desire at Frannz and Alessandro Cortini at Silent Green. We’re intrigued by the Sacred Realism Festival at KM28 and curious about “Wir Zaudern, Wir Brennen,” featuring Marta Forsberg. Daniela Huerta’s listening experience at MONOM is also on our list.
For those ready to dance into the early hours, Paramida plays Panorama Bar on Friday. Saturday is packed with options: the farewell party at Trauma Bar und Kino, now just Trauma, Goth-Trad at Panke, and Djrum at OHM. Seems like we’re in a bit of a bass phase.
We plan to attend Dance and Four New Works by the Lucinda Childs Dance Company, showcased this week as part of the Performing Arts Season at Berliner Festspiele.
In the art world, this week’s highlights include the opening of ‘Semiha Berksoy: Singing in Full Colour' on Thursday and ‘Alicja Rogalska: Terms and Conditions’ and ‘Kiri Dalena’ at n.b.k. on Friday.
For film lovers, don’t miss the program at ‘Around the World in 14 Films.’ We also recommend the exploration session ‘The Impact of Improv – a playful leadership’ led by Dr. Chris Heimann. Gropius Bau hosts a long evening with a fantastic lineup on Thursday and Sunday calls for samba and feijoada at Festsaal.
Have a nice weekend,
Lalai & Mateus
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Desire
Thursday, 05.12, 8 pm. Frannz, Schönhauser Allee 36 10435 Berlin. Ticket: 28,20€.
Desire mixes synth-pop and retro sounds with lush synths and melancholic melodies. Formed in 2009 by Johnny Jewel and Megan Louise, they rose to fame with 🎧 Under Your Spell on the “Drive” soundtrack. Their music explores love and longing with a cinematic, 80s-inspired style. 🎧 Drama Queen
Odd Beholder: Something to Feel Better
Thursday, 05.12, 8 pm. Kantine am Berghain, Am Wriezener bhf 70, 10243 Berlin. Ticket: 24,69€.
Odd Beholder is the project of Swiss artist Daniela Weinmann, who creates songs with electronic sounds and thoughtful lyrics, exploring themes like isolation, connection, and change. 🎧 Feel Better
PROBLEMS + The Tarts
Friday, 06.12. DJ set from 9 pm; Concerts at 10 pm. Madame Claude, Lübbener Str. 19, 10997 Berlin. Ticket: donation-based.
PROBLEMS is Darren Keen's project pushing pop music boundaries with robotic vocals, intricate arpeggiators, and retro Casio tones. Darren seems like the kind of person I'd love to have as a friend. 🎧 Enter the Annals
MonoNeon
Friday, 07.12, 8:30 pm. Gretchen, Obentrautstrasse 19-21, 10963 Berlin. Ticket: 28,25€.
🎧 MonoNeon, the bassist known for his bold style and work with Prince, brings his high-energy experimental sound to Berlin. Wait for a night full of funky grooves!
MikroHiejazzis: Danûk - Morîk
Saturday, 07.12, 10 pm - 4 am, including a jam session. Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Mitte. Ticket: 5/10€ - Musician with instrument: 5€.
Danûk performs 🎧 Morîk, reviving Kurdish heritage through archived recordings, followed by MikroHiejazz, a multicultural journey blending Oriental, Latin, and Balkan sounds. Bring your instrument and/or good vibes for this night.
THF TOWER live with Anaiis
Sunday, 08.12, 8 - 10 pm. Flughafen Tempelhof Tower, Tempelhofer Damm 45
12101 Berlin. Ticket: 25€.
🎧 Anaiis is a Franco-Senegalese singer-songwriter blending jazz, R&B, and soul, exploring freedom and identity through her music.
Naima Bock
Sunday, 08.12, 8 pm. Neue Zukunft, Alt-Stralau 68, 10245 Berlin. Ticket: 19,80€.
Naima Bock, a British singer-songwriter with Brazilian roots, blends folk and jazz to create introspective, emotional songs. Her warm, soothing voice makes her concerts perfect for ending the weekend. 🎧 Bellow a Massive Dark Land
Festival Sacred Realism 2024
Wed-Fri, 4-6.12, 8 pm. KM28, Karl-Marx-Str. 28, Neukölln, Berlin.
The "Sacred Realism Festival 2024" celebrates experimental and contemporary music featuring artists like 🎧 Laura Steenberge, Stefan Thut, 🎧 Ahti & Ahti, and others. It offers performances exploring minimalism, soundscapes, and collaborations.
Wir Zaudern, Wir Brennen with Tim Holland & Marta Forsberg
Thursday, 05.12, 7:30-9 pm. Brotfabrik, Caligariplatz 1 13086 Berlin. Ticket: 11,15/13,23€.
"Wir Zaudern, Wir Brennen" is a live radio play envisioning a future interspecies society tackling the climate crisis. Featuring Tim Holland's poetry, 🎧 Marta Forsberg's music, AI scores, and natural sounds, it explores the coexistence between humans, animals, and plants.
Gleo, Roísín Berkeley, Mnemosyna
Friday, 06.12, 7 pm - 12 am. Overflow Studios, Adalberstrasse 9, Back Building. Ticket: 13,55€
Berlin duo 🎧 'gleo' performs music from their Ireland residency, with visuals by Joey Bania and Dre Roelandt, joined by Roísín Berkeley and Mnemosyna. Proceeds support displaced people in Lebanon. We’ve never been to this place, but we like the idea.
Alessandro Cortini + Agnese Menguzzato
Friday, 06.12, 8 pm. silent green, Gerichtstrasse 35, 13347 Wedding-Berlin. Ticket: 40,49€.
Alessandro Cortini will perform a live set featuring his modular synth sounds and compositions. Known for his work with Nine Inch Nails and solo releases like the recent 🎧 Nati Infiniti, this concert is a must for electronic music fans. Opening the night is composer 🎧 Agnese Menguzzato.
Winter Music + Echoes of Tomorrow
Sat, 07.12: Talk at 5:45 pm and concert at 7 pm; Sun, 08.12, Concert at 4 pm & 7 pm, talk at 5:45 pm. Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg 10, 10557 Berlin. Tickets: 9/15€ concerts - 12/20€ combined tickets.
"Winter Music 2024" connects generations in music, celebrating composers like 🎧York Höller and Ernstalbrecht Stiebler, remembering late artists, and presenting fresh works by 🎧 Liza Lim and George Lewis. With performances like the 🎧 Fabrik Quartet, young ensembles, and panel discussions (in German), it offers a weekend of sonic renewal and reflection on music's future.
Spatial Improvisations(LIVE)- Adventurous Music Plateaux Edition
Saturday, 07.12, 6-7 pm and 8-9 pm. MONOM/Funkhaus Berlin, Nalepastrasse 18, 12459 Berlin. Ticket: 15€ each session.
This event features two live improvisation sessions with Polish and Berlin-based artists, showcasing diverse approaches to sound. Their music will be spatialized live on the 4DSOUND system in a top Berlin studio. 🎧 Daniela Huerta
The BB Show
Thursday, 05.12, 9 pm - 2 am. SO36, Oranienstrasse 190, 10999 Berlin. Ticket: 22,60€.
Welcome to The BB Show, an evening of Drag and Burlesque! For the seventh year, BLEACH and BABYCHINO share the stage for one night only, joined by a long line-up of guests. As Peaches said, “A must-see naked queen!”
Love On The Rocks
Friday, 06.12, 10 pm - 8 am. Panorama Bar, 70 Am Wriezener Bahnhof.
A party with 🎧 Paramida, 🎧 DMX Krew, and 🎧 Kim Ann Foxman on the decks —can’t go wrong.
Goodbye Bar und Kino
Saturday, 07.12, 11 pm - 5 am. Trauma Bar und Kino, Heidestrasse 50, Mitte,
10557 Berlin. Ticket: 16,95€.
Trauma Bar und Kino has exciting plans for 2025 and will rebrand as Trauma. This event is a farewell celebration by this beloved venue, featuring a concert with 🎧 Kiss Facility —a fusion of Arabic-inspired dream pop and shoegaze—alongside DJs like Nico Adomako and 🎧 Mobile Girl.
The Mine
Saturday, 07.12, 11 pm - 7 am. Panke, Gerichtstrasse 23, 13347 Berlin. Ticket: 11,30/19,75€.
"The Mine" is a dubstep and bass music event series from Brighton celebrated for deep, immersive soundscapes and heavy basslines. Featuring artists like 🎧 Goth-Trad (live), Danny Scrilla, 🎧 Amy Kisnorbo, SGT Pokes, and others.
AWK SCL
Saturday, 07.12, 11:59 pm - 8 am. OHM, Köpenicker Str. 70, 10179 Berlin. Ticket: 15€
3-hour set with 🎧 Djrum, mixing jazz, dubstep, techno, and ambient into atmospheric electronic music.
Dance – Lucinda Childs Dance Company
Wed-Thu, 04-05.12, 7:30 pm. Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Schaperstraße 24, 10719 Berlin Ticket: 25€-55€.
Simple, almost minimalist movements—fluid yet highly dynamic, with endless repetitions and subtle variations—define ‘Dance.’ This 1979 piece by choreographer Lucinda Childs combines dance, Philip Glass’s music, and Sol LeWitt’s projections into a meditative experience.
Qui a tué mon père (Who killed my father)
Wednesday, 4.12 to Friday, 6.12, 8 pm. Directed by Thomas Ostermeier. In French with German and English surtitles and additional mobile surtitles in Spanish. Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Kurfürstendamm 153, 10709 Berlin. Ticket:11€-49 €.
Using the broken body of his father as a starting point, French writer Édouard Louis undertakes a defiant rewrite of the recent political and social history of France. Édouard Louis is a performer in one of his works.
The Arsonists (Biedermann und die Brandstifter)
Friday, 6.12, 7:30 pm. In German with English surtitles. Berliner Ensemble, Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1, 10117 Berlin. Ticket: 18 €-57 €.
Max Frisch’s political parable follows Biedermann, outraged by arsonists—until they arrive at his door. A sharp critique of complacency in the face of destructive forces. Directed by Fritzi Wartenberg.
Gob Squad – Are you still with us?
Saturday, 07.12, 5 pm. Durational performance in English and German. Approx. 4 hours. HAU2, Hallesches Ufer 34, 10963 Berlin. Ticket: 13€-22€.
What happens when you’ve been together for nearly 30 years? When you know each other inside out? When your private and professional lives are completely intertwined? When you’ve grown, matured, and aged together, shared love, children, an office, artistic visions, and created over 30 works? You lay your cards on the table and expose your soul without shame.
Four New Works – Lucinda Childs Dance Company
Saturday 7.12 and Sunday 8.12 7:30 pm. Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Schaperstraße 24, 10719 Berlin Ticket: 25€-55€.
Lucinda Childs, one of the icons of post-modern dance, presents “Four New Works” with her Lucinda Childs Dance Company for the first time in Berlin, collaborating with visual artist Anri Sala, pianist Anton Batagov, and composers Philip Glass and Hildur Guðnadóttir. Along with new short pieces for the dancers of her company, a solo performed by the choreographer herself will be featured.
Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi
Wednesday, 4.12, 7:30 pm & Saturday, 8.12, 5 pm. Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bismarckstrasse 35, 10627 Berlin. Ticket: 26 €/144 €.
Verdi’s 1847 adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy intensifies the drama with emotional twists and relentless tension, propelling the characters toward their grim fates. Directed by Marie-Ève Signeyrole; conducted by Enrique Mazzola.
A Techno Balle Odyssey
Thu-Sun, 05-08.12, 6:30 - 11:30 pm. Kraftwerk, Köpenicker Str. 70, 10179 Berlin. Ticket: 59€.
"A Techno Ballet Odyssey" combines techno and contemporary ballet at Berlin's iconic Kraftwerk. The show follows a journey of self-discovery with live music by DJ 🎧 Marko Nastić. After the show, you can enjoy two more hours at Kraftwerk with music, drinks, food, and dancing. We’re curious even though it’s expensive.
Semiha Berksoy: Singing in Full Colour
Opening: Thursday, 05.12, 7 pm. Exhibition until 11.05.25. Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstrasse 50, 10557 Berlin. Opening: Free admission. Tickets: 8/16€.
The first German retrospective of Semiha Berksoy (1910–2004) celebrates her bold fusion of opera and art, her connection to Berlin, and her vibrant career spanning six decades. It features 80+ works, archival materials, and rare recordings, highlighting her cultural impact in Turkey and beyond.
A Closer Look
Opening: Friday, 06.12, 6 - 8 pm. Exhibition until 25.01.25. Haverkampf Leistenschneider, Mommsenstrasse 67, 10629 Berlin. Free admission.
This exhibition invites viewers to uncover hidden details in works by Katherine Bradford, Anne Buckwalter, and others. It challenges fleeting attention through miniatures, reflections, and subtle narratives, encouraging slow observation and revealing layers that reward the patient and curious eye.
Alicja Rogalska. Terms and Conditions / Kiri Dalena.
Opening: Friday, 06.12, 7 pm. Exhibition until 02.02.25. n.b.k., Chausseestrasse 128 / 129, 10115 Berlin. Free admission
Two new exhibitions exploring collective action and resistance: Alice Rogalska works with communities to imagine better futures through workshops and performances. Dalena focuses on political injustice in the Philippines, using video and photography to highlight protest, unity, and healing.
Follow the Tree Flowers
Sat, 07.12, 5 - 11 pm. Sun, 08.12, performance at 2 pm. HKW, Haus der Kulturen der Welt John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin. Free admission.
"Follow the Tree Flowers" closes the “Forgive Us Our Trespasses / Vergib uns unsere Schuld” exhibition with performances, poetry, screenings, and conversations (English). Inspired by Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” it focuses on queer resilience and refuge-making in African contexts, celebrating activism and hope.
Performance: “Do U Wanna Talk About It” with Camila Rhodi
Sunday, 08.12, 4 - 8 pm. Bärenzwinger, Im Köllnischen Park, 10179 Berlin. Free admission.
Intimate 4-minute performance on sexual abuse trauma, where one audience member meets the artist Camila Rhodi for personal dialogue. Part of the exhibition T4b00.
Around the World in 14 Films
Until 07.12, various times. Cinemas: Kulturbrauerei, Delphi Lux, and Neues Off.
I love the idea behind this event: “Around the World in 14 Films” is a festival showcasing the year’s most outstanding films, offering a global perspective. The “Vermiglio” and “Mond” are on our wish list.
No Other Land
Sat-Sun, 07-08.12, 6 pm; Thursday, 19.12, 8 pm. Sínema Transtopia, Lindower Str. 20/22/Haus C, 13347 Berlin. Ticket: 9€. Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Norway, Palestine 2024, 93 Min., Arabic, Hebrew with English subtitles.
The doc “No Other Land” follows Palestinian activist Basel and Israeli journalist Yuval as they unite to expose the truth about Masafer Yatta, a village facing eviction. A powerful look at life under occupation and unexpected alliances.
We recommend checking out this list if you're looking for a Christmas market.
Long Evening at Gropius Bau
Thursday, 05.12, 7:30 - 9:45 pm. Gropius Bau, Niederkirchnerstrasse 7, 10963 Berlin
Screening of Rirkrit Tiravanija’s 2008 film “Chew the Fat,” featuring conversations with 12 artists of the "relational aesthetics" generation. The event includes a discussion with Isabelle Graw, Jackie Thomae, Brigitte Weingart, and a concert by Casey Spooner.
Italian Market - Christmas Festival
Saturday, 7.12, 12 pm - 10 pm & Sunday, 8.12, 12 pm - 8 pm. Napoleon Complex, Modersohnstrasse 35-45, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain. Ticket: 4 €.
Celebrate Italian culture, art, and cuisine at this festive Christmas market in Friedrichshain. It is a perfect mix of holiday spirit and Italian traditions.
Viola Beuscher Berlin Pop-up
Saturday, 07.12, 12 - 6 pm. Klub Maison Space, Lindower Str. 20, Wedding, 13347 Berlin.
Viola Beuscher presents her first limited-edition Matcha set in collaboration with Matchasome alongside her classic ceramics. Join this exclusive pop-up to shop unique pieces and enjoy a Matcha moment filled with creativity and style.
Roda de Feijoada
Sunday, 08.12, 2-10 pm. Festsaal Kreuzberg, Am Flutgraben 2, 12435 Berlin. Ticket: 15€ - until 17 years old is free admission. You get a 3-euro discount using the code THENEXTDAY.
The Roda's Weihnachtsmarkt Edition features a delicious Brazilian food market with special Christmas dishes, live samba music and DJs, Santa Claus (Papai Noel in Portuguese), and activities for kids and the whole family.
DISCARDING - the final phase of A Participatory Planet
Until Thursday, 05.12, various times. HKW, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin. Free admission (some workshops require registration).
How can waste be recognized and defined, and how can it be rethought to questions of reuse, repair, accountability, and ongoing engagement? Discarding is a program of workshops, performative offerings, keynotes, and a concert that challenges our relationship with waste.
“The Impact of Improv” - how to explore leadership in a playful way
Thursday, 05.12, 6 - 9 pm. Oranienstrasse, 189, Kreuzberg. Ticket: 15€.
This event is an interactive improvisation session led by Dr. Chris Heimann, a Royal Academy of Dramatic Art teacher. Through theater games and reflection, participants explore the present moment, embracing uncertainty as a source of creativity and transformation, linking improvisation to leadership and self-awareness.
🎹 20 Years of Sink: 🎧 Sink mixes minimal chords, Yamaha DX-7 sounds, minidisc textures, and dynamic percussion into a sonic feast. Monday, 09.12, 7 - 10 pm. Galiläakirche. Ticket: 15€.
🎤 Rahim Redcar (fka Christine and the Queens) presents his latest album, 🎧 “HOPECORE,” at Lido the following Wednesday (11.12). Ticket: 33€.
🎹 XJAZZ! presents: Azymuth: The band mixes jazz, funk, and Brazilian rhythms in their “crazy samba,” with over 30 albums and collaborations with legends like Stevie Wonder. It’s a 🎧 must-see concert. Thu, 12.12, 7 pm. Lido. Ticket: 29,04€.
🎹 Ólafur Arnalds OPIA presents a transcendent night where electronic and modern-classical music features 🎧 Ela Minus, 🎧 Natascha Polké, 🎧 Sofi Paez, and others. Sat, 14.12, from 5 pm. silent green Ticket: 49,12€.
🎹 Justice brings their latest album, 🎧 Hiperdrama, to Berlin. Sat, 14.12, 8 pm. Max-Schmeling-Halle. Ticket: 63,22/68,97€.