The Next Day #80: Berlin Weekend Guide
Must-See Events in Berlin: 12-15 December
Hi,
As the year winds down, it’s the perfect time to gather with friends and loved ones, sharing in the festive spirit of the season. From cozy Christmas markets to lively gatherings, Berlin is bustling with holiday cheer.
While some may be jetting off to warmer destinations or visiting family, the city offers plenty to keep you entertained. Dive into our curated suggestions below and make the most of the season—whether it’s sipping Glühwein at a Christmas market or discovering something new.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Mateus & Lalai
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Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys
Thursday, 12.12, 6 - 6:45 pm. Gropius Bau, Niederkirchnerstrasse 7, 10963 Berlin. The exhibition ticket is required.
Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys perform their 🎧 art-pop and tender noise in Rirkrit Tiravanija's installation “untitled 1996 (rehearsal studio no. 6),” exploring themes of belonging and home. Casey Spooner debuts his album 🎧 With Love From Death Beach at 8:30 pm.
XXJazz presents Azymuth
Thursday, 12.12, 7 pm. Lido, Cuvrystrasse 7, 10977, Kreuzberg-Berlin. Ticket: 29,04€.
Azymuth brings their “crazy samba” to the stage, mixing jazz, funk, and Brazilian rhythms. With over 30 albums and collaborations with legends like Stevie Wonder, their live show is a must for music lovers. It’s a 🎧 must-see concert.
SO SOON
Thursday, 12.12, 8:30 pm. Kantine am Berghain, Rüdersdorfer Str. 70, 10243 Berlin. Ticket: 19,70€.
Melancholic indie pop, folk, and electronica from 🎧 So Soon capture Berlin's winter mood with introspective melodies—an ideal soundtrack for cold, gray days.
FO SHO – PANDAwomen 2024
Saturday, 14.12, 8 pm. PANDA Platforma, Knaackstr. 97, 10435 Berlin. Ticket: 17 € online / 20 € at the door.
Part of the PANDAwomen 2024 Festival, 🎧 FO SHO, an African-Ukrainian trio, brings their hip-hop mixing trap, hip-hop, R’n’B, and rock.
Cava – Support: Günther and the Jauchs
Friday, 13.12, 8 pm. Privatclub, Skalitzer Str. 85-86, 10997 Berlin. Ticket: 20,50 €.
Garage-punk duo Cava channels pure energy in their latest album, 🎧 Powertrip, a fierce critique of sexism, classism, and capitalism. With fuzzed-out guitars and punk-rock rage, they reclaim power and amplify non-cis-male voices in the music industry.
Ólafur Arnalds OPIA presents
Saturday, 14.12, 5 pm. silent green, Gerichtstrasse 35, 13347 Berlin. Ticket: 49,12€.
Ólafur Arnalds' OPIA returns to silent green again this year. The event presents a transcendent night where electronic and modern-classical music features Ela Minus - who is releasing a new album, 🎧 “DIA,” in January, 🎧 Natascha Polké, Odalie, Davidsson, 🎧 Sofi Paez, YANA, and The Vernon Spring.
Komfortrauschen (live)
Saturday, 14.12, 8 pm - 1 am. Bi Nuu, Im U-Bhf. Schlesisches Tor, 10997 Berlin. Ticket: 28,25€.
Forget laptops and pre-made loops— 🎧 Komfortrauschen delivers raw, live techno with mechanical rhythms, acid guitars, and thunderous bass. It’s an analog band playing electronic music.
Justice
Saturday, 14.12, 8 pm. Max-Schmeling-Halle, Am Falkpl. 1, 10437 Berlin. Ticket: 63,22/68,97€.
I have to admit I’m not a big fan of Justice’s new album 🎧 “Hiperdrama,” but I was a huge fan of the duo and headbanged a lot to their music. Plus, their shows are always visually stunning. It’s on the list for nostalgia.
Berlin Improvisers Orchestra
Friday, 12.04.2024, 8 pm - 10 pm (with intermission). Kühlspot Social Club, Lehderstrasse 74-79, Weissensee, 13086 Berlin. Ticket: 15 €/10 €.
A group of 🎧 25 musicians creating live and improvised music, mixing jazz and classical styles in spontaneous and unique performances.
IMMMERMEEEHR by Gordon Kampe [1976]
Sat, 14.12, 5 pm - 6:10 pm; Wed, 18.12, 10:30 am; Sat, 21.12, 2 pm & 5 pm; Fri, 27.12, 5 pm; Mon, 30.12, 5 pm. Tischlerei der Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bismarckstrasse 35, 10627 Berlin. Ticket: 25 €/10 €.
A children’s musical theatre exploring school stress, exclusion, and trauma. Perfect for a family outing with kids 8+. In German with German surtitles.
For more experimental music concerts, check out this great agenda.
Gudrun Gut
Thursday, 12.12, Soundwaves Stations open at 2 pm; Concert at 8 pm. Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Str. 50, 10785 Berlin. Free admission.
Live concert by Berlin underground legend Gudrun Gut. Her appearance at Neue Nationalgalerie accompanies the third edition of our Sound Art / Ambient - Listening format Soundwaves! SoundArt stations designed by Veit Laurent Kurz and Jens Rønholt Schmidt.
Our favorite listening bars in Berlin for Winter Evenings - Don’t forget to check if they’re open before you go:
Rhinoçéros
📍 Rhinower Str. 3, Prenzlauer Berg, 10437 Berlin 🕒 Tuesday - Saturday: 6:30 pm - 1 am. Open on Monday for listening sessions - follow their Instagram.
✨Cozy jazz vibes with natural wines, great cocktails, and Japanese whiskies.
Migas
📍 Lindower Str. 19, Wedding, 13347 Berlin 🕒 Wednesday - Tuesday: 7 pm - 12 am; Friday - Saturday, 7 pm - 2 am.
🎶 Perfect for unwinding after concerts at Silent Green with great selectors, albums, and a warm ambiance.
Unkompress
📍 Sanderstrasse 11, Kreuzberg 12047 Berlin. 🕒 Wednesday - Thursday: 2 - 11 pm; Friday - Saturday: 2 pm - 1 am.
🍷 A haven for music lovers near Hasenheide, mixing audiophile sound systems, eclectic music, and a cozy vibe. On Thursday, 12.12, a dedicated listening session showcases Arooj Aftab: 🎧 Night Reign (Verve, 2024, 49 minutes).
Kwia
📍 Pannierstrasse 53, Neukölln, 12047 Berlin. 🕒 Tuesday - Sunday: 8 pm - 1 am.
🌟 Sit on the floor, relax with live and DJ sets, and enjoy their impeccable curation. It’s always a great choice.
Bruta Cena
Thursday, 12.12.2024, 7 pm. Club der polnischen Versager, Ackerstrasse 168, Berlin. Ticket: €15 / €12 with pre-registration.
Brazilian celebration to close 2024 with samba jazz by Berlinda Samba Jazz and DJ Renatrix spinning Brazilian vinyl treasures. Event by Bruta Flor and Cena Berlim.
Club Future East – Future Goes Late
Thursday, 12.12, 10 pm - 6 am. OHM, Köpenicker Str. 70, 10179 Berlin. Ticket: 10 €/15 €.
Lucky us, the great Future East Festival launches its new residency at OHM! This is a great chance to explore fresh sounds and discover more non-Western artists. Expect live performances from AMMNEJAH, 🎧 Nesa Azadikhah, Sam Eyvaz, and others.
Outer Place
Friday, 13.12, 11 pm - 11 am. Hoppetosse, Eichenstrasse 4, 12435 Berlin. Ticket: 18,10 €.
A night of electro and dub techno headlined by 🎧 Detroit In Effect, delivering raw, unfiltered grooves on the most sought-after boat of Berlin's winter season. The line-up features 🎧 Gwenan, 🎧 Dea, and Ma.to. It is an irresistible lineup for dancefloor enthusiasts.
WINTERLIGHTS: Mano Le Tough / Robag Wruhme
Friday, 13.12, 7 pm - 1 am. Dark Matter Berlin, Köpenicker Chaussee 46, 10317 Berlin. Ticket: 31,65 €.
The final live @ Winterlights’24 event takes over the outdoor area of Dark Matter. Mano Le Tough delivers his melody-driven, disco-inflected house, while Robag Wruhme lights up the night with his signature electronic soundscapes. Support by Sara Miller.
Klubnacht - 20 Jahre Berghain
Fri-Mon, 13-16.12, 11:59 pm - 8 am. Berghain/Panorama Bar/Säule, 70 Am Wriezener Bahnhof; Friedrichshain.
A massive party to celebrate 20 years of Berghain with three dance floors and a lineup featuring the very best in electronic music. It’s a dream come true, but brace yourself—the queue might last as long as the three-day celebration!
Fear Of Silence - Incursion Release Party
Friday, 13.12, 5 pm - 12 am. Giri, Hermannstrasse 14, 12049 Berlin. Free admission.
Celebrate Delta Division’s new EP “Incursion” at this cozy bar in Neukölln with IDM and bass music performances by Delta Division, Air Protection Office, Ida, and 🎧 Fukinsei.
1—06 x HÖR – Transition
Saturday, 14.12, 2 pm - 2 am. 1—06, Wilhelminenhofstr. 66, 12459 Berlin. Ticket: 25€
HÖR’s Transition moves to the 1—06 space at Berlin’s historic Wilhelmine building. An event combining art, music, live shows, dance performances, and DJ sets, all streamed by HÖR. The lineup wasn’t announced when we’ve made this guide, but expect electro and experimental sounds.
PORN by Pornceptual
Saturday, 14.12, 11 pm - 12 pm. MUENZE, Molkenmarkt 2, 10179 Berlin. Ticket: 27,90€.
World-class techno, trance, and more with 🎧 fka.m4a, 🎧 Lady Machine, and 🎧 Dasha Rush. Unleash your inner kink at this fun night. Don’t forget the dress code.
Woyzeck
Wednesday, 11.12 7:30 pm. Directed by: Ersan Mondtag. In German with English Surtitles. Berliner Ensemble. Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1, 10117 Berlin. Tickets: 12€ to 50€.
Georg Büchner was only 23 years old when he began to write his play Woyzeck, which was visionary for his times and full of powerful imagery. This unfinished fragment is one of the most famous texts in German literature. Woyzeck, a humble soldier, serves as a barber to the Captain. His wages are not enough to provide for his beloved Marie and their child, so he hires himself out as a medical test object.
FLÓBÉR
Thursday, 12.12 to Sunday 15.12 7:30 pm. Created by Telmo Branco. Berliner Ringtheater, Alt-Stralau 68, 10245 Berlin. Ticket: 15€.
FLÓBÉR is an activist performance that addresses the symbiotic relation between family and nation-states in the proliferation of dictatorial and colonial practices. This interdisciplinary work combines autobiographical theater, contemporary dance, sound design and documentary film to explore the concepts of colonial love and internalized oppression.
In My Room
Friday, 13.12, 7 pm. Directed by Falk Richter. In German with English Surtitles. Maxim Gorki Theater, Am Festungsgraben 2, 10117 Berlin. Tickets: 12€ to 40€.
Falk Richter’s In My Room is a research project that unfolds a multilayered web of memories, images and voices from the personal space of a son and author, weaving biographical experiences with social narratives into a panorama of a present become past.
The Essence of North: Pure & Guided Tour (Music & Art)
Friday, 13.12, 6 pm - 8 pm (guided tour), 7 pm (concert). Haus am Waldsee, Argentinische Allee 30, 14163 Berlin. Ticket: 16 €/12 €.
Start with a guided tour of Gisèle Vienne’s "This Causes Consciousness to Fracture – A Puppet Play," followed by a poetic concert by Gerdur Gunnarsdóttir (violin, viola) and Claudio Puntin (clarinet). Their music mixes Nordic-inspired soundscapes, melodic clarity, and improvisation.
Access Kafka
Opening Thursday 12.12. Until 05.05.25. Open daily 10 am to 6 pm. Jüdisch Museum Berlin, Lindenstr. 9–14 10969 Berlin. Tickets: 10€.
Kafka comes to Berlin! One hundred years after the death of Franz Kafka, the Jewish Museum Berlin is providing new insights into his work with its exhibition Access Kafka: manuscripts and drawings from Franz Kafka’s estate come together with contemporary art by artists such as Yael Bartana, Maria Eichhorn, Anne Imhof, Martin Kippenberger, Maria Lassnig, Trevor Paglen and Hito Steyerl. The focus is on universal and timeless questions concerning access.
Christopher Roth: Europe Endless: Materials, Trailers, Out–Takes
Opening 14.12, 11am to 6pm. Until 21.12. Tue – Sat, 11am-6pm. Esther Schipper, Potsdamer Strasse 81E, 10785 Berlin. Free admission.
Christopher Roth’s one-week presentation takes place on occasion of his forthcoming trilogy of films exploring the history of geographical and philosophical borderlands, family and friendship and the future. Setting the scene with sculptures of over dimensional bags of French Fries and a colorized edition of English PEL chairs (redesigned by Jasper Morrison for TYP) as a make-shift cinema, the presentation addresses Europe as a constantly moving target.
Queer Ping Pong: Dyke Ping Homo Pong
Sunday, 15.12 from 11 am to 7 pm. Gropius Bau, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin. Free admission.
Combining table tennis with queer club culture, the participatory project creates a social space that overcomes the supposed contradiction between play and discourse. Accompanied by DJ sets and a concert, newcomers, pros, artists and children can come together in a playful way in the Gropius Bau. Curated by Yeşim Duman, as part of Rirkrit Tiravanija’s solo exhibition.
SloVision – Slowenische Filmtage in Berlin
Thursday, 12.12 - Sunday, 15.12. SPUTNIK Kino, Kreuzberg. Tickets: 6,05/11€.
Six Slovenian films showcase themes from identity to conspiracy, blending personal and political. Highlights: existential thrillers, road trip nostalgia, and intimate explorations of illness, memory, and history. Curated by Bernd Buder. (OmUeng)
Portuguese Language Book Fair
Until Friday, 13.12, 10 am - 5 pm. Brasilianische Botschaft, Wallstrasse 57, 10179 Berlin.
The event showcases literature from Portuguese-speaking countries spanning four continents, reflecting diverse cultures and histories. Books in Portuguese and German translations from notable authors are available.
Tinman X Estelle BRUNCH
Sunday, 15.12, from 10 am. Estelle, Kopenhagener Str. 12A, 10437 Berlin. Set menu with four courses and a free seasonal surprise at the end for €39.50. Reservations here.
Estelle and Tinman team up for a festive brunch featuring global favorites with a twist, cocktails, and “bottomless bubbles.”
Merry Markthalle
Sunday, 15.12 & 22.12, 11 am - 6 pm. Markthalle Neun, Eisenbahnstr. 42/43, 10997 Berlin.
Indoor Christmas market with artisan goods, handmade treats, and festive vibes. From cheese fondue to natural wine, panettone to ceramics—perfect for gifting or indulging.
Sonic Matters III – Independent Label Market
Sunday, 15.12, 2 - 8 pm. silent green, Gerichtstrasse 35, 13347 Berlin. Free admission.
Berlin labels host a third record market with experimental, ambient, noise, and electro-acoustic music on vinyl, tapes, and CDs.