The Next Day #83: Berlin Weekend Guide
Must-see events in Berlin: January 16–19, 2025
Hi,
A chilly weekend ahead with the promise of a sunny Sunday. The concert scene is buzzing, and with CTM 2025 just around the corner—one of our favorite festivals in Berlin—we couldn't be more excited.
This weekend, we highlight two standout concerts: Warm Winters presents Aleksandra Słyż, Marta Forsberg, and Luka Aron to silent green, while Iranian musician Saba Alizadeh performs at Kantine am Berghain. For fans of experimental music, Archives Sonores II at Studio dB is an excellent choice.
In the art world, it's your last chance to see the stunning Dream On—Berlin, the 90s at C/O Berlin, with a closing party at OHM on Saturday.
For dance enthusiasts, Tanztage continues to impress, and The Hunger by Constanza Macras is a must-see.
See you around.
Lalai & Mateus
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🎹 CONCERTS
Ultraschall Berlin: Festival für neue Musik
Wed-Sun, 15–19.01, times vary. Radialsystem, Holzmarktstr. 33, 10243 Berlin. Tickets: 12–20€.
Ultraschall Berlin celebrates over 70 years of “Neue Musik,” contemporary classical music that pushes boundaries. The festival mixes avant-garde classics with modern premieres and features world-class ensembles, orchestras, and discussions. 🎧 Vanessa Porter
INNER CONCERT - Astra Laguna: Songs from the Forest
Friday, 17.01, 7:30–9:00 pm. Urbanstrasse 93, 2nd backyard, 5th floor, Berlin, 10967. Tickets: Urban Sports Club + €10 / Eversports €22.
Astra Laguna presents 🎧 “Songs from the Forest,” a melodic journey inspired by their time in the Amazon. Expect original compositions, sacred songs, and Amazonian mantras, blending depth, melancholy, and moments of blissful beauty.
UnNatural Encounters: Warm Winters Ltd. Presents
Friday, 17.01, 8 pm (doors 7 pm). Silent Green, Gerichtstr. 35, 13347 Wedding-Berlin. Tickets: €15.99.
A night of experimental soundscapes with Aleksandra Słyż, Marta Forsberg, and Luka Aron. It’s an electroacoustic and minimalist music fusion, exploring themes from natural tuning systems to human memory and spectral synthesis.
Divide by Zero #8
Friday, 17.01, 8.30 pm. Sowieso, Weisestrasse 24, 12049 Neukölln-Berlin.
🎧 Sarah Rossy mixes jazz, electronics, and visuals into haunting soundscapes. 🎧 TraumaZone’s duo reflects on fear and control through live video and sound—a night with unique collaborations.
Tehran Contemporary Sounds: Saba Alizadeh
Friday, 17.01, Doors 8 pm, Start 9 pm. Kantine am Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin. Tickets: 16€.
Saba Alizadeh presents 🎧 Temple of Hope, a deeply emotional album mixing Kamanche with modular synths, exploring themes of suffering, resistance, and hope inspired by Iran’s "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement.
Gardens Live
Saturday, 18.01, doors 7:30 pm, start 8:30 pm. Kantine am Berghain, Am Wriezener bhf, 10243 Berlin. Tickets: 17.60€. Opening concert: Juno Lee.
The Austrian band Gardens mixes indie pop, dream pop, and a touch of '60s psychedelic folk. Their album 🎧 Flaws explores mental health, growing up, and heartbreak with honest and beautiful melodies.
Z/ONE: A Participative Live-Audio Feature
Saturday, 18.01, 8–9:15 pm. Brotfabrik, Caligariplatz 1, 13086 Berlin. Tickets: 13–19€.
Inspired by Tarkovsky's “Stalker” and shifting borders, 🎧 Ensemble Dégénéré merges sound art, spoken word, and live electronics to explore desires and systems. Enter the Zone, share your wishes, and traverse reimagined paths of sound and narrative with Juliane Meckert and Alexis Ludwig.
Archives Sonores II
Saturday, 18.01, 9 pm - 1:30 am. Studio dB, Uferstrasse 8-11, 13357 Wedding-Berlin. Tickets: 15/20€.
An evening of experimental music and art. Featuring 🎧 Hoshiko Yamane & Makoto Sakamoto’s evolving soundscapes, 🎧 Yaporigami’s intricate beats, 🎧Izumi Yamamoto’s ambient opener, and Avi Caspi’s DJ set. Lighting by Joseph-Dewitt-Tremblay.
🪩 PARTIES
Toy Tonics presents ITALOMANIA
Friday, 17.01, 11 pm - 8 am. OXI. Wiesenweg 1-4, 10365 Berlin. Ticket: 18,10/22,60€.
🎧 Kapote, 🎧 Daniel Monaco, 🎧 Moretz, and more bring the Italo disco vibes. Dance the night away with groovy beats across two rooms, mixing the best disco and Italo gems.
PuMp Berlin Hosted by Anja Schneider with Tal Fussman #dayparty
Saturday, 18.01, 4–10 pm. OHM, Köpenicker Str. 70, 10179 Berlin.
A daytime rave at OHM, led by 🎧 Anja Schneider and 🎧 Tal Fussman. Cutting-edge beats in Berlin’s intimate tiled sweatbox—perfect for those who love electronic music without the demands of an all-nighter.
Träum Weiter: Tresor x C/O Berlin
Saturday, 18.01, 10 pm–late. Tresor, Köpenicker Str. 70, 10179 Berlin. Ticket: 22€.
Step into a time machine and relive the raw energy of Berlin in the 1990s. DJs like 🎧 Josh Wink, 🎧 Miss Djax, and 🎧 DJ T-1000 will bring the pounding beats that defined the era. This is a night to get lost in nostalgia, lose yourself on the dance floor, and feel the pulse of a legendary decade.
🎭 PERFORMING ARTS
Die Ehe der Maria Braun (The Marriage of Maria Braun)
Fri-Sat, 17-18.01 8 pm; Sun, 19.01 6 pm. After the original by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Directed by Thomas Ostermeier. DE with EN surtitles and additional mobile surtitles in FR and SP (17.01). Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Kurfürstendamm 153, 10709 Berlin. Tickets: 9-60€.
Hermann and Maria Braun marry during World War II, but Hermann is sent back to the front and presumed dead. While struggling to survive, Maria begins a relationship with a black GI until Hermann's unexpected return leads to tragedy. Hermann takes the blame for her crime, while Maria strives for a better life, caught in the turmoil of post-war Germany.
The Hunger by Constanza Macras
Sat, 18.01; Sat, 08.02; and Tue, 25.02, 7:30 pm. Volsksbühne, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. Tickets: 17–33€. Surtitles DE/EN.
Inspired by Juan José Saer's “The Witness,” this piece explores greed, colonialism, and social media excess. Through cannibalistic rituals and societal taboos, Macras questions reality in a hyperproduced digital world.
Tanztage Berlin 2025
Until 25.01. Sophiensaele, Sophienstr. 18, 10178 Berlin. Ticket: 10-15€.
Tanztage Berlin’s 34th edition continues until next weekend, presenting 10 works celebrating Berlin’s emerging dance scene.
Revolution. The Foe Of An Arrow Wound
Fri-Sun, 17–19.01, 7–8.50 pm. Humboldt Forum/Hall 2, Ground Floor, Schlosspl. 1, 10178 Berlin Ticket: 10-20€ (16 €. Tanzcard). DE/EN, with surtitles.
Inspired by "Machang Lays Low the Enemy Ranks," this transcultural performance blends history, dance, video, and costume. It explores cultural encounters and conflicts from imperial China to the Boxer War and modern-day China.
Tristan and Isolde, Richard Wagner
Saturday, 18.01, 6 pm. Directed by: Graham Vick. DE with DE and EN surtitles. Deutsche Oper Berlin Bismarckstrasse 35, 10627 Berlin-Charlottenburg. Ticket: 30-144€.
Tristan and Isolde continue to fascinate and disturb to this day. Briton Graham Vick's rendering of the lovers’ story is solemn, rejecting overdramatization. He places his protagonists in a drawing room that appears unremarkable to the casual observer but whose slightly worn elegance is speckled with details alluding to the archaic foundations beneath.
🎨 VISUAL ARTS
Esvin Alarcón Lam: Intuitive Porosity
Opening: Thursday, 16.01, 7 pm. Exhibition until: 02.03. daadgalerie, Oranienstrasse 161, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg.
Guatemalan artist Esvin Alarcón Lam explores his Chinese-Guatemalan roots and diaspora through diverse media, highlighting public spaces, community, and intuition to connect history and identity.
Kerstin Dzewior: MIT IHR – Explorations of Femininity
Opening: Thursday, 16.01, 7 pm. Exhibition until 22.02. Galerie Z22, Zähringerstrasse 22, 10707 Berlin-Charlottenburg.
Kerstin Dzewior’s detailed portraits of women in surreal, empty spaces explore introspection and self-awareness. Her works invite viewers to imagine untold narratives while reflecting on identity and inner truths.
Henning Strassburger: Köpfe & Etsu Egami: Melody
Opening: 16.01, 6-8 pm. Exhibition until 23.02. König Galerie, Alexandrinenstrasse 118–121, Berlin-Kreuzberg. Artist Talk with Henning Strassburger: Monday, 20.02, 5 pm.
Strassburger’s solo show features bold paintings and sculptures that explore identity and social narratives through vibrant, gestural compositions. Egami’s exhibition in Germany showcases six portraits that blend Japanese traditions with contemporary aesthetics, including the standout group work “Melody.”
States of Uncertain Domesticities
Opening: Friday, 17.01, 6 pm. Exhibition until 15.03. Haus Kunst Mitte, Heidestr. 54, 10557 Berlin. Free entry.
The exhibition features works by 44 international artists, performances, concerts, and films that explore what "home" means—its joys, struggles, and complexities.
Rinus Van de Velde
Opening: Friday, 17.01, 6–8 pm. Exhibition until 22.02. Simultaneously at Galerie Max Hetzler, Goethestrasse 2/3 & Bleibtreustrasse 15/16, 10623 Berlin.
Belgian artist Rinus Van de Velde creates a fictional autobiography through drawing, sculpture, video, and installation.
Paul Graham: Verdigris
Opening: Friday, 17.01, 6–9 pm. Exhibition until 15.02. carlier | gebauer, Markgrafenstrasse 67, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg.
Paul Graham’s exhibition Verdigris reflects life’s impermanence and fleeting beauty. Portraits of individuals gazing at the horizon are juxtaposed with distorted cherry blossoms captured in a New Jersey park over seven years.
Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven: dudoute_toaster_absolu (AMVK 1981–2025)
Opening: Friday, 17.01, 6–9 pm. Exhibition until 15.02. Galerie Barbara Thumm, Markgrafenstrasse 68, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg.
This is a retrospective of Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven’s career from 1981 to 2025. Inspired by her video A-X+B=12, the show highlights her cyclical exploration of life, blending animation and iconic works.
🎬 CINEMA
Videoart at Midnight #147: Roee Rosen
Friday, 17.01 at midnight. Babylon, Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 30, Berlin. Admission free.
Explore Roee Rosen's provocative and layered works blending history, politics, and erotics. Screening “OUT” (2010), “The Dust Channel” (2016), and “Explaining the Law to Kwame” (2020), Rosen will be present to discuss.
✨ MISCELLANEOUS
Clothing Swap
Saturday, 18.01, 1–5 pm. Refugio, Lenaustrasse 4, 12047 Berlin. Free entry.
Bring up to 5 items to swap and refresh your wardrobe sustainably. This is a perfect opportunity to find hidden gems and give your clothes a second life.
📣 SAVE THE DATE
🎹 CTM 2025: one of my favorite festivals celebrates diverse sonic expressions and perspectives, fostering connection in chaotic times. 24.01 - 02.02. Venues: silent green, radialsystem, Volksbühne, MONOM, Berghain, Oxi, RSO, Morphine Raum, and more. Tickets: from free until 190€ (pass festival)
🎹 Zola Jesus solo piano at CTM Festival. Sunday, 02.02, 8 pm. Volskbühne. Tickets: 28/32€.
🎭 Im Herzen der Gewalt (History of Violence) by Edouard Louis: from 20 to 24.01, Schaubühne. Tickets: 9€/60€.
🎧 Mogwai: 'The Bad Fire' Listening Party. Thu, 23.01, 8:30 pm. Rough Trade, Neukölln-Berlin. Free entry.
🎛️ Marie Davidson: a DJ Set anticipating her new record 🎧 'City Of Clowns.' Sat, 01.02, 8 pm. Rough Trade, Neukölln-Berlin. Ticket: 17€.
🎸 The Libertines return to Berlin with 🎧 All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade, but we’re hoping for tracks from their iconic 2004 self-titled album. Yeah, we’re nostalgic! Wednesday, 05.02, Columbiahalle. Tickets: 57,25€.
🎸 Mogwai: Don’t miss it if you’re into atmospheric post-rock with epic instrumentals and powerful builds. Tuesday, 11.02, Admiralpalast. Tickets: 46/69€. 🎧 God Gets You Back
🎹 Caribou: It's a rare chance to see Caribou with a full band. Get ready to dance! Support: Ela Minus. Friday, 14.02, Velodrom. Tickets: 46,25€. 🎧 Volume