Hi,
For those into experimental and avant-garde music, the big highlight this week is MaerzMusik. Also, Abul Mogard and Rafael Anton Irisarri are playing at Morphine Raum today and Thursday, but tickets are sold out, and I totally missed the boat. If anyone reading this has a spare ticket and feels like helping me out, I promise rewards!
soap&skin is another show I’d love to catch, but it also slipped past me—sold out before I even noticed.
It might seem like I’ve been absent this past month, but honestly, I was torn between Brazil and a week of trying to ski, ending up in a free-flowing, carefree kind of mood.
Back to Berlin: Archives Sonores happens Friday, and The Bug takes over Gretchen for two nights, with Sunday dedicated to ambient music.
If you’re hitting the dancefloor, there’s no shortage of good parties. Cio D’Or at LA CASITA on Thursday is on my list, while Friday has me torn between Técnica and SKEW x SPEEDTEST RAVE at Panke.
For theater, Dirty Laundry – The TrashOpera at HAU1 is the pick. In art, Vaginal Davis opens a solo exhibition at Gropius Bau. And if you’re in summer-body mode or just want to socialize, the Snack and Run Series by Pluto & Estelle is the perfect choice.
Missing something? Drop it in the comments…
Lalai
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🎸 CONCERTS
Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band
Wednesday, 19.03, 7:30 pm. Gretchen, Obentrautstrasse 19-21, 10963 Berlin. Tickets: €28.
You’ve probably grooved to 🎧 PIMP without knowing who was behind this hit. This mysterious steel pan band from Hamburg blends funk, hip-hop, and Caribbean rhythms, reworking classics and originals into something fresh.
La Force
Thursday, 20.03, 8 pm. Privatclub, Skalitzer Str. 85-86, 10997 Berlin. Tickets: €22.44.
La Force blends electronic pop, R&B, and deep, haunting melodies. Her latest album 🎧 XO SKELETON explores love, loss, and dreams with an intimate and powerful voice. It’s the kind of show that stays with you.
soap&skin
Thu-Fri, 20-21.03, 8:30 pm. Volksbühne, Linienstrasse 227, 10178 Berlin. Ticket: €47,20.
The soap&skin’s music is haunting, cinematic, and deeply emotional, mixing classical, electronic, and experimental sounds. Her intense and intimate live performances make Volksbühne the perfect setting for 🎧 Torso. This is a must-see if you’re into Björk, Nico, or dark, evocative soundscapes.
Japanese Television + Minivan
Friday, 21.03, 8:00 pm. Doors: 7:00 pm. Neue Zukunft, Alt-Stralau 68, 10245 Berlin. Tickets: €20.15.
Psychedelic surf guitars, space rock, and hypnotic instrumentals. Japanese Television crafts retro-futuristic soundscapes that feel like a sci-fi fever dream. 🎧 Automata Exotica
Avishai Cohen Trio
Friday, 21.03, 9 pm. Georg-Neumann-Saal, UdK Berlin, Einsteinufer 43, 10587 Berlin. Tickets: €45.
Zig Zag Jazz Club presents the 🎧 Avishai Cohen Trio for a night of deep melodies, rich rhythms, and virtuosic improvisation. Avishai Cohen’s bass playing is joined by Guy Moskovich on piano and Roni Kaspi on drums.
bdrmm
Sunday, 23.03, 8 pm. Säälchen, Holzmarktstrasse 25, 10243 Berlin. Tickets: €29.45.
Shoegaze meets post-rock, ambient, and electronica in 🎧 bdrmm. Layered guitars, hypnotic synths, and deep textures make this a must-see for lovers of atmospheric music.
🎹 EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC & AMBIENT
MaerzMusik 2025
Fri-Sun, 21-30.03. Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Radialsystem, Sophiensaele, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche, silent green. Tickets from €14,
If you enjoy experimental, avant-garde, contemporary classical, and ambient music, MaerzMusik is worth checking out. The festival brings together orchestral works, electronic performances, and sound art, pushing the boundaries of composition and improvisation. My highlights are MELENCOLIA by Brigitta Muntendorf and Moritz Lobeck premieres in Germany with Ensemble Modern; Nguyễn + Transitory mix electronic sound and movement with a touch-sensitive instrument; limina / Sensation 1 combines Mark Barden’s music with Ligia Lewis’ choreography, performed by Ensemble Nikel; Yarn/Wire explores micro-listening and intricate percussion; and the Finale MaerzMusik 2025: I AM ALL EARS dedicated to exploring listening as a practice.
Archives Sonores IV
Friday, 21.03, 9 pm - 2 am. Studio dB, Uferstrasse 8-11, 13357 Berlin. Tickets: €16.95.
It’s a night of experimental sound and immersive audio experiences. Featuring 🎧 Nour Sokhon’s sonic explorations, a live set by 🎧 Takahisa Mitsumori & Marcos Meza, ambient textures from 🎧 Izumi Yamamoto, and a Hybrid/DJ set by Avi Caspi.
The Bug presents: Pressure Weekender – Ambient Pressure
Sunday, 23.03, 6:00 pm. Gretchen, Obentrautstrasse 19-21, 10963 Berlin. Tickets: €12-20 (presale), Weekender Ticket: €30 + fee.
A night of deep, immersive soundscapes with 🎧 Kevin Richard Martin (aka The Bug), Fennesz, and 🎧 Thomas Köner. Expect haunting drones, cinematic textures, and minimalist compositions that push ambient music to its limits.
🪩 PARTIES
LA CASITA – First Anniversary
Thursday, 20.03, 10 pm - 6 am. OHM, Köpenicker Str. 70, 10179 Berlin. Tickets: €16.95.
Wait for a night of deep, experimental electronica in OHM’s intimate setting. Cio D’Or sets the mood with deep, atmospheric soundscapes, Any Mello keeps the energy pulsing till morning, and Syd dePalma’s live band adds organic layers. Plus, a live opera set by V.—because why not?
Disco Tehran – Nowrouz Edition
Friday, 21.03, 11:00 pm. Gretchen, Obentrautstrasse 19-21, 10963 Berlin. Tickets: €15-35.
A multicultural dancefloor celebrating Nowrouz, the Iranian new year, with live shows and global grooves. Expect a mix of Middle Eastern, African, Latin, and European sounds, blending nostalgic throwbacks with rare gems in a warm, vibrant setting. Don’t miss 🎧 Naghib Shanbehzadeh live. It can be insane. 🎧 Mirza 🎧 Prinzpfiffig
XJAZZ! x HHV – Warm-Up Takeover
Friday, 21.03, from 5 pm. HHV Store, Grünberger Str. 54, 10245 Berlin. Free entry.
One of our favorite music festivals joins forces with one of our favorite record shops. Live music, good vibes, and bubbles to warm up for XJAZZ! Festival.
Técnica presents: Winter Funeral
Friday, 21.03, 9 pm - 11 am. Secret Location (revealed via Telegram on Friday). Tickets: €15 at the door.
A cozy, immersive farewell to winter with deep techno, breakbeat, and a carefully crafted audiovisual experience. 🎧 CSILLA, 🎧 Ophélie, and Carl OG (live) set the tone, with light installations and set design shaping the space.
SKEW x SPEEDTEST RAVE
Friday, 21.03, 10 pm - 6 am. Panke, Gerichtstrasse 23, 13347 Berlin. Tickets: €15-20.
São Paulo meets Berlin in a bass-heavy night blending Drum & Bass, Jungle, Garage, and Latin-inspired sounds. The label and party SPEEDTEST rave debuts in Europe, teaming up with SKEW to push the boundaries of underground electronic music. 🎧 anna andersrum 🎧 Courtrooom Drama 🎧 Chediak
Japan Takeover
Saturday, 22.03, 9:00 pm - 3:00 am. Möbel Olfe, Reichenberger Str. 177, 10999 Berlin. Free entry.
A laidback night of city pop, jazz, electro-pop, soul, and disco—all made in Japan. We’re heading to Kotti to catch our friend Teshi spinning some tunes alongside Kayuka, NOB, and Nihon No Jazz.
NICE ONE
Sat-Sun, 22-23.03, 11 pm - 9 pm. Zenner, Alt-Treptow 15, 12435 Berlin. Ticket: €22.60-€30.
A 20+ hour journey mixing club party and deep ambient soundscapes. 🎧 Call Super, 🎧 Cassy, 🎧 Pangaea, and 🎧 DJ Fart in the Club taking over the main floor, while the London platform Experiment Intrinsic curates a chill-out space. 🎧 Vera 🎧 Nathalia 🎧 Sarah Wreath
SpeLL
Sunday, 23.03, 1:00 pm - 11:59 pm. Sonnenraum, Eichenstrasse 4a, 12435 Berlin. Tickets: €15.
A daytime trip into ethereal electronics and hypnotic techno.🎧 Skee Mask, 🎧 Spekki Webu, 🎧 Vlada, Erensu, and Vaahzer guide the journey from deep rhythms to atmospheric highs.
🎭 PERFORMING ARTS
Arabella
Thursday, 20.03, 8 pm. Directed by Tobias Kratzer. In DE with DE and EN surtitles. Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bismarckstrasse 35, 10627 Berlin. Tickets: €26-€108.
Richard Strauss’s final collaboration with Hugo von Hofmannsthal contrasts traditional gender roles with modern perspectives, set against a lush Viennese backdrop. It’s a compelling take on love, identity, and societal change.
Dirty Laundry. The TrashOpera
Friday, 21.03, 7 pm / Saturday, 22.03, 8 pm / Sunday, 23.03, 7 pm. EN with DE and EN surtitles. Moldavian Romanian & Russian. HAU 1, Stresemannstrasse 29, 10963. Ticket: €16-€25.
A cruise ship becomes a stage for capitalist critique as hidden workers throw a rebellious party. Moldovan theatre maker Nicoleta Esinencu & teatru-spălătorie challenge societal norms in this radical sound-collage performance. As part of Every Day: Feminist Struggles in Post-Socialist Europe Festival.
Orlando
Fri-Mon 21-24.03, 8 pm. Sat & Sun in DE with EN surtitles. Directed by Katie Mitchell. Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Kurfürstendamm 153, 10709 Berlin. Tickets: €9-€60.
In her biography of Orlando, Virginia Woolf describes a life that undermines every rigid category with ease and artistic freedom, imbuing them with new meaning or presenting them as fluid. She playfully interweaves life and art, reality and fiction. It’s a production combining performance on stage with live video.
Die Insel der Perversen (The island of the perverts) - A German Musical Comedy
Saturday 23.03, 8 pm. Text: Rosa von Praunheim, Director: Heiner Bomhard. In DE with EN surtitles. Deutsches Theater, Schumannstraße 13 A, 10117. Tickets: €18-€32.
Die Insel der Perversen by Rosa von Praunheim completes his DT trilogy with a bold German Musical Comedy. Blending satire, song, and dance, the show imagines a near future—will it be dystopian or delightfully queer? A playful, provocative vision where anything is possible.
🎨 VISUAL ARTS
Vaginal Davis – Fabelhaftes Produkt
Opening: Thursday, 20.03, 7 pm. Exhibition until 14.09. Gropius Bau, Niederkirchnerstrasse 7, 10963 Berlin. Tickets: €9 / reduced €6. The opening is free admission to the exhibition and a DJ set by Jimmy Trash.
Celebrating 20 years of Vaginal Davis in Berlin, this is the first major solo exhibition of her work in Germany. Across seven large-scale installations, it spans painting, film, zines, music, and performance, capturing her punk, queer, and Black countercultural legacy.
Ting-Jung Chen: Here on the Edge of the Sea We Sit
Opening: Thursday 20.03, 6 pm. Until 04.05, Tue-Sun 12-7 pm. Daadgalerie, Oranienstrasse 161, 10969 Berlin. Free Admission. Artist Talk: Ting-Jung Chen and Salomé Voegelin on Sunday at 3pm.
Does power whisper? How are territories conveyed? Can collective identity be sensed? Taiwanese artist Ting-Jung Chen explores these questions, creating a conceptual and immersive experience.
AIxploring the Unseen – Creators Night
Thursday, 21.03, 7:30 pm. Studio IIII, Potsdamer Str. 96, 10785 Berlin. Free entry (RSVP required).
Digital art meets AI, mixing generative visuals, real-time projections, and VJ performances in a 270° immersive space, featuring 13 artists, live AV performances, and interactive explorations.
Yeşim Akdeniz: Silent Strangers
Opening: Friday 21.03, 6–9 pm. Until 25.04. Wed–Sat 12–6 pm. Soy Capitán, Lindenstrasse 34, 10969 Berlin. Free Admission.
Yeşim Akdeniz’s work weaves symbolic narratives on cultural production, negotiation, and appropriation, exploring how forms, materials, and labor shift between craft and industrial production.
🍷 FOOD & DRINKS
IN ALL SENSES – Good Spirit Wine Club feat. BLUM
Friday, 21.03, 7 - 9:30 pm. Doors: 6:50 pm. Backhaus Projects, Weserstr. 168, 12045 Berlin. Tickets: €39.53.
A natural wine tasting with a mindful twist. Good Spirit and BLUM invite you to sip, swirl and savor four wines while exploring presence, connection, and redefined wellness—plus snacks to pair.
💫 MISCELLANEOUS
Book Launch & Conversation – Jana Euler: Exhibitionism
Wednesday, 19.03, 7 pm. CCA Berlin. Breitscheidplatz, 10789 Berlin. Free entry.
CCA Berlin hosts the launch of Jana Euler’s Exhibitionism, tracing 15 years of her bold and varied painting practice. She joins Fabian Schöneich for a conversation about her work and approach to exhibitions. In English.
Seanchoíche Berlin | Celebration
Thursday, 20.03, 7:30 pm. Prachtwerk, Ganghoferstr. 2, 12043 Berlin. Tickets: €23.02.
It’s a storytelling night that reminds me a bit of “The Moth” —intimate, heartfelt, and full of unexpected moments. This edition revolves around celebrations, with personal stories, spoken word, and fiction.
Pluto: Snack and Run Series
Friday, 21.03, 5:30 pm. Estelle Dining, Kopenhagener Str. 12A, Prenzlauer Berg. Tickets: €12.
A 5KM social run followed by an aperitivo at my favorite restaurant in town: Estelle Dining. Enjoy small bites, a glass of wine, and good company while soaking in that early spring energy.
Aufklärung NOW Festival Vol.3 - Voragyne at German History Museum
Friday, 21.03, 6 - 11 pm. Deutsches Historisches Museum, Unter den Linden 2, 10117 Berlin. Free admission.
An evening of live music, debate, and creativity, exploring modern perspectives on the Enlightenment. Youth debates, poetry slams, improv theater, film screenings, art workshops, and a deep dive into contemporary issues. Dancing with Bøgen and Manu Strasse and friends closes the night.
📌 SAVE THE DATE
🎭 FIND - Festival International New Drama 2025 at Schaubühne, from 04.04 to 13.04. Tickets: €7-€60.
🎚 Leifur James was a recent discovery, and I’m completely in love with his work. He’s playing on April 6th at Säälchen. Wanna join me?
🩰 Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker – Dog Without Feathers: One of my favorite Brazilian dance companies is bringing their dance Dog Without Feathers to Berlin. Sunday, 13.04, 8 pm. Admiralspalast, Friedrichstrasse 101. Tickets: €51.50 / €77.85.
🎤 Kim Deal brings your latest album “Nobody Loves You More” to Metropol on 22.06, at 7 pm. Tickets will be available soon.
🎸 Stereolab is one of my favorite bands from the ’90s. They’ll be playing at Huxley’s Neue Welt on May 29th. I won’t be in town, but if I were you, I wouldn’t miss it.
🎸 I can’t wait to see St. Vincent present her latest album, “All Born Screaming,” in Berlin! 05.07 at Tempodrom. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
💰 Help make Berlin’s job market more transparent! Handpicked Berlin is running its anonymous Salary Trends survey for the third year—take 3 min to share yours here.