The Next Day #94: Berlin Weekend Guide
Must-see events in Berlin: April 03-06, 2025
Hi,
The weekend is overflowing with brilliant moments, from iconic voices to immersive sound rituals. John Cale brings his raw brilliance back to Berlin, while Benjamin Clementine takes his final bow on a farewell tour. I’m especially drawn to GANNA and Leifur James—two live shows that promise to stir something quiet and deep.
On the experimental side, 12 Steps to Silence is this week’s must: twelve artists guiding us through an ambient journey of darkness, stillness, and flickering light. And Trance for Plants, with harpist Teresa Raff, sounds like one of those beautiful, unexpected experiences that linger.
For dancing, two clear highlights: Om Unit leads a bass-heavy lineup at OHM with Azu Tiwaline, and Toy Tonics brings the groove to Panorama Bar with Bárbara Boeing and Kiddy Smile.
It’s also a big week for theatre lovers, with the return of the FIND Festival – Festival International New Drama, hosted annually by Schaubühne. I’m especially looking forward to the latest works by Milo Rau (Medea’s Children) and Caroline Guiela Nguyen (LACRIMA).
And in between it all: cherry blossoms in full bloom, new exhibitions, and listening walks that invite you to slow down. A weekend to tune in, and feel everything.
Have a nice weekend!
Lalai & Mateus
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🎸 CONCERTS
John Cale – POPtical Illusion Tour 2025
Thursday, 03.04, 8 pm. Columbiahalle, Columbiadamm 13-21, 10965 Berlin. Tickets: €59.80 / €73.80.
The legend John Cale, co-founder of The Velvet Underground, presents his latest album 🎧 ‘POPtical Illusion’—a mix of synths, samples, organs, and pianos.
Benjamin Clementine + Beaven Waller
Thursday, 03.04, 8 pm. Columbiahalle, Columbiadamm 13-21, Berlin. Ticket: €53.45
Known for his poetic baritone and experimental take on pop, 🎧 Benjamin Clementine returns with his final tour and unreleased album, “Sir Introvert and the Featherweights”. It’s heartbreakingly beautiful.
D.I.S.C.O Electronica x K3LLR: Ubre Blanca Live
Friday, 04.04, 9:30 pm – late. Supamolly, Jessnerstr. 41, Berlin.
Scottish duo 🎧 Ubre Blanca brings horror-inspired space disco to Berlin for one eerie and groovy night. Dark disco, Italo, electro & live synth thrills till dawn. The party starts after the concert with 🎧 DJ Terrorwave for those who want to keep dancing.
Jazzexzess: GANNA + KUHN FU VII
Sunday, 06.04, 8 – 11 pm. House of Music, Revaler Str. 99, Berlin. Ticket: €10–20.
This will be an evening mixing calm and chaos. 🎧 GANNA mixes Ukrainian folk with voice loops and soft effects. 🎧 Kuhn Fu follows with jazz-punk psychedelia.
Leifur James
Sunday, 06.04, 8 pm. Säälchen, Holzmarktstr. 25, 10243, Berlin. Ticket: €28.30.
If you're into soulful electronics, ambient textures, and a touch of jazz, Leifur James brings it all live with emotional depth and cinematic intensity. It’s a beautiful ride for fans of Nils Frahm, Bonobo, or Nicolas Jaar. 🎧 Magic Seeds II
🎹 EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC & AMBIENT
Lisa Ullén & Okkyung Lee Duo
Thursday, 03.04, 8 pm. exploratorium berlin, Mehringdamm 55, 10961 Berlin. Tickets: €20 / €15 reduced.
This is a rare duo concert by Swedish pianist 🎧 Lisa Ullén and Korean cellist 🎧 Okkyung Lee, two powerhouses in improvisation. Expect bold, textured, and emotionally raw sounds that push the boundaries of contemporary experimental music.
12 Steps to Silence by Laboratorio Palestro, Motsion & Box of Tangerine
Friday, 04.04, 6 pm – 4 am. Studio dB, Uferstrasse 8-11, Studio A14 - 13357 Berlin. Ticket: €10-€20.
The collective 🎧 Motsion brings Italian collectives 🎧 Laboratorio Palestro and Box of Tangerine to Berlin. Twelve artists guide us through liminal sonic realms, where ambient, experimental, and electronic sounds blur into silence. An intimate night of audiovisual rituals awaits, where echoes shimmer and stillness resonates. 🎧 Poetry of the Vanished Territories 🎧 Xenia Reaper
Trance For Plants
Friday, 04.04, 6 – 11 pm. St. Thomas Kirche, Mariannenpl. 28. Ticket: €20.35 (no box office)
🎧 Geo22 brings an evening of sonic nourishment for flora and fauna alike, with ambient trance, hyperpop by FREE JIMI, and a harp performance by 🎧 Teresa Raff. Expect healing frequencies inside a church.
Temple of Faitiche: Mark Templeton + Institut für Feinmotorik
Saturday, 05.04, 8 pm, Kuppelhalle, silent green, Gerichtstr. 35, 13347 Berlin. Ticket: €18.12
Experimental A/V night with Canadian artist 🎧 Mark Templeton (tape reels, VHS, and loops) and 🎧 Institut für Feinmotorik, performing live with eight prepared turntables and no records.
Femme Bass Mafia x Kwia
Saturday, 05.04, 8 pm – 2 am. Kwia, Maybachufer 16, Berlin. Ticket: €10.
A warm and intimate night of experimental bass, ambient textures, and soft sonic explorations curated by the 🎧 Femme Bass Mafia collective.
Sanctum of Sound
Sunday, 06.04, 12–10 pm. MaHalla, Wilhelminenhofstr. 76, Berlin. Ticket: €18.10.
A 10-hour ambient and experimental music journey with live performances by Ark Welders Guild, Yes It’s Ananias, Dima Ustinov & Stefano Stereo, and more. It’s a meditative Sunday for deep listeners.
🪩 PARTIES
Om Unit pres. Acid Dub Studies Trilogy LIVE
Thursday, 03.04, 10 pm – 6 am. OHM, Köpenicker Str. 70, Berlin. Ticket: €15
🎧 Om Unit, bass legend and the mind behind Acid Dub Studie, brings Azu Tiwaline, Deadbeat and Honeydrip for a deep, dub-heavy night at OHM. This party is the highlight of this weekend.
CRUDE
Thursday, 03.04, 10 pm – 3 am. Säule, Am Wriezener Bahnhof 70, Berlin.
The third CRUDE showcase brings psychedelic techno and acid trance to Säule. Don’t miss resident 🎧 DJ Kaytseng’s hypnotic set, which features spiraling textures, warped synths, and a pure mind trip.
Toy Tonics
Friday, 04.04, 10 pm – 8 am. Panorama Bar, Am Wriezener Bahnhof 70, Berlin. Panorama Bar goes full groove with Toy Tonics. Expect house from Arpy Brown, ballroom flair from Kiddy Smile, and warm, percussive journeys by Brazilian favorite 🎧 Bárbara Boeing.
ISLAND UNIVERSE (Daytime Party!)
Sunday, 06.04, 3 - 11 pm. KINK, Schönhauser Allee 176, Berlin. Ticket: €8
🎧 Island Universe is perfect if you’re looking for a laidback Sunday party with good music and warm vibes. Balearic grooves and house tunes set the mood for a smooth end to the weekend.
🎭 PERFORMING ARTS
Medea’s Kinderen (Medea’s Children) by Milo Rau / NTGent (FIND Festival)
Friday, 04.04, 8:30 pm; Saturday, 05.04, 6:30 pm; and Sunday, 06.04, 6 pm. In Dutch with EN and DE surtitles. Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Kurfürstendamm 153, 10709 Berlin. Tickets: €7-€60.
Milo Rau reimagines the myth of Medea through a real Belgian criminal case. Played by children aged 8–13, the piece confronts systemic violence and racism, while transforming trauma into resistance through the power of staged illusion.
Héritage by Cédric Eeckhout (FIND Festival)
Friday, 04.04, 9 pm; Saturday, 05.04, 2:30 pm; and Sunday, 06.04, 6:15 pm. In FR with EN and DE surtitles. Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Kurfürstendamm 156, 10709 Berlin. Tickets: €20.
In this deeply personal and moving production, Belgian actor Cédric Eeckhout shares the stage with his mother and a musician to explore the legacy of love, resilience, and independence passed down through generations. Héritage is a heartfelt tribute to his mother—and to all mothers—told with tenderness, humor, and raw honesty.
SAFE HOUSE by Enda Walsh and Anna Mullarkey (FIND Festival)
Friday, 04.04, 6:30 pm; Saturday, 05.04, 4:30 pm; and Sunday, 06.04, 4 pm. In EN and Irish with DE surtitles. Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Kurfürstendamm 153, 10709 Berlin. Tickets: €7-€60.
A haunting solo piece blending music, film, and memory, "SAFE HOUSE" follows Grace, who takes refuge in a derelict court to confront her traumatic past. A collaboration between Anna Mullarkey and Enda Walsh, this song cycle blurs time, seasons, and the line between reality and fantasy.
LACRIMA by Caroline Guiela Nguyen (FIND Festival)
Saturday, 05.04, 8:30 pm; Sunday, 06.04, 8 pm. In FR, EN, Tamil, and Sign language with EN and DE surtitles. Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Kurfürstendamm 153, 10709 Berlin. Tickets: €7-€60
A global tale of invisible labor behind a royal wedding dress, "LACRIMA" follows artisans from Paris to Mumbai. Behind the beauty lies silence, secrecy, and hidden violence brought to light on stage through their voices, dreams, and tears.
The Hunger by Constanza Macras
Thursday, 03.04, 8 pm. Surtitles in EN and DE. Volksbühne Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, 10178 Berlin. Ticket: €11-€33.
"The Hunger" reflects on colonialism, greed, and ritual, inspired by Juan José Saer’s novel "The Witness." Cannibalism and consumerism merge in a surreal take on excess—past and present—challenging what’s real in a world driven by spectacle and social media.
Hexploitation by She She Pop
Fri-Sat, 04-05.04, 8 pm, in DE with EN live translation; Sunday, 06.04, 5 pm, in DE without translation. HAU 2, Hallesches Ufer 34, 10963 Berlin. Ticket: €13 -€22 .
In "Hexploitation," She She Pop, now in their 50s, confront the fears of ageing and reclaim the image of the witch. On a dark, kitschy film set, they explore visibility, lust, and rebellion using live cameras, humor, and raw honesty. It’s a bold performance of defiance and transformation.
🎨 VISUAL ARTS
The Torment of Matter
Vernissage: Thursday, 03.04, from 6 pm. Kunstquartier Bethanien, Mariannenplatz 2, Berlin.
This group show explores how artistic vision and material constraints collide and transform each other, where paint, paper, and raw elements resist control and inspire new possibilities.
Fluchtpunkt Hanoi 1906–2025
Vernissage: Thursday, 03.04, 7 – 10 pm. Roam, Lindenstrasse 91, Berlin. Free admission
This exhibition tells the story of Harry Schünadel, a German socialist who fled to Vietnam in 1906, and his family across generations. Through migration, war, and reunion, this multimedia installation explores memory, identity, and the home search.
Transformative Togetherness – Exhibition Opening
Friday, 04.04, 7 pm. View until 31.05. Green Hill Gallery, Prenzlauer Allee 7, 10405 Berlin. Free entry.
This is a group show celebrating how art and community shape each other. Expect reflections on connection, identity, and collective change.
code of engagement in flat forests
Saturday, 05.04, 4 pm – 9 pm. Hošek Contemporary, Märkisches Ufer 1z, Berlin. Ticket: €12
Movement, sound, and sculpture blur into one in this immersive journey by Hea Min Jung, Shinae Kim, and M.E.S.H., exploring the raw, self-organizing beauty of nature through choreography, sound, and installation.
Consider Listening
Sunday, 06.04, 4 pm – 7 pm. FAHRBEREITSCHAFT, Herzbergstr. 40–43, Berlin. Free entry.
This group show curated by Sam Durant and Axel Haubrok features works from the Haubrok Collection and loans by artists like Kim Gordon, Claire Fontaine, Alfredo Jaar, Monica Bonvicini, Ana Prvački and others.
💫 MISCELLANEOUS
The Art of Listening
Thursday, 03.04, 5 - 7 pm. Pablo Neruda Library, Frankfurter Allee 14A, Berlin. Free.
This is a unique chance to explore experimental listening through classical and electronic works like Rameau and Stockhausen. Blending inner reflection with sound perception, the workshop opens new ways to connect with music beyond traditional formats.
Berlin by Listening – explo soundwalks
Thursday, 03.04, 7 – 7:45 pm. Meeting Point: In front of exploratorium berlin, Zossener Str. 24, 10961 Berlin. Free admission and donations are welcome. Registration is required here.
Join facilitator Thomas Gerwin for a relaxed listening journey through the diverse soundscapes surrounding the ‘exploratorium’. Discover the ‘symphony of everyday life’ and be back in time for the Lisa Ullén & Okkyung Lee Duo concert (find it above).
Berliner Staudenmarkt – Spring Edition 🪴
Sat-Sun, 05–06.04, 9 am – 6 pm. Botanischer Garten Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 6-8, Berlin. Entry included with garden ticket €7-€9.
Celebrate spring at the Botanical Garden with 80+ stalls from nurseries and seed producers across Germany. It’s a great chance to bring home new plants, discover rare perennials, get expert tips, and enjoy the lush atmosphere with bio snacks all around.
Kirschblütenfest – Gärten der Welt 🌸
Sat-Sun, 05-06.04, 12 – 5 pm. Gärten der Welt, Blumberger Damm 130, Berlin. Entry: €9 / €4 reduced, free under 6
Celebrate Hanami with cherry blossoms, Korean drums, Chinese crafts, Japanese food, and a cosplay contest. A springtime weekend in full bloom. PS: Schwedter Str. (behind the Mauerpark) is a dreamy spot this week if you love strolling under blooming cherry blossoms.
📌 SAVE THE DATE
🩰 Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker – Dog Without Feathers: One of our 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.
🎤 Anika presents her new album 🎧 “Abyss” to Volksbühne Berlin on 20.04, at 8 pm. Tickets: €26.
🎹 Yann Tiersen brings his new album 🎧 “Rathlin From A Distance | The Liquid Hour” to Rough Trade Berlin, 25.04, at 8 pm. Ticket: €23.99.
🪐 Musical Spheres turns the Planetarium into a cosmic stage with Mary Ocher, Madlen Wittenstein, and HOVR x Kotoe on 29.04, at 8 pm. Planetarium Berlin. Ticket: €25
🎤 Kim Deal brings your latest album 🎧 “Nobody Loves You More” to Metropol on 22.06, at 7 pm. Ticket: €45.
🎸 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 I wouldn’t miss it if I were you.
🎸 I can’t wait to see St. Vincent present her latest album, 🎧 “All Born Screaming,” in Berlin! The show is at 05.07 at Tempodrom. Tickets: €53-€59.
Ganna's music and style is great. I've seen her two times already and every time it's a blast 😁