This August is all about cultural immersion. From the Young Euro Classic to the Indian Food Festival to running alongside the Berlin Wall, there are tons of activities to expand your horizons and connect with all Berliners. Keep reading to get more information on Berlin’s cultural offerings.
Friday 1
Berlin Board Games Con
As fun as booty-shaking and recreational substance abuse can be, staying in for a wholesome board game night just hits different sometimes. Offering fresh inspiration, this weekend-long nerd-con features over 80 exhibitors, a giant board game flea market and a free gaming library.
- Estrel Convention Center, Sonnenallee 225, Neukölln. Through Aug 3, details.
Young Euro Classic
Orchestras from over 25 countries gather for this summer-long celebration of classical music and cultural exchange. It’s giving Eurovision, but with tuxedos and violins instead of wind machines and tear-away pants.
- Konzerthaus Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt 2, Mitte. Through Aug 17, details.
Saturday 2
Klub Verboten – 9 Year Anniversary
Bust out the baby powder and don your latex – Sex-positive crew Klub Verboten is celebrating nine years of getting freaky. With a live performance from Slut Riot and a hefty serving of techno from LASK, Polanski and Droughtwerk, this all-nighter’s programme is definitely packing.
- Kreuzwerk, Lobeckstr. 30-35, Kreuzberg. Starts 20:30, details.
Sunday 3
Bwa Kayiman Performance Festival at HKW
This programme focusing on celebrations of and reflections on Haitian sovereignty includes lectures, discussions, art installations, film screenings, concerts and much more. Coming back for its third annual installment, Bwa Kayiman unites Haitian cultural and theoretic work from every discipline.
- Haus der Kulturen der Welt, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, Moabit, details.
Tuesday 5
Berlin lacht!
For all its highbrow theatre, it is Berlin’s street performers that truly embody the spirit of the city. From breakdancers and puppeteers to clowns and fire-breathers, this free open-air festival is a celebration of everyday magic.
- Potsdamer Platz, Mitte. Through Aug 24, details.
Blind Date Cinema: Memoir of a Snail
If years of semi-successful online dating have left your self-confidence in shambles (hang in there, friend), this unique matchmaking movie night might be for you. Fill out a questionnaire before the film, then stick around for a post-screening drink with your match. Trust us: it’s never too late for a hot girl summer.
- Moviemento, Kottbusser Damm 22. Starts 19:00, details.
Thursday 7
Creamcake x Spätschicht @ Gropius Bau
In collaboration with digital Berlin platform Creamcake, Gropius Bau’s Spätschicht monthly event series is back with concerts, film screenings and performance art. This month’s screening will feature Cheap People Are Other People 1-5 (2020) from art collective CHEAP, and Jack Smith’s Flaming Creatures (1963).
- Gropius Bau, Niederkirchnerstr. 7, Kreuzberg. Starts 19:00, details.
Friday 8
Flashback Friday
Held at Berlin’s legendary kinky institution Insomnia, this 90s and 2000s party fuses sex-positive clubbing and pure Y2K nostalgia. Dust off the old low-rise jeans and warm up those Disney knees – tonight, Justin won’t be the only one bringing sexy back.
- Insomnia, Alt-Tempelhof 17-19, Tempelhof. Starts 22:00, details.
Saturday 9
Queer Park Festival
Join thousands of like-minded Berliners for the biggest and fruitiest park hangout of the year. Expect live music, information booths by local NGOs and enough queer folks to send a US Republican into a coma.
- Volkspark Friedrichshain, Friedrichshain. Starts 15:00, details.
Berlin Full Moon Marathon
What could possibly be more fun than running 42 kilometres straight? Correct: doing it at night in a spooky Spandau forest. There’s also a casual half marathon option, for those who prefer their pain in moderation.
- Sport Centrum Siemensstadt, Buolstr. 14, Siemensstadt. Starts 16:00, details.
Latin Fiesta
Partnering with Latinas en Alemania, Manifesto Market is hosting a party featuring Latin American vendors, food, drink, and plenty of dancing. Enjoy tacos, arepas and margaritas at this celebration of Latin American culture.
- Manifesto Market @ The Playce, Alte Potsdamer Str. 7, Mitte. Starts 13:00, details.
Sunday 10
GWF vs RevPro weekend wrestling event
You’ll never be ready for the sheer amount of sweaty wrestler-on-wrestler action the German Wrestling Federation is bringing up against Revolution Pro Wrestling at Festsaal Kreuzberg. Boo and cheer at heels and faces alike while getting caught up in the kayfabe of it all.
- Festsaal Kreuzberg, Am Flutgraben 2, Kreuzberg. Also on Aug 9, doors at 16:00, details.
Monday 11
Roller Disco @ SO36
Skate the night away at longstanding punk institution SO36’s Roller Disco night. Alongside a grooving lineup of funk, hip-hop and disco, there will be a beginner’s lesson at 20:30—perfect if you haven’t found your skating legs quite yet.
- SO36, Oranienstr. 190, Kreuzberg. Starts 18:00, details.
Wednesday 13
Tanz im August
One of the leading festivals for contemporary dance around the world, Tanz im August returns with bold works by international companies and upcoming choreographers. Highlights include the acclaimed ensemble performance Jungle by the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company and a new piece by acclaimed German choreographer Moritz Ostruschnjak.
- Various locations. Through Aug 30, details.
Thursday 14
Globus: Büro Siebzig
This month, Globus is hosting bands from a different label every Thursday at Tresor for the Büro Siebzig series. For this edition, the series will feature Melbourne-based underground label Paper-Cuts, which will include the live European debut of electronic artist Radart, alongside performances from DJs deep creep and Mike Midnight.
- Tresor, Köpenicker Str. 70, Kreuzberg. Starts 21:00, details.
Saturday 16
100 Meilen Berlin – The Berlin Wall Race
This annual race through German history follows the former border between East and West Berlin. Runners have 30 hours to complete the gruelling 161-kilometre ultramarathon, passing memorial sites, forests and nearly a dozen Berlin districts.
- Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, Cantianstr. 24, Prenzlauer Berg. Starts 06:00, details.
The Great Indian Food Festival
Trying to find the most flavourful curry or the best naan bread is a tall order but at the third Great Indian Food Festival, you can sample loads of different dishes for a true survey of Berlin’s Indian food scene. Just remember to leave room for Gulab Jamun.
- Jules B-Part, Luckenwalder Str. 6b, Gleisdreieck. Starts 12:00, details.
Sunday 17
The Taylor & Harry Night Open Air
Wattpad fantasies do come true: relive your dreams of a #Haylor revival at this unapologetically campy Harry and Taylor night. Glitter up and bring plenty of friendship bracelets – fangirling never goes out of style.
- Festsaal Kreuzberg, Am Flutgraben 2, Kreuzberg. Starts 17:00, details.
Monday 18
Smut Slam
Back at serene Lichtenberg open-air venue Villa Kuriosum – and hosted, as always, by founder and dirty storytelling MVP Cameryn Moore – this delightfully filthy open mic is a judgment-free celebration of your most memorable sexcapades.
- Villa Kuriosum, Scheffelstr. 21, Lichtenberg. Starts 18:00, details.
Wednesday 20
Surf Film Night: Women & The Wind + L E N A
Feel the waves at this surf movie double-feature. Women & The Wind (2025) follows three surfers – Alizé, Kiana and Lærke – as they sail along the Atlantic Gulf Stream’s flow of plastic waste. L E N A (2025) is the biography of Lena Kemna, Germany’s first big wave surfer.
- Sommerkino Kulturforum, Matthäikirchplatz 4, Mitte. Starts 20:45, details.
They name thee before me: Open air film series
Named after a verse in Byron’s When We Two Parted, this series features four short films that explore friendship, love and disappointment. The programme includes Agnė Jokšė’s Dear Friend (2019), Marco A. Castillo’s Casa Negra (2022), Samira Elagoz and Z Walsh’s You can’t get what you want but you can get me (2024) and Young-jun Tak’s Love Your Clean Feet on Thursday (2023).
- KINDL, Am Sudhaus 3, Neukölln. Starts 20:30, details.
Thursday 21
Tasty Vintage – Night Market
Head to Manifesto Market for a night full of vintage clothing and Y2K tunes. You can also expect plenty of food while searching for your next signature accessory or outfit.
Friday 22
DUALISM Weekender
Come to ://about blank for 50-odd hours of nonstop raving at the DUALISM weekend party. DUALISM sports an absolutely massive lineup, with highlights including GOAT BALL, Sachentrance, H33 and Kiezkitsch.
- ://about blank, Markgrafendamm 24c, Friedrichshain. Starts 18:00, details.
Saturday 23
Kinder Rave at Sommer in Park Neukölln
When it comes to clubbing, Kinder Rave says “start ‘em young!” Whether your kids are toddling across the dance floor or front seat raving in a baby carrier, they’re all welcome to this outdoor party. Alongside music and drinks for parents, there will also be face painting and a craft corner.
- Kulturbunker Dach, Rungiusstr. 19, Neukölln. Starts 14:00, details.
Sunday 24
True Italian Pistachio Street Food Festival
Here’s your chance to expand your palate beyond Dubai chocolate. True Italian’s Pistachio Street Food Festival will offer a wide selection of Italian and international bites all centred on presenting pistachio in both new and old dishes.
- Jules B-Part, Luckenwalder Str. 6b, Gleisdreieck. Starts 12:00, details.
Monday 25
Pop-Kultur Festival
Berlin’s genre-bending pop culture festival returns with a carefully curated programme featuring readings, panels, film screenings, art showings, live music and the unmistakable mission to create an inclusive space for critical discourse and artistic experiments. This year’s stacked lineup includes Berlin rapper Apsilon, electrifying noise rockers Die Nerven and electro pop duo Ätna, among others.
- Kulturbrauerei, silent green & Humboldthain. Through Aug 30, details.
Wednesday 27
Berlin Atonal
The internationally renowned avant-garde festival returns for five nights of boundary-pushing sonic rituals, large-scale art installations and radical reimaginings of what a festival can be – plus appropriately unhinged afterparties at Tresor and OHM.
- Kraftwerk, Köpenicker Str. 70, Kreuzberg. Through Aug 31, details.
Friday 29
Critical Mass
Every third Friday of the month, Berlin’s cycling community takes to the streets to demand a safer, greener and more liveable city for all of us. Because the only cars we recognise are animated Disney movies featuring Owen Wilson as a smooth-talking red Ferrari.
- Mariannenplatz, Kreuzberg. Starts 20:00, details.
Saturday 30
Zug der Liebe
Half rave, half protest, Berlin’s annual techno parade is back to raise awareness for pressing issues like affordable housing and climate justice. This year’s 10th anniversary edition wraps up with a ginormous birthday bash at Ritter Butzke.
- Mauerpark, Prenzlauer Berg. Starts 13:00, details.
Sunday 31
Design Market on Mexikoplatz
Is there a better way to spend a laid-back Sunday than by strolling through an intimate arts-and-crafts market far from the usual chaos of the city? Over 100 artists and designers gather on Zehlendorf’s picturesque Mexikoplatz, offering ceramics, jewelry, woodwork, textiles and other handcrafted gems.
