What to do this June: Berlin’s best events this month

Summer is here, and so is the lineup of Berlin’s best events. Interested in a music festival? A street fair? Art exhibit? Rest assured, we have options for you.

Keep reading to see our picks for June.

Sunday 1

Berlin Triathlon

Whether you’re looking for new ways to prove you’re a high performer or simply want to dive headfirst into the Spree in a skin-tight rubber suit, Berlin Triathlon is here for you. Race options range from sprint (21km) to Olympic (51km) distances – plus a kids’ triathlon for the tiny overachievers.

• Treptower Park, Treptow, starts 08:30, details.

ADFC Sternfahrt

Once a year, thousands of cyclists take over the city to show what safe, sustainable mobility could look like if it weren’t for Big Auto’s fossil-fuel-fuelled reign of terror. Starting from 20 different points across Berlin, riders converge in the city centre for a final rally in Tiergarten.

• Check AFDC’s website for exact locations and starting times.

Environmental Festival Brandenburger Tor

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Berlin’s annual sustainability fest is once again transforming the Straße des 17. Juni into a green pop-up utopia. Learn from environmental NGOs and climate experts, nibble on guilt-free organic snacks and bond over your harrowing existential dread with fellow climate anxiety veterans.

Sign up for our

Newsletter

Berlin events, freebies, food & news

Leave this field empty if you're human:

• Straße des 17. Juni, Mitte, starts 11:00, details.

Berlin Weinfest

While humble Späti beers will always have our hearts, sometimes a good glass of Pinot Noir just hits different. Channel your inner wine-mom-slash-shady-art-dealer at this delightfully bougie booze fest, featuring street food, panels, live music and over 350 wines from 75 international winemakers. Because daydrinking is definitely classy when there’s mellow jazz-house playing in the background.

• Napoleon Complex, Modersohnstr. 35-45, Friedrichshain, starts 13:00, details.

Naked Karaoke

Monster Ronson’s biannual box-hopping Naked Karaoke is back and barer than ever. If regular old karaoke wasn’t quite vulnerable enough for you, belt out your favourite tunes in the buff at this body-positive party hosted by nudist drag queen BLEACH. Just leave your shoes and socks on – it’s still a nightclub, after all.

• Monster Ronson’s Ichiban Karaoke, Warschauer Str. 34, Friedrichshain, starts 18:00, details.

Monday 2

International Whore’s Day

On International Whore’s Day, sex workers and allies take to the streets to speak out against the ongoing stigmatisation of the adult industry. Alongside the main protest, this year’s programme also includes a book presentation on sex work activist Marc of Frankfurt and a guided tour through Mitte’s historic red-light district.

• Various locations, through June 6, details.

Play Date Berlin

Hosted by real-life BFFs Kian and Waldemar, this monthly board game and table tennis night is all about community, connection and a healthy dose of competition. Bring your own snacks and get ready to ruin decades-long friendships by mercilessly bankrupting your loved ones at Monopoly.

• Markthalle Neun, Eisenbahnstr. 42/43, Kreuzberg, starts 18:00, details.

Ali Chahrour: When I Saw the Sea

Lebanese choreographer Ali Chahrour presents the personal experiences of migrant labourers in Beirut through the lens of Arab myths in this striking dance performance. When I Saw the Sea preserves the stories of three women surviving the oppressive kafala system and the devastation of war and systemic abandonment.

• HAU1, Stresemannstr. 29, Kreuzberg, starts 20:00, details.

Tuesday 3

Jazzdor Festival

To quote one of the most revered masterpieces of modern cinema: “Ya like jazz?” If so, head over to Kesselhaus for four days of world-class concerts and international jams, featuring renowned artists from France, the US, Poland, Belgium and Germany.

• Kesselhaus in der Kulturbraurei, Knaackstr. 97, Prenzlauer Berg, through Jun 6, details.

Wednesday 4

Berlin on Film: B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West Berlin – 10-year anniversary screening

It’s been 10 years since the release of B-MOVIE: Lust & Sound in West Berlin – and over time, the film has come to be regarded as a classic. Made using unreleased TV and film footage, photos and original interviews, B-MOVIE tells the story of music producer Mark Reeder’s life in West Berlin. The film, a fast-paced collage of stories from a frenzied but creative decade, starts with punk and ends with the infamous Love Parade. To celebrate the anniversary, the screening will be followed by a live Q&A with Mark Reeder and DJ sets.

• Revier Südost, Schnellerstr. 137, Niederschöneweide, starts 20:00, details.

Thursday 5

Framed Festival

This two-week long event is set to bring together over 25 international artists and thinkers, creating a unique space for artist dialogue, healing and connection. Featuring local talents such as AŸA, Wayne Snow and Mariana Carvalho, and international acts like Avishai Cohen and Doug Weiss, the festival promises to be a spiritual smörgåsbord of musical styles, set within one of the city’s most beautiful locations.

• Wasserturm Prenzlauer Berg, Knaackstr. 23, Prenzlauer Berg, starts 19:00, through Jun 18, details.

Sustainable Listening

A hot new bombshell has entered the villa – which, in this case, isn’t a villa at all, but a walk-in climate capsule transforming Staatsoper Unter den Linden into an otherworldly space for learning and listening. Tune in as musicians and experts team up for a hybrid concert-discussion on global warming.

• Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Mitte, starts 20:00, details.

Caminhos das Águas – Unstoppable Flow

In this powerful dance piece, Brazilian choreographer Fernanda Costa explores water as a symbol of resistance and transformation – challenging rigid binaries and imagining new ways of self-determination for Black women.

• Ballhaus Naunynstraße, Naunystr. 27, Kreuzberg, starts 20:00. Also on Jun 6, 7 & 8, details.

Last Chance: Viviane Sassen – The Body As Sculpture

In this evocative multimedia exhibition, Dutch artist Viviane Sassen combines photography, sculpture and surrealist collage to deconstruct heteronormative beauty standards and dismantle the male gaze.

• Fotografiska, Orianienburger Str. 54, Mitte. Through Jun 8, details.

Friday 6

Camille Claudel and Bernhard Hoetger: Emancipation from Rodin

Hosted at the Alte Nationalgalerie, this exhibition is the first of its kind since 1905, featuring the work of sculptors Camille Claudel and Bernhard Hoetger, both students of Auguste Rodin. Highlights include the lively dancers and playful bathers of Claudel’s The Waltz and The Wave.

• Alte Nationalgalerie, Bodestr. 1-3, Mitte. Through Sep 28, details.

Karneval der Kulturen

For one magical weekend every spring, Berlin drops the perpetual K-Hole attitude and bursts into a massive, colourful celebration of the city’s unique cultural diversity. Throw on that tie-dyed crop top you’re low-key ashamed of and head to Kreuzberg for four days of music, dance, food and acrobatics – all culminating in Sunday’s enormous parade.

• Various locations, starts 13:30. Through Jun 9, details.

Afro Caribbean Carnival Beach Party

Organised by Freak de L’Afrique, this party featuring African and Caribbean club music at Beach Neukölln is an extension of the Karneval der Kulturen festival. While the annual party has moved to a new location, you can still expect a similar experience. The lineup includes DJ Nomi, D-One-Jammaster, Jugglerz and YunBinos.

• Beach Neukölln, Treptower Str. 39, Treptow, starts 14:00, details.

Sunday 7

Gegen Toxic

If this weekend show’s ticket listing is anything to go by, attendees will be required to be as slimy, dirty and acidic as possible. Toxic’s strictly-enforced dress code will ensure everyone comes with a good dose of microplastics and radiation poisoning.

• RSO.BERLIN, Schnellerstr. 137, Niederschöneweide, starts 23:59. Through Jun 9, details.

Thursday 12

Dokumentale

Nonfiction aficionados, rejoice: Berlin’s newest documentary film fest returns for its second edition. Hosted at indie cinemas, nightclubs and art venues across the city, the 10-day programme spans everything from award-winning international documentaries to VR installations, experimental media projects, readings and workshops.

• Various locations, through Jun 22, details.

Friday 13

Open House at Hamburger Bahnhof

This weekend, Hamburger Bahnhof opens its doors for three days of free exhibitions, guided tours and DJ sets. Highlights include the grand opening of Nigerian-American artist Toyin Ojih Odutola’s new exhibition U22 – Adijatu Straße and the season’s first edition of the outdoor concert series Berlin Beats in the museum’s back garden.

• Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstr. 50, Mitte, through Jun 15, details.

Miss Read

Berlin’s beloved indie art book fair is back at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, this year with a special focus on ecological publishing. Find out more in our Art section on page 55.

• Haus der Kulturen der Welt, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, Charlottenburg, starts 19:00. Through Jun 15, details.

Affordable Art Fair

Attention broke Berlin art lovers: this low-ish-budget art showcase is your chance to finally live out your old-money, retired gallerist fantasies – without having to sell a kidney first. Sixty galleries from 19 countries offer artworks by established and emerging artists, starting at €100.

• Arena Berlin, Eichenstr. 4, Kreuzberg, starts 12:00. Through Jun 15, details.

Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci

Set against the baroque grandeur of the Prussian palaces and gardens, this long-running classical music festival features three weeks of extravagant concerts spanning 450 years of music history, from mediaeval chants to Italian operas. It’s giving Bridgerton (minus the relentless royal love-making every five seconds).

• Various locations in Potsdam, through Jun 29, details.

100 Beste Plakate

Geek out about kerning at the Kulturforum’s exhibition of 2024’s 100 best posters in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Lasting for three weeks, the show features designer-led tours and a panel on the relationship between graphic design and political activism. Jury-selected from more than 2500 submissions, the exhibition features the most inventive posters made with both analog and digital techniques.

• Gemäldegalerie, Matthäikirchplatz, Tiergarten, through Jul 6, details.

PrevYou

Check out film’s young contributors at PrevYou, a short film festival screening works by directors under 30. Screening highlights include Jelizaveta Averko’s animated film Stranger’s Dreams of Death and Luca Hoppe’s Allein,. The festival also has free workshops and panels – perfect for schmoozing your way into the film industry. 

• Bildungs und Kulturzentrum Peter Edel, Berliner Allee 125, Pankow, starts 19:00. Through Jun 15, details.

Qui a tué mon père (Who killed my father)

Written and performed by Édouard Louis and directed by Thomas Ostermeier, this mixed-medium play narrates Louis’ reckoning with the cultural and systemic factors behind his father’s homophobic abuse. Trauma and compassion cross over in Louis’ reflective performance.

• Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Kurfürstendamm 153, Charlottenburg, starts 20:30, details.

Saturday 14

Italian Street Food Festival

Can you really call yourself an Italophile if you haven’t blacked out from annihilating your own bodyweight in arancini yet? Berlin-based food collective True Italian invites you to leave all shame at home and stuff your face with authentic street food by over 20 vendors. Come si dice “food coma”?

• Club Ost, Alt-Stralau 1-2, Friedrichshain, starts 11:00. Through Jun 15, details.

13th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art

ART Going into its 13th edition, the Berlin Biennale is back with big questions and animalistic inspiration. Handpicked by Indian curator and writer Zasha Colah, this year’s edition draws inspiration from the city’s elusive urban foxes, exploring themes of fugitivity, transgression and disobedience. Expect ground-breaking contemporary artworks and at least one cryptic video installation you can confidently overanalyse in front of your Hinge date.

• Various locations, through Sep 14, details.

Pankow Art Fest

Head to Schlosspark Schönhausen for this wholesome, family-friendly arts and crafts market. Over 70 local artists offer everything from paintings to painted ceramics and handmade jewellery. Bonus: children get in for free.

• Schlosspark Schönhausen, Tschaikowskistr. 1, Pankow, starts 12:00. Through Jun 15, details.

Iç Içe Festival

Founded by a group of queer and migranticised friends, this one-day festival blends tradition and experimentation to celebrate the diversity of contemporary Anatolian music abroad – from spicy underground electronica to politically charged conscious rap.

• Festsaal Kreuzberg, Am Flutgraben 2, Kreuzberg, starts 15:00. Through Jun 15, details.

Sunday 15

Else: Cooking with Palms Trax

With Berlin summer finally in full bloom, there’s really no excuse not to hit our favourite open-air club by the Spree for a classic darty this weekend. Or, as mother-in-chief Jennifer Lopez once said: “If you’re a party freak, then step on the floor”. We don’t question J-Lo.

• Else, An den Treptowers 10, Alt-Treptow, starts 14:00, details.

Monday 16

Polish Art Week

Poland takes the spotlight with a week-long takeover of Berlin’s cultural scene, packed with cutting-edge concerts, exhibitions, performances and debates. From avant-garde soundscapes to provocative talks, this festival celebrates the wild, weird and wonderful edges of contemporary Polish art – all while asking big questions about culture in today’s Europe.

• Various venues, through Jun 23, details.

Vamos a la playa: Holidays under Franco

Marking the 50th anniversary of Franco’s death, this thought-provoking photo exhibition features eight international artists, exploring how mass tourism helped whitewash the brutal realities of life under Spain’s fascist regime.

• Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Arnimallee 25, through Dec 7, details.

Smut Slam

Is that a microphone in your pocket or are you just happy to be back at Smut Slam? Launched in 2011 by award-winning playwright, performer and dirty-storytelling diva Cameryn Moore, this raunchy open mic is a safe space for shameless silliness, uninhibited hedonism and radical self-acceptance.

• Villa Kuriosum, Scheffelstr. 21, Lichtenberg, starts 21:30, details.

Thursday 19

Performing Exiles Festival

What does exile mean in an age of renewed nationalism and political polarisation? This interdisciplinary festival centres diasporic voices, tackling urgent questions of identity, displacement and belonging. Find out more in our preview on page 81.

• Various locations, through Jun 28, details.

Friday 20

Virtual Couture: 3D Fashion

Ever wondered what a computer-animated recreation of an 18th-century ball gown would look like on a virtual avatar doing manic backflips? We’ve got you covered. Featuring haute couture by iconic designers like Gabrielle Chanel and Madame Grès, this high-tech exhibition shows us what technological innovation was clearly always meant to be.

• Kunstgewerbemuseum, Matthäikirchplatz, Tiergarten, through Sep 14, details.

Premiere: Lash

Based on the writings of CGI artist and certified oddball Ed Atkins, acclaimed German-British composer Rebecca Saunders creates a haunting tale of “love and loss and fucking” – topped off with a generous helping of “eyeballs, genitals, lips and lashes”. We’re sold.

• Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bismarkstr. 35, Charlottenburg, starts 18:00. Also on Jun 27 and Jul 1, 11 & 18, details.

Mary Jane Berlin

Much more than just a stoner paradise (which it totally is), this three-day cannabis convention explores the recreational, medical and cosmetic use of the most versatile plant in the world. Time to go deep… and potentially smoke a fat doobie afterwards. Light it up!

• Messe Berlin, Messedamm 22, Westend, through Jun 22, details.

Max Cooper at Dark Matter

Fully melt away your frontal cortex at this audiovisual experience at Dark Matter, combining electronic soundscapes by British producer Max Cooper with kinetic light art. Pure, blissful sensory overload.

• Dark Matter, Köpenicker Ch 46, Rummelsburg, Starts 20:00, details.

Premiere: Cassandra

Composed by Bernard Foccroule and written by Matthew Jocelyn, this opera in 13 scenes stars Katarina Bradić as Sandra, a climate scientist turned stand-up comedian who fails to convince anyone, including her own family, that the polar ice caps are melting. Cassandra calls back to the titular figure of Greek myth in this opera’s German-language premiere.

• Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Unter den Linden 7, Mitte, starts at 19:30, details.

Saturday 21

Fête de la Musique

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Fête de la Musique once again transforms Berlin into a sprawling open-air stage, shining a light on the city’s vibrant independent music scene. Spätis, barbershops, youth clubs and street corners all become impromptu concert venues as more than 300 locations across the city host free live music throughout the day (and night).

• Various locations, starts 14:00, details.

Street Food Festival Teufelsberg

There’s only one way to celebrate midsummer right, with mouth-watering treats by international food trucks, live music and Insta-worthy views of Berlin’s iconic former NSA spy base.

• Teufelsberg, Grunewald, starts 11:00, details.

Sunday 22

Staatsoper für alle

Since 2008, Staatsoper Unter den Linden has treated Berliners to a free annual open-air concert on majestic Bebelplatz. This year, musical director Christian Thielemann conducts Brahms’ monumental first and third symphonies – both, frankly, unbelievable bangers.

• Bebelplatz, Unter den Linden, Mitte, starts 13:00, details.

Unlimited Wrestling: Firewall 2025

Is there a better way to spend your Sunday night than watching a bunch of oiled-up, outrageously jacked dudes in tiny latex shorts bodyslam the living crap out of each other? Highly doubt it. This firewall’s about to get sweaty.

• Volksbühne, Linienstr. 227, Mitte, starts 18:00, details.

BeMarket

Set up at the Hansabücherei’s summer festival, BeMarket represents a wide range of local artists vending all sorts of wares. Food, drinks and music accompany the variety of arts and crafts at this accessible event meant for discovering and funding local art. 

• Hansabibliothek, Altonaer Str. 15, Tiergarten, starts 11:00, details.

Run & Bike

Sprint and cycle with a friend through Tegel Forest in this race that’s up to 42 kilometres in length. Unlike most relay races, you can freely switch between running and biking with your chosen racing buddy, as long as you cross the finish line together. Starting at Heidenhemer Str., you can expect a fun challenge with its own costume and bike-decoration contest.

• Heidenhemer Str. 53, Hermsdorf, starts 10:00, details.

Thursday 26

Confronting the Shadow

In this timely piece, acclaimed Ukrainian director and playwright Tamara Trunova explores issues of absence, erasure and war. Performed by six actors and one musician, the play asks the uncomfortable question: what happens when a country ceases to exist?

• Ballhaus Ost, Pappelallee 15, Prenzlauer Berg, starts 21:00. Also on Jun 27 & 28, details

Kontakte Festival

Showcasing Berlin’s sonic art scene in all its magnificent weirdness, this four-day festival of electroacoustic music and sound art turns Akademie der Künste into a giant echo chamber of immersive installations, live performances and experimental soundscapes.

• Akademie der Künste, Pariser Platz 4, Mitte and Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg 10, Tiergarten. Through Jun 29, details.

Friday 27

48 Hours Neukölln

The edgy younger sibling of Berlin’s big-name festivals, this weekend-long creative extravaganza has become a cornerstone of the city’s independent art scene. Once a year, Neukölln’s dive bars, basements and balconies transform into anarchist mini-galleries, showcasing the unfiltered works of both professional and non-professional artists.

• Various locations across Neukölln, through Jun 29, details.

Kreuzberg Festival

What began as a laid-back block party is now the biggest open-air jazz festival in the country, complete with tonnes of street food, market stalls and cameos by some of the biggest names in contemporary jazz.

• Various locations across Kreuzberg, through Jun 29, details.

Pulse – A Dialogue of Instincts

Choreographers Sita Ostheimer and Álvaro Murillo take you on a sensual, instinct-driven journey, blending the traditional rhythms of flamenco with the unrestrained, fluid expressiveness of contemporary dance.

• Dock 11, Kanstanienalle 79, Prenzlauer Berg, starts 19:30. Also on Jun 28 & 29, details.

Berlin Jazz Week

Alongside music journalism workshops and lectures on the cultural status and function of jazz, you can expect a lineup of more than 40 artists and bands.

• Various locations, starts 19:00. Through Jul 4, details.

Critical Mass Berlin

Fill the streets with the sound of bells and pedals at yet another bike-laden demonstration. Starting at 6:00pm, the monthly protest advocates for better protections for commuting cyclists. The en-masse bike tour of Berlin has starting points everywhere between Prenzlauer Berg and Potsdam.

• Various starting times and locations, details.

Saturday 28

Long Night of Sciences

Ever wanted to hook up in a particle accelerator? This is your sign to schedule your next blind date at Berlin’s smartest night of the year, where you’ll get to peek into labs and archives, talk to real scientists and quench that pure intellectual thirst of yours. Dark matter? I hardly know her!

• Various locations, starts 17:00, details.

Tierparklauf

This uniquely situated running event through Lichtenberg’s Tierpark features races at various distances for both kids and adults, as well as a cross-generational team run – perfect for anyone who’s always dreamed of athletically obliterating their grandpa while locking eyes with a giraffe.

• Tierpark Berlin, Am Tierpark 125, Lichtenberg, through Jun 29, details.

Summer Swap Party

Give your summer wardrobe a guilt-free glow-up at this cosy rooftop clothes swap party. Bring your gently used clothes, shoes or home decor items and trade them in for your new favorite sundress – all without feeding into the soulless fast-fashion fuckery.

• The Base, Pestalozzistr. 5-8, Pankow, starts 16:00, details.