November is packed with some amazing events this year, so get excited! Check out one of the several international film festivals, or join in for live music or a stage performance.
Friday 1
Berlin Science Week
What better way to cure your post-Halloween hangover than with an intellectually stimulating museum tour? Swap that sexy vampire costume for a lab coat and check out one of the 300 free workshops, talks and events offered as part of Berlin’s annual science festival.
- Various Locations, through Nov 10, details.
Día de los Muertos
One of the most important holidays in Mexican culture, The Day of the Dead is all about honouring our loved ones who have passed away. Gather your nearest and dearest and head over to Holzmarkt for two days of live music, Mexican food and an authentic Día de los Muertos ceremony.
- Holzmarkt 25, Holzmarktstr. 25, Friedrichshain, through Nov 2, details.
24h Harry Potter Marathon
Potterheads rejoice, for tonight you’re not getting shamed for that Deathly Hallows tattoo you’ve been awkwardly hiding since you-know-who decided to go ballistic on X. Indulge your inner child with this 24-hour movie marathon, featuring all eight instalments of the magical franchise, Harry Potter-themed trivia and giveaways.
- Babylon Berlin, Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 30, Mitte, starts 18:00, details.
Saturday 2
Premiere: Gittersee
After her boyfriend flees to West Germany, 16-year-old Karin is coerced into working with the Stasi. Based on the acclaimed debut novel by German author Charlotte Gneuß, Gittersee tells a dismal tale of life in the DDR and the loss of innocence.
- Neues Haus, Berliner Ensemble, Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1, Mitte, starts 20:00 (also on Nov 3, 23, 24), details.
Tim Burton’s Labyrinth
From Edward Scissorhands to Corpse Bride, Tim Burton has been responsible for some of the most iconic oddball movies in cinematic history. This immersive exhibition takes you deep into the mind of the eccentric director.
- Radsetzerei Berlin, Revaler Str. 99/Halle 16, Friedrichshain, through Nov 3, details.
Weval
Dutch electronic house duo Weval are swapping their synths and drum machines for a pair of turntables as they flaunt their DJ skills at Ritter Butzke. Having set up their new Weval Invites club night in Amsterdam, the production duo – who have credits on legendary labels like Kompakt and Technicolour – are keen to take their parties on the road. Expect a mix of deep house cuts, progressive melodies and ethereal tunes that have come to define their well-loved productions to date.
- Ritter Butzke, Ritterstr. 24-27, Kreuzberg, details.
Sunday 3
Wasia Project
With their beautiful, tear-jerking jazz pop fusion ballads, the British-Asian sibling duo serves up the perfect soundtrack for a little bit of wallowing on a rainy November evening.
- Hole44, Hermannstr. 146, Neukölln, details.
Museum Sunday
Every first Sunday of the month, many museums across the city open their doors free of charge – perhaps the best idea the Berlin Senate had since “poor but sexy”.
- Museums and galleries across Berlin, details.
Monday 4
The Berliner presents: Mark Reeder’s Mystery Movie Night
A lot of people know Mark Reeder as the star of the seminal Berlin film B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West Berlin 1979-1989, but what a lot of people don’t know is that Mark is a serious film buff with an outstanding collection of rare and hard-to-find flicks. For this intimate event, he’ll select one of his favourite films and screen it for a small audience. The movie won’t be announced in advance – you will only find out what it is when Mark introduces it on the night. Tickets are very limited, so get one quick.
- Backhaus Projects, Weserstr. 168, Neukölln, 20:00, details.
Tuesday 5
interfilm Berlin
Held at various indie theatres across the city, the Hauptstadt’s oldest short film festival is back to captivate and amaze Berliners with its various themed selections as well as a special Green Film competition.
- Various locations, through Nov 10, details.
Wednesday 6
Bazaar Berlin
Want to get a head start on your Christmas shopping this year? At this international product fair hosting over 500 vendors from 60 different countries, you’ll find anything from fair-trade chocolate for your dad to handmade Australian jewellery for your esoteric cousin.
- Messe Berlin, Messedamm 22, Charlottenburg, through Nov 10, details.
Theater der Dinge
If you think of puppet theatre as cutesy children’s entertainment, you’ve been missing out big time! Featuring a stacked lineup of international artists, this year’s Theater der Dinge festival is all about ghosts and the ways our personal and collective traumas haunt, shape and inspire us.
- Schaubude, Greifswalder Str. 81-84, Prenzlauer Berg, and others, through Nov 10, details.
Eavesdrop Festival
This one’s for the nerds! Approaching electronic music in its broadest sense, this two-day festival shines a light on the technological marvels behind every Berliner’s favourite genre. The programme features “turntablism”, DIY analogue electronics, AI voice synthesis and handmade synthesisers.
- silent green, Gerichtstr. 35, Wedding, through Nov 7, details.
Friday 8
Opening: Rineke Dijkstra
Dutch photographer Rineke Dijkstra is known for her tender and deeply personal portraits that stay with you long after you’ve left the gallery. The solo exhibition in centered around the themes of transition and authenticity, featuring some of Dijkstra’s seminal work as well as some previously unreleased photographs.
- Berlinische Galerie, Alte Jakobstr. 124-128, Kreuzberg, through Feb 10, 2025, details.
DEE MULROONEY AS GROWLER: WHERE YE FROM
You might not know it yet, but sometimes what you really need in order to heal is a giant 82-year-old shamanic vulva screaming at you for 90 minutes – and Irish artist Dee Mulrooney is here to deliver. It’s all about love, rage and community. It’s not a cliter-i, it’s a cliter-us.
- English Theatre Berlin, Fidicinstr. 40, Kreuzberg, starts 20:00 (also on Nov 9), details.
Cabaret Chaotik
Cabaret producers and performers Tania G and Maia Friend are once again bringing their fantastically disorderly show to Zirkus Mond for an evening of classic circus acts, entrancing sideshow performances and dazzling showgirl antics.
- Zirkus Mond, Lilli-Henoch-Str., Prenzlauer Berg, starts 20:00, details.
The Wall. Before, After, East and West
Celebrating the 35th anniversary of Mauerfall, this exhibition looks at the impact the Wall had on Berlin’s art scene. Highlighting works by both East and West German artists from before and after the fall of the Wall, it offers new insights into a transformational period in German history.
- Max Liebermann Haus, Pariser Platz 7, Mitte, through Mar 2, 2025, details.
Saturday 9
Block Party – Hip Hop Culture Festival
The local hip-hop aficionados of Block Party Berlin invite both legendary emcees and promising newcomers to the stage for this weekend-long boom bap bash at Festsaal Kreuzberg. The programme also includes graffiti artists, dance cyphers and a vinyl market.
- Festsaal Kreuzberg, Am Flutgraben 2, Kreuzberg, through Nov 10, details.
Sunday 10
Premiere: Roméo et Juliette
Wherefore art thou not at Staatsoper Berlin, marvelling at their new production of Charles Gounod’s heartbreakingly tragic opera Roméo et Juliette? With brat summer over, it’s finally time for sorrowful Shakespeare autumn!
- Staatsoper Berlin, Unter den Linden 7, Mitte, starts 18:00 (also on Nov 13, 22, 24, 27), details.
Monday 11
Shadow Realities
A woman walks home alone at night… Choreographer Cécile Ströhler turns collective FLINTA* trauma into a powerful performance exploring the uncomfortable realities of misogyny and violence against women.
- Neue Bühne, Boxhagener Str. 18, Friedrichshain, starts 19:15, details.
Afrikamera Film Festival
Though still underrepresented in the mainstream, African cinema has been on the rise. This year’s edition of Berlin’s annual Afrikamera Festival also features the special programme “Black Jews – Beta Israel” on the Ethiopian-Jewish community and its complex relationship to present-day Israel.
- Kino Arsenal, Potsdamer Str. 2, Mitte, and others, through Nov 17, details.
Italian Film Festival
While it’s not quite time for your next holiday, this selection of contemporary Italian cinema will get your inner Italophile through the winter. The programme features everything from big blockbusters to small arthouse dramas. Che bello!
- Kino in der Kulturbrauerei, Schönhauser Allee 36, Prenzlauer Berg, through Nov 17, details.
Wednesday 13
Jour Fixe – Music in the Afternoon
Young talents from Berlin’s leading performing arts schools play a free concert at the museum of musical instruments every other Wednesday. You can collect a free ticket from 2pm at the museum box office.
- Musikinstrumentenmuseum, Ben-Gurion-Str., Tiergarten, starts 15:30, details.
Gisèle Vienne: Crowd
Using slow-motion and tableau vivants, contemporary artist, choreographer and philosopher Gisèle Vienne brings her profoundly moving and immersive performance to Sophiensaele. The work icily dissects techno culture and the psychology of human interaction. She is also currently showing at Haus am Waldsee and Georg Kolbe Museum.
- Sophiensæle, Sophienstr. 18, Mitte, through Nov 16, details.
Thursday 14
Zeit für Zirkus Festival
With its interdisciplinary and story-driven approach, contemporary circus is much more than family entertainment, as this festival’s performers are eager to prove. Check out their website for an overview of all showcases, workshops and panels.
- Various locations, through Nov 17, details.
Time to Shine: Trust
Whether you’re a regular at your local sex dungeon, a kink-curious newcomer, or just there for the laughs, this comedy show welcomes everyone. Brought to you by partners in kink Terry Saunders and L’Adios, Time to Shine features standup, performances, storytelling and interactive elements. This is an open-to-all event straight from the heart of Berlin’s kink community.
- Neue Bühne, Boxhagener Str. 18, Friedrichshain, starts 20:00 (also on Nov 15), details.
180 min with Demdike Stare
Very few artists have pushed the boundaries of IDM and electronic music quite like Demdike Stare. With the ability to combine techno, dub, ambient and jungle with the greatest of ease, the duo have garnered a reputation as one of the scene’s best, which is why they’ve been invited as the latest in a long line of legends to perform one of Zenner’s 180 min sessions. For support, the promoters have expertly chosen electronic music composer and contemporary sound artist Gizem Öz, who will prepare the crowd for the barrage of noise to follow.
- Zenner, Alt-Treptow 15, Treptow, starts 19:00, details.
Friday 15
Ransom Note & Parenthesis with monopurple
Everyone’s favourite British indie mag and record label Ransom Note is coming to Friedrichdshain this November for a night of dynamic club beats, house bangers and dance fusion energy. The line-up features rave-friendly DJ monopurple, Roots and Beats’ curator Meriem S, Mexican sound terrorist Juarés aka djslut, as well as Ransom Note’s own Ally Tropical and Matt Cowell. Crack Bellmer always delivers when it comes to hot and sweaty, intimate parties, but paired with Ransom Note, it’s bound to be a hedonistic ruck packed to the rafters.
- Crack Bellmer, RAW Gelände, Revaler Str. 99, Friedrichshain, starts 21:00, details.
Jazzik
As you’ve probably noticed, this city is all about defying labels. In that spirit, jazz pianist Makoto Ozone is partnering up with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin for a genre-bending concert exploring the relationship between classic and jazz.
- Haus des Rundfunks, Masurenallee 8-14, Westend, starts 19:30, details.
Crepe City Sneaker Festival
Pumped up about kicks? At this celebration of fashionable footwear, you’ll get to mingle with like-minded sneakerheads and find anything from vintage Jordans to the latest Yeezys.
- Colosseum Berlin, Schönhauser Allee 123, Prenzlauer Berg, starts 12:00, details.
Monday 18
Smut Slam
Hosted by storyteller-in-chief Camryn Moore, this dirty open-mic is all about opening up. Anyone’s invited to share a funny, kinky, awkward, tragic or moving story from their sex life. Turns out sex is hilarious – but it’s never the butt of the joke!
- Crack Bellmer, RAW Gelände, Revaler Str. 99, Friedrichshain, starts 19:00, details.
Thursday 21
French Film Week
Going into its 24th edition, Berlin’s annual Francophone film festival is once again bringing the best of contemporary French cinema to the city’s big screens.
- Various locations, through Nov 27, details.
Friday 22
Berlin Tea Festival 2024
As the name suggests, this festival is all about a good cuppa. Take part in a traditional tea meditation ceremony, join a tasting workshop and sample free teas from over 45 vendors.
- Heilig Kreuz Kirche, Zossener Str. 65, Kreuzberg, through Nov 24, details.
Sluthouse
Cum as you are – or grab a mask at the entrance – before entering this sex-positive masquerade ball at Berlin’s oldest and most iconic queer club.
- SchwuZ, Rollbergstr. 26, Neukölln, starts 23:00, details.
Release party: Reinhard Kleist’s LOW: David Bowie’s Berlin Years
Calling all Bowie fanatics! The wait is over. Celebrate the release of Reinhard Kleist’s graphic novel LOW: David Bowie’s Berlin Years at the legendary Meistersaal, a venue steeped in musical history. This insider’s look at Bowie’s creative Berlin period is a must for any Ziggy Stardust devotee. Don’t miss this chance to party where heroes are truly made.
- Meistersaal, Köthener Str. 38, Mitte, starts 20:00, details.
Saturday 23
Opening: Nan Goldin – This Will Not End Well
This retrospective on US photographer and queer icon Nan Goldin offers a comprehensive look into the celebrated artist’s most important works, including her quintessential 1980s series The Ballad of Sexual Dependency.
- Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Str. 50, Tiergarten, through April 25, details.
Macbeth
Considered one of the great classics in the opera world, Giuseppe Verdi’s awe-inspiring adaptation of the dark English play never fails to amaze. The titular role of the Scottish king slowly descending into madness will be played by Russian Baritone Roman Burdenko. Sorrowful Shakespeare autumn – it’s a thing!
- Deutscher Oper, Bismarckstr. 35, Charlottenburg, starts 18:00, details.
Contested Bodies: Navigating Control, Resistance, and Technological Impacts
Another star-studded symposium featuring Berlin-based artists Anan Freis and Anna Uddenberg (maker of those provocative human sculptures). Join the conversation as they delve into the human body as a site of conflict and explore themes of resistance and the influence of technology.
- KINDL, Am Sudhaus 3, Neukölln, 12:00-17:00, details.
Sunday 24
The Berliner Presents: Berlin by Foot: Queer Berlin
The area around Nollendorfplatz has been a queer hub for more than a century. In the 1920s, Berlin had the world’s most dynamic queer scene, including publications, scientific research, political lobbying, and of course nightclubs. On a two-tour hour walking tour, The Berliner’s history writer Nathaniel Flakin takes you through the history of the Regenbogenkiez.
- Meet at U-Bahn station Nollendorfplatz, Schöneberg, starts 14:00, details.
Art and Activism in Times of Polarization
Berlin’s cultural sector is deeply divided over the Middle Eastern conflict, and this symposium confronts the pressing question: how can a constructive debate on artistic freedom be conducted in Germany? Featuring influential voices like Hito Steyerl and Candice Breitz alongside Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, Palestinian and German guests, the event promises challenging and essential dialogue.
- Staatsbibliothek, Unter den Linden 8, Mitte, 10:00-19:00, details.
Monday 25
International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women*
Femicides and violence against women*, especially within relationships, are still among the largest human rights issues in the world. Demand action at one of many protests today, for instance in front of Brandenburger Tor.
- Pariser Platz and others, starts 10:30, details.
Wednesday 27
Ryoji Ikeda presents ultratronics
Despite Berlin’s vast electronic music scene, visits by true DJ royalty remain something special. Presenting his latest audio-visual live set ultratronics, world-renowned Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda is blessing us with an intimate performance at silent green.
- silent green, Gerichtstr. 35, Wedding, starts 20:00, details.
Thursday 28
Ceòlas – Scottish Music Nights
Don’t miss this opportunity to see two of the best Caledonian folk bands perform back to back. Fiddler trio FARA are known for their unique style and rousing melodies, while Ayrshire trio The Langan Band tell traditional folk tales inspired by the serene landscapes of Northern Scotland.
- Maschinenhaus, Kulturbrauerei, Schönhauser Allee 36, Prenzlauer Berg, starts 20:00, details.
Farewell Watergate x Charlotte De Witte
For this edition of Watergate’s ongoing series of high-profile farewell parties, Belgian techno icon Charlotte De Witte will pay the ill-fated nightclub a much-appreciated visit. Way to go Watergate, go out with a bang!
- Watergate, Falckensteinstr. 49, Kreuzberg, starts 23:00, details.
Friday 29
Critical Mass
What do politically active Berliners and legendary British rock band Queen have in common? They want to ride their bicycle! But only one of them wants to show this city’s politicians that bike lanes are important.
- Starts at Mariannenplatz, Kreuzberg, 20:00, details.
Saturday 30
20 Years Singing
Belt your absolute heart out at our favourite queer-friendly karaoke bar’s grand 20th anniversary party. This once-in-a-lifetime birthday bash features a special edition of Poppers Drag Show, live rock bands and piano karaoke, and a DJ set by Drag Race UK contestant Bimini Bon Boulash.
- Monster Ronson’s, Warschauer Str. 34, Friedrichshain, starts 18:00, details.
