When the weather heats up, Berlin and its surrounding areas play host to some of the biggest and best music festivals around. Even now, as the end of summer approaches, there’s still ample opportunity to get into the party spirit. These are the top music festivals to round out your 2024 summer calendar.
Berlin Atonal
Berlin Atonal is back (sort of) at Kraftwerk Berlin this year with OPENLESS. OPENLESS is a one-off project by Berlin Atonal. The next Berlin Atonal festival edition will take place in late summer 2025
Get ready for 3 days packed with premier performances, artistic interventions, and aftershows in Tresor / Globus and OHM, industrial venues that encourage future-oriented creative experimentation of all kinds. Project and artist information, and individual tickets to the concerts as well as separate tickets for the aftershow programme are released at the end of June.
- OPENLESS by Berlin Atonal Kraftwerk Berlin, Mitte, August 23 – 25, tickets and more info here.
Lusatia
Lusatia is one of the youngest festivals in and around Berlin, starting with a bang in 2021 with a diverse lineup and enticing atmosphere. Sharing its venue (and its mystical touch) with Wilde Möhre, the festival provides a fairytale-like reprieve from urban life that prioritises coexistence when it comes to both people and nature. A music festival that’s exciting, eco-conscious, and inclusive? Wish granted!
- Lusatia Göritz 5, Drebkau, Brandenburg, August 23 – 25, tickets and more info here.
Pop-Kultur Festival
It’s by far Berlin’s best contemporary event for exciting, experimental and thought-provoking talent. Once again taking over Prenzlauer-Berg’s Kulturbrauerei, Pop-Kultur promises to bring an intoxicating lineup of new and leading talents, both local and international, including A Certain Ratio, Arab Strap, Ilgen-Nur, The KVB and more. As a special treat, The Berliner favourite Pari Eskandari is hosting an interactive 3D installation centred around themes of migration, while Berlin band Hope and British underwater filmmaker and video artist Emma Critchley have created an immersive audio-visual experience.
- Pop-Kultur Kulturbrauerei, Schönhauser Allee 36, Prenzlauer Berg, August 28 – 30, tickets and more info here.
Citadel Music Festival
Prepare to be treated to unmissable acts in a historic venue. The Citadel Music Festival has been bringing fresh beats and stunning visuals to Berlin for years now. Taking place in the Spandau Citadel, one of Germany’s most important and well-preserved relics of the Renaissance, it’s no surprise that Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme called it his “Lieblingslocation” back in 2013. Ten years and hundreds of concerts later, these old stone walls are still standing strong for another round of eye- (and ear-) popping performances, including AIR, OFF-DAYS, Greta Van Fleet and PJ Harvey, just to name a few.
- Citadel Music Festival Spandau Citadel, Am Juliusturm 64, Spandau, now through Sept 1. Tickets and more info here.
Lollapalooza
Even if you’re not a festival fanatic, you’ve probably heard of Lollapalooza. This year, the world-famous music festival will be taking place at Olympiastadion once again, with a lineup of artists from around the globe as well as from right here in Berlin. And given that the featured genres will be just as diverse, the festival is sure to have something for everyone.
- Lollapalooza Olympiastadion und Olympiapark, Olympischer Platz 3, Westend, September 7 – 8, tickets and more info here.
Open-Air in Gärten der Welt
One of Berlin’s prettiest park areas, Gärten der Welt is home to a variety of internationally-themed gardens, as well as some exciting events. This Summer, the programme will consist of concerts including everything from 90s-hits to the Berlin Philharmonic.
- Sommer-Open-Air Gärten der Welt, Blumberger Damm 44, Marzahn, through Sept 9, tickets and more info here.
