BERLIN.- The Berliner Festspiele organise a range of festivals and art exhibitions, concerts, dance and theatre performances, readings, lectures, debates and more throughout the year. These events are presented at locations across Berlin but are concentrated primarily at their own two venues: the Gropius Bau and the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.
At the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, a 1,000-seat theatre, Reflexes & Reflections—a three-day focus on the future of debate culture—and MaerzMusik—a festival for contemporary music—take place in March, along with the Theatertreffen, that presents ten outstanding productions from the German-speaking region every May.
In June, Performing Exiles explores the contemporary meaning of exiles and in August, the festival Tanz im August returns as a regular guest to the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, followed in September by the international literature festival berlin. Also in August and September, the Berliner Festspiele—in co-operation with the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation—present Musikfest Berlin at the Philharmonie Berlin.
During the autumn and winter, a series of prestigious, large-scale international dance and theatre productions as part of the Performing Arts Season can be seen at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele. In November, it is time for Jazzfest Berlin.
Four other events that make up the Treffen junge Szene are taking place during the year: the Theatertreffen der Jugend in May, the Tanztreffen der Jugend in September, the Treffen junger Autor*innen and the Treffen junge Musikszene in November.
March 6–8, 2025
Reflexes & Reflections focuses on the future of debate culture, curated by the political scholar Saba-Nur Cheema and the historian Meron Mendel – with an opening panel with Jeffrey Goldberg and Alice Hasters, a dance piece by Emanuel Gat, a video installation by Hito Steyerl, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze and Miloš Trakilović.
March 21–30, 2025
MaerzMusik challenges dichotomies and dualities by presenting a multitude of multidisciplinary works and concerts that offer new, networked perspectives in music and sound worlds – opening with “MELENCOLIA” by Brigitta Muntendorf.
May 2–18, 2025
Theatertreffen presents the 10 most remarkable productions from the last theatre season, independently selected by a jury of critics from up to 600 productions from the German-language region and invited to Berlin in May. As part of the accompanying programme, this year’s festival edition will honour the 60th anniversary of the International Forum: Nora Hertlein-Hull and the co-directors of the International Forum Sima Djabar Zadegan and Aljoscha Begrich have curated a programme consisting exclusively of artistic positions by alumni of the International Forum, including performances, panels and readings.
June 19–28, 2025
Performing Exiles is an international and interdisciplinary festival aiming to make diasporic lives in Berlin visible and explore the contemporary meaning of exile. This year’s edition will present works by internationally acclaimed artists and emerging talents.
August 30–September 23, 2025
Musikfest Berlin sees itself as a forum for the innovative creative work carried out by large-scale orchestras and ensembles in the genre of classical and modern music. This year in focus are the composers Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio, Helmut Lachenmann, Lisa Streich among others.
October 30–November 2, 2025
Jazzfest Berlin presents a festival programme full of creative border-crossings and collective visions, presenting both style-defining icons of jazz and young positions from a wide variety of styles.
October 16, 2025–January 25, 2026
The Performing Arts Season presents a range of outstanding international dance, theatre and performance productions at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele and Gropius Bau. This year’s edition is inviting productions by Eun-Me Ahn, Akram Khan, William Kentridge and others.
The Treffen junge Szene are aimed at young artists between the ages of 11 and 21 who are active in the fields of theatre, dance, music and literature. The meetings of the winners in Berlin present the artistic work of the young generation and is an offer for exchange, further development and self-reflection.
The Gropius Bau offers unique encounters with art with its spring/summer programme from mid-March – including exhibitions of Vaginal Davis and Yoko Ono as well as new works by Alex Baczyński-Jenkins and Ligia Lewis. In June Gropius Bau will introduce Spätschicht, a new monthly live programme including music, performances, talks and films. BAUBAU, the admission-free play space for kids, designed by the artist Kerstin Brätsch, will reopen on March 22, 2025 with a presentation of Gabriela Burkhalter.
