The Berlin summer is not a season - it's a feeling. When the days are long and the nights are warm, the capital is transformed into an festival of possibilities. Music is in the air, conversations under the stars and a new cultural adventure awaits around every corner. Whether you fancy a cool drink under the colonnades, a symphony concert against a historic backdrop or danceable beats at the street festival - sometimes urban, sometimes poetic, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet - these events guarantee a summer full of variety.
Tip 1: Kolonnaden Bar on Museum Island
The Kolonnaden Bar is celebrating its 8th edition. This year under the Motto "Here we are" - a statement for diversity, dialogue and togetherness. What can you expect? Lounge seating, cool beers, selected wines and inspiring conversations under the Berlin sky. The atmosphere is relaxed, the setting unique: between classic architecture and urban sound, with a view of the Spree.
The Island Summer on Museum Island offers a varied cultural programme for all the senses - with music, conversations and relaxed get-togethers on balmy Berlin summer evenings. Five days a week, different programme formats await you, each with its own tone. For example, sessions with handmade, acoustic music, danceable DJ sets or opera and cabaret performances.
When: Until 31. August
Where: Kolonnadenhof in front of the Alte Nationalgalerie/ Museumsinsel, Mitte
Tip 2: Fête de la Musique
At the Fête de la Musique, musicians, whether amateurs or professionals, perform concerts in the open air and celebrate the solstice throughout Berlin. The concerts take place on public streets and squares and do not cost admission. You can listen to music from all genres: pop, indie, rock and folk. Choirs and orchestras perform as well as solo artists and bands. The starting signal is the concert in the Parkaue theatre. Incidentally, the idea for the Fête de la Musique originated in Paris, but has since found favour in many cities.
Where: Various venues throughout the city
When: 21 June
Free entry
Tip 3: Open-air cinemas
A visit to the open-air cinema is a very special treat in summer when the film is shown under the stars. The Berlier open-air cinemas show a successful mix of blockbusters and independent cinema. Whether at the Kulturforum, in the park or in the enchanted inner courtyard, the open-air cinemas are simply part of the summer fun.
When: until September
Where: Various locations
Tip 4: Long Night of Science
During the "Smartest Night of the Year", numerous scientific institutes, libraries and archives in Berlin and Potsdam open their doors to the public. You can gain exciting insights into scientific research, watch experiments and listen to lectures on a wide range of topics. There will also be exciting participatory activities for adults and children.
When: 28 to 29 June
Where: Various locations in Berlin and Potsdam
Tip 5: Kreuzberg-Festival
Concerts without admission and in the open air can also be found at the former Bergmannstraßenfest, which is now called the Kreuzberg-Festival. This is where Berlin lifestyle meets international diversity - and you're right in the middle of it all. Look forward to a musical spectrum from jazz and soul to reggae and electro on three stages. Particularly exciting: the new stage for Berlin club music brings relaxed vibes and electronic beats to cosy summer nights. Over 60 artists from all over the world will provide musical discoveries and dancing fun in the open air.
Where: Kreuzbergstraße
When: 27 to 29 June
Free entry
Tip 6: Berlin Fashion Week
The fashion world comes to the German capital when the shows and trade fairs of Berlin Fashion Week showcase the latest trends for the coming winter season. Berlin's creativity and non-conformism is reflected in the fresh, individual design of the fashion makers. Sustainability and eco fashion are the major themes on the catwalks of Berlin Fashion Week. In addition to the fashion shows, trade fairs and parties for the international fashion scene, there are also many public events.
When: 30 June to 3 July
Where: Various venues
Tip 7: Carnival of Cultures
Our next tip is, of course, THE classic Whitsun event: the Carnival of Cultures. Every year at Whitsun, Kreuzberg's Blücherplatz becomes even more colourful and international than it already is. From Friday to Monday, you will find many stalls with clothes, jewellery, delicious food and much more. The highlight every year is the big parade on Whitsunday, which celebrates Berlin's diversity. Dance along and let's celebrate our multicultural Berlin together!
When: 6 to 9 June
Where: Blücherplatz in Kreuzberg
Tip 8: Classic Open Air
Imagine a balmy summer evening, the sky in soft pastels, the Gendarmenmarkt glittering in a play of lights - and then the first bars of a symphony ring out. This magical experience awaits you at the Classic Open Air. After a two-year break, the legendary festival returns and celebrates not only itself, but also the reopening of the newly renovated Gendarmenmarkt - now even brighter, more sustainable and ready for great moments.
When: 17 to 21 July. July
Where: Gendarmenmarkt, Mitte
Tip 9: Christopher Street Day
On Christopher Street Day (CSD), hundreds of thousands of people march through the streets of the city to stand up for diversity, equality and queer life. Whether you are celebrating, protesting, commemorating or simply showing solidarity - the CSD is an event that gets under your skin. As every year, the parade starts in Berlin's city centre, leads through the historic Nollendorfplatz - the heart of Berlin's LGBTQIA+ scene - and ends with a rousing closing rally with prominent speakers and live acts.
When: 26 July
Where: Various locations
Tip 10: Staatsoper für Alle
The backdrop is spectacular: the magnificent façade of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, the imposing Humboldt University building and the elegant Hotel de Rome form a unique ensemble for this musical summer highlight. This year, Christian Thielemann conducts his outstanding orchestra and performs two symphonies by Brahms.
The evening before, you can watch the live broadcast of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette on Bebelplatz and suffer along with the tragic lovers.
Here you can experience classical music at the highest level - and it's completely free of charge.
When: 21 and 22 June
Where: Bebelplatz, Mitte
Free entry
Tip 11: Long Night of Museums
Would you like to visit the dinosaurs at night? Drink cocktails in the museum or take a completely new look behind the scenes? During the Long Night of Museums, around 70 museums open their doors until midnight and show you the incredible diversity of the museum landscape during guided tours and performances. Take a look behind the scenes of museum operations and enjoy the special Iinfrastructure with special shuttle buses that allow you to visit as many museums as possible that night.
When: 30 August
Where: In many Berlin museums
For even more event tips, you can always browse through our Events calendar.
