This weekend in Berlin is, of course, all about Halloween. But the new Genghis Khan exhibition on Museum Island and the Theater der Dinge also invite you to make all sorts of discoveries. Take a look here to see what else a Berlin weekend in autumn has in store for you:
Tip 1: Go dancing at the Kulturbrauerei on Halloween
Witches, vampires, skeletons and spooky creatures, take note! On Halloween, the Kulturbrauerei transforms into a huge spooky paradise and invites you to one of Berlin’s biggest Halloween parties! On Saturday, 20 DJs across ten dance floors will create a spine-tingling party atmosphere. Whether it’s hip-hop and R&B at SODA, driving techno beats in the Maschinenhaus, hits from the 90s and 2000s, or a wild Malles party at the Palais – every monster will find their favourite sound here! Things will be particularly spectacular on the 360° Sounds floor in the Kesselhaus. The spooky fun kicks off as early as Friday with eight floors and 18 DJs. So slip into your scariest costume and head to the dance floor! Admission is for aged 18 and over.
When: Friday & Saturday, from 10 pm on both nights
Where: Kulturbrauerei, Schönhauser Allee 36, Prenzlauer Berg
Halloween at the Kulturbrauerei
Tip 2: Experience a spooky party right by the River Spree
If the ten dance floors at the Kulturbrauerei aren’t enough to get you in the Halloween spirit, you can carry on the party at Spindler & Klatt, right by the River Spree ! This stylish venue is transformed into a eerily beautiful world of horror with elaborate decorations, eerie lighting effects and hellish drinks. On Friday, the‘Halloween Nightmare’kicks off with house, hip-hop, pop and party classics. On Saturday, the “Volle Kanne 90s & 2000s Halloween Party”takes you on a musical journey through time: from Eminem and Rihanna to Destiny’s Child and Shakira, right through to Linkin Park and Scooter – it’s all there! There’ll be dancing across two dance floors , the first guests can look forward to a total of 250 free Halloween shots, and the large Spree terrace offers a fantastic view of Berlin by night. So slip into your spooky costume and head down to the water! Admission is restricted to those aged 18 and over.
When: Friday & Saturday, from 10 pm each night
Where: Spindler & Klatt, Köpenicker Straße 16–17, Kreuzberg
Tip 3: Celebrate Halloween with the whole family
If you’d rather celebrate Halloween with little ghosts than big party monsters, the Schönhauser Allee Arcaden is the perfect place for you! Here, the shopping centre is transformed into a colourful, spooky paradise full of creative hands-on activities. Children can carve pumpkins, make spooky masks and lanterns, or design their own trick-or-treat bags. There’ll also be glitter tattoos, imaginative street performers and a proper spooky hair salon! On Saturday, Radio TEDDY will be broadcasting live from the Arcaden, whilst Halloween candyfloss, a photo booth and spooky face painting will provide extra fun. The highlight: at 6 pm, a big Halloween parade with a brass band will set off through the neighbourhood. Afterwards, the children’s music band ‘Frank and his Friends’ will get the little monsters dancing once more. A wonderfully spooky family treat!
When: Friday & Saturday, 12 noon–6 pm; Halloween parade on Saturday from 6 pm
Where: Schönhauser Allee Arcaden, Schönhauser Allee 80, Prenzlauer Berg
Halloween at Schönhauser Allee Arcaden
All Halloween parties on visitBerlin
After hit musicals such as Ku’damm 56, Romeo & Julia and Die Amme, Peter Plate and Ulf Leo Sommer now present their most personal project yet: WIR SIND AM LEBEN tells a story of family, freedom and the spirit of life in early 1990s Berlin. Now at the TdW!
Tip 4: Follow in the footsteps of Genghis Khan
From the endless steppes of Mongolia to the magnificent palaces of a vast empire! The new exhibition at the James Simon Gallery on Museum Island takes you on a journey into the fascinating world of Genghis Khan and his descendants. Discover precious archaeological treasures, many of which are on display outside Mongolia for the very first time! Particularly impressive: an original Mongolian lamellar armour from the 13th/14th century, a stone statue of a Mongolian dignitary and intricately crafted jewellery made from rock crystal. Exciting finds from Poland and Romania also tell the story of the Mongols’ conquests and their influence on Europe. The exhibition also shows how trade, knowledge and cultural exchange bound the vast empire together. A fascinating journey through time into a world still little known in this country!
When: Friday to Sunday, 10 am–6 pm
Where: James-Simon-Galerie, Bodestraße 1–3, Museum Island, Mitte
Tip 5: Go on a family trip to Berlin Zoo
Fancy a little trip around the world through the animal kingdom? Then head to Berlin Zoo! Amidst ancient trees and spacious animal enclosures, around 20,000 animals are waiting to be discovered. Particularly popular are Germany’s only giant pandas – including the adorable panda twins Leni and Lotti! In the Hippopotamus House, you can even watch these mighty pachyderms underwater, whilst in the Rhinoceros Pagoda, impressive armoured rhinos trudge through their marshland habitat. The guided feeding sessions are also a real highlight: Watch the hippos having their lunch or see the sea lions in training! And if you’d like to discover even more, pop next door to the aquarium with its colourful fish, sharks and exotic reptiles. A wonderfully animal-filled day out for young and old alike!
When: Friday to Sunday, 9 am–4.30 pm (last admission 3.30 pm)
Where: Berlin Zoo, Hardenbergplatz 8, Charlottenburg
Tip 6: Experience glamour, extravagance and the Roaring Twenties
If you’d rather celebrate the Halloween weekend with a good dose of extravagance rather than the usual spooky atmosphere, you shouldn’t miss the ‘Shadow Ball’! The queer Berlin cabaret and circus collective The Velvet Creepers transforms the historic Ballhaus Berlin into a dazzling world of shadows, blending burlesque, drag, circus and a wild club night. Look forward to extraordinary performances by Fifi Fantôme, Dunja von K and other dazzling stage personalities, whilst DJs such as RAGE and DJ PHANTOM provide the perfect soundtrack. There’ll also be mysterious art installations, games and a fancy dress competition with prizes. Whether it’s a glamorous Gatsby look, a dark masquerade or imaginative avant-garde – outlandish outfits are expressly encouraged here! A wonderfully crazy evening of entertainment where you won’t just be watching, but will become part of the show yourself!
When: Saturday, 9 pm to Sunday, 4 am
Where: Ballhaus Berlin, Chausseestraße 102, Mitte
He is finally back on stage at the RT: Dominique Horwitz. Following his one-man show as Charlotte von Mahlsdorf and his electrifying portrayal of the artist Mark Rothko in *ROT*, he breathes new life into *DIE deutsche Tragödie* in an award-winning dramatic tour de force.
Tip 7: Visit the vintage paradise
One day a glamorous Halloween ball, the next a paradise for vintage fans! On Sunday, the historic Ballhaus Berlin is transformed into a very special flea market full of nostalgic treasures. Browse through selected vintage fashion from the 1920s to the 1990s at the Berlin Vintage & Heritage Market , discover unusual accessories, old vinyl and shellac records, or original decorative pieces from decades gone by. DJs Stephan Wuthe and Karel Duba from Berlin’s swing scene will set the mood with music from vintage records. Drag queens, drag kings and burlesque artists are also regular guests at the market. And if all that browsing makes you peckish, you can refuel in the courtyard with Italian street food from Unto Berlin. A wonderfully nostalgic Sunday outing! Admission costs 3 euros.
When: Sunday, 11 am–5 pm
Where: Ballhaus Berlin, Chausseestraße 102, Mitte
Berlin Vintage & Heritage Market
Tip 8: Listen to the very best in international jazz
Berlin swings, grooves and experiments! Under the motto ‘Dream Baby Dream’, the long-established Jazzfest Berlin is bringing more than 135 musicians from around 25 countries to the capital’s stages. Look forward to rousing concerts, surprising sonic experiments and musical encounters that transcend all genre boundaries! On Friday, trumpeter Amir ElSaffar blends modern jazz with traditional Iraqi sounds, whilst the multi-talented Argentine Camila Nebbia presents a world premiere with an international ensemble. On Saturday, the experimental drummer Christian Lillinger will provide thrilling rhythms, before the legendary Globe Unity Orchestra celebrates its 60th anniversary on Sunday. Those who prefer to experience jazz in a relaxed club atmosphere can pop along to a free jam session at Quasimodo on Saturday. A musical weekend full of discoveries!
When: Friday & Saturday from 6.30 pm, Sunday from 2.30 pm
Where: Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Schaperstraße 24, Wilmersdorf, as well as A-Trane, Quasimodo and the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche in Charlottenburg
Tip 9: Discover Maurizio Cattelan at the Neue Nationalgalerie
A horse hangs from the ceiling, a little boy kneels on the floor, seemingly innocent, and a figure from Günter Grass’s *The Tin Drum* sounds the alarm! Welcome to the extraordinary art world of Maurizio Cattelan! With ‘NIGHT’, the Neue Nationalgalerie is presenting the first major solo exhibition in Germany by the Italian artist, who was awarded the Nationalgalerie Prize in 2026. On display are famous works such as the horse ‘Novecento’ hanging from the ceiling, or the unsettling sculpture ‘Him’, which only reveals itself to be a depiction of Adolf Hitler at second glance. Through biting satire, black humour and surprising installations, Cattelan explores power, history, memory and social taboos. An exhibition that unsettles, provokes thought and is guaranteed not to be boring!
When: Friday to Sunday, 10 am–6 pm
Where: Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Straße 50, Kulturforum, Tiergarten
Tip 10: Experience theatre exploring loss and resistance
Who actually writes history – and what becomes of the dreams of those left behind? In his new dance performance ‘Losers’, the Syrian-German artist and choreographer Enad Marouf combines expressive dance, music and text to create an extraordinary journey through political upheavals and dashed hopes. Inspired by the writings of the philosopher Walter Benjamin and the Egyptian activist Arwa Salih, memories of Egypt’s revolutionary student movement in the 1970s intersect with the famous figure of the ‘Angel of History’. Three performers bring these ideas to life on stage through movement, speech and an intense soundscape. A powerful theatrical experience exploring loss, resistance and the question of whether new possibilities might, after all, emerge from shattered dreams!
When: Friday to Sunday, 7 pm each evening, duration approx. 60 minutes
Where: Sophiensæle, Sophienstraße 18, Spandauer Vorstadt, Mitte
Tip 11: Make the most of this last chance to enjoy some extraordinary sound experiences
Music that surprises, experiments and sometimes turns all your listening habits on their head! Contemporary Music Month is entering its final week and is also celebrating its tenth anniversary. Until Saturday, numerous venues across Berlin will be transformed into exciting sound laboratories: here, classical instruments meet electronic sounds, unusual improvisations meet fascinating sound installations, and music meets moving images. Sometimes experimental vocal ensembles take centre stage; at other times, surprising compositions emerge from everyday sounds. Particularly exciting are this year’s themes centred on music and film, solidarity, and the accordion, which plays a special role this time round. A wonderful opportunity to discover entirely new musical worlds – even for those who have had little exposure to new music so far!
When: Friday & Saturday, times vary depending on the concert
Where: Various venues in Berlin
