Olympic fever has the world on tenterhooks these weeks. To prevent Berliners from flocking en masse to the Alps to watch the spectacular live broadcasts, the city has taken precautions this weekend: with a double dose of figure skating, the final Berlinale events and Black History Month, the calendar of events is packed to the brim. Look forward to CINEMA OF DREAMS, exciting exhibitions and a wild 1920s party at the Metropol!
Tip 1: Experience cinematic ice skating artistry at CINEMA OF DREAMS
In keeping with Berlinale month in February, the new live production by Holiday on Ice is all about film. CINEMA OF DREAMS opens on Friday at the Tempodrom and tells a story of fantasy, friendship and big dreams in the style of a Hollywood blockbuster. The performance centres on 37 outstanding figure skaters from all over the world.
But the light show, 380 creative costumes and music also make CINEMA OF DREAMS a unique experience. On Friday, a guest star will even venture onto the ice for the opening: former Voice of Germany contestant Max Giesinger!
When: Friday at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Where: Tempodrom, Möckernstraße 10, Kreuzberg
Tip 2: Feast your way through the whole city at eat! berlin
This weekend, the gourmet fair eat! berlin is back for another edition. As every year, it will spoil you with exquisite specialities, exciting talks and revolutionary gourmet creations. New approaches and formats also make this year's edition something very special.
SparklingB! on 1 and 2 March is Berlin's first major sparkling wine fair. Another particularly nice thing about eat! berlin is its guiding principle: you eat (and drink) with your eyes! The various delicacies are not served in a cool exhibition hall, but in exquisite restaurants spread across the city.
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Where: Various venues throughout Berlin
Tip 3: Enjoy the last days of the 76th Berlinale
Before the final credits roll on the screens of the 76th Berlinale, there are still a few kilometres of film running through the projectors of Berlin's cinemas. Berlinale Classics such as Assarab – Mirage by Ahmed Bouanani, competition films such as At the Sea and Dao, as well as top-class Berlinale Shorts, retrospectives and documentaries can still be seen in various cinemas until Sunday.
The supporting programme also offers you many last chances. For example, on Friday morning at the Berlinale Hub, the Berlinale programme designers invite you to share your favourite festival moments over cappuccino and other refreshments.
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Where: Various venues throughout Berlin
The new Grand Show BLINDED by DELIGHT takes you on a moving journey into the world of dreams and happiness. Experience dazzling show entertainment with over 100 wonderful artists on the largest theatre stage in the world
Tip 4: Experience Fazıl Say with the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin
On Sunday evening, the German Symphony Orchestra (DSO) Berlin will meet Turkish star pianist Fazıl Say in the Great Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic. In his moving compositions, the committed civil rights activist repeatedly addresses political issues. Among his best-known works are the Gezi Park compositions, in which he set the Istanbul protests of 2013 and 2014 to music.
On Sunday, Say will perform his piano concerto Mother Earth under the baton of John Storgårds. The programme also includes Florence Price's String Quartet No. 1 and a symphony by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
When: Sunday at 8 p.m.
Where: Philharmonie Berlin, Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße 1, Tiergarten
Tip 5: Explore Charlottenburg Palace in all its splendour and glory
Charlottenburg Palace has come up with a very special guided tour for children aged six and above. In Splendour and Glory: Party Planning with Chambermaid Sophie, young visitors slip into the roles of various court officials and help with a difficult task: a party must be planned, and every bit of help is needed to keep the fine ladies and gentlemen happy. Equipped with playful task sheets, children and their accompanying adults embark on a rally through the New Wing.
In the various rooms of the palace, it's time to keep your eyes peeled! Here, the little court officials find out what they can contribute to the festival. Finally, please note that adults are only admitted when accompanied by children.
When: Sunday at 1 p.m.
Where: Charlottenburg Palace, Spandauer Damm 10-22, Charlottenburg
Splendour and glory at Charlottenburg Palace
Tip 6: Be inspired by the art of language at Wortsport 26
The new spoken word festival Wortsport 26 proves that language performance can be much more than poetry slam or stand-up comedy. Over three festival days, word artists of all generations and traditions come together to present the full beauty of the spoken word. Word games, poetry, song lyrics, rap and sign language live up to the name of the GRIPS Theatre.
You can look forward to seeing fifteen young talents, known as Very Important Poets (VIPs), who will bring the eloquence of the younger generation to the stage. Before the actual shows, you can take part in exciting workshops with the artists.
When: Various workshops on Friday and Saturday from 2 p.m., Sunday from 4 p.m.; the shows start at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Where: GRIPS Theatre: GRIPS Podewil, Klosterstraße 68, Mitte
Tip 7: Breakfast at Tim Raue's restaurant at dizzying heights
At Restaurant Sphere in the sphere of the TV tower, you can enjoy Tim Raue's exquisite breakfast menu and sip your morning coffee at a height of 207 metres, while the roofs of Berlin still glisten sleepily in the morning light. In addition to the wonderful culinary experiences, the view here is also unique: from the Tiergarten to the Teufelsberg, from the cathedral to the Plänterwald, the whole of Berlin lies at your feet.
Whether it's a romantic morning, brunch with the family or a culinary treat for yourself: simply book in advance, step into the lift and start the day with Berlin's most beautiful city panorama.
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 11 a.m.
Where: Sphere Tim Raue, Panoramastraße 1A, Mitte
Tip 8: Listen to Albertine Sarges, Tara Nome Doyle & Berlin Strings
On Saturday evening, you can experience a new generation of German musicians at the Konzerthaus Berlin. Singer-songwriters Albertine Sarges and Tara Nome Doyle are searching for new sounds together with the artists of the Berlin Strings ensemble – and they've found them.
The pieces performed deal musically and lyrically with questions of creativity, new beginnings and loss. The string quartet arrangements performed at the concert were written especially for this event and form a bridge between classical and pop music.
When: Saturday at 9 p.m.
Where: Werner Otto Hall at the Konzerthaus Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt 2, Mitte
Albertine Sarges, Tara Nome Doyle & Berlin Strings
Tip 9: Celebrate at Bohème Sauvage Nº139 like in the 1920s
There's hardly a better place than the Metropol on Nollendorfplatz for a trip back in time to 1920s Berlin. The Metropol was built in 1905 and has since served as a theatre, cinema, club and event location. On Saturday evening, this magnificent building provides the backdrop for Bohème Sauvage Nº139, a glittering party night that is stylish, original and exuberant. The Bohème Sauvage house band Let's Misbehave transforms the ballroom with its sky-high ceiling into a pulsating dance floor with hot jazz, swing, Charleston and tango.
Drag queen Gisela Kloppke will guide you through the evening. The glittering supporting programme is the crowning glory of this homage to the nightlife of the 1920s! Burlesque, casino, photo studio and absinthe bar are all provided – all you have to do is remember the period dress code!
When: Saturday at 9 p.m.
Where: Metropol, Nollendorfplatz 5, Schöneberg
Tip 10: Take a look at historical maps during Black History Month
As part of the city-focused exhibition BERLIN GLOBAL at the Humboldt Forum, you can attend a special event on Black History Month on Saturday. In Mapping ohne Rand (Mapping without Borders), German-Ghanaian illustrator and intervention designer Patricia Vester explores our use of maps. Colonialism, imperialist border demarcation and the glorification of war are vividly addressed here through her depictions on maps.
Afterwards, you can look forward to an exciting lecture by the curator and a short film screening.
When: Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m.
Where: Humboldt Forum, Schlossplatz, Mitte
Tip 11: Applaud the ice skating artists at Skate Berlin
While the Winter Olympics in Italy are drawing to a close, Berlin is putting on its very own winter sports highlight. For 35 years, the Berliner Eissport-Verband e. V. (Berlin Ice Sports Association) has been organising an international figure skating competition. At Skate Berlin, 250 participants from 35 nations will compete in the disciplines of single skating, pair skating and ice dancing at the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen.
The winners' exhibition on Saturday evening will be the grand finale of the competition. So this is the perfect opportunity for you to celebrate Berlin's winter with sport, fun and elegance!
When: Friday and Saturday, exhibition on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Sportforum Hohenschönhausen, Weißenseer Weg 53, Hohenschönhausen
