February is slowly coming to an end, but we still have to put up with the cold season. But that's no reason to despair: we have events up our sleeve that will make you forget the winter chill in no time at all. A gourmet festival, exciting city tours, Berlinale finale and plenty of programme for the whole family are just the beginning...
Tip 1: Eat! Berlin - start the weekend with a culinary highlight
Gourmets take note - the eat! Berlin is back and will be serving the city an extra portion of indulgence over the next week and a half. The gourmet festival will spoil you with over 70 events where you can savour oysters, truffles and more at extraordinary locations. This weekend, the culinary highlight enters its first round: the menu includes Italian classics at Büffel und Trüffel, Sonntagsbraten by Berlin master chef Christopher Kujanski or a blind wine tasting at the theatre in the Palais. Grab the last available tickets and get ready for innovative culinary delights!
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Where: Various venues throughout Berlin
Tip 2: Celebrate queer film art at the 39th Teddy Award
The Teddy was created in 1987 as a queer counterpart to the already established Berlinale Golden Bear and has long outgrown its cute name: the Teddy Award is now regarded as the oldest and most important queer film award in the world. It is awarded annually to films that make a contribution to tolerance, diversity and visibility. The coveted trophy will be presented this Friday at the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz - including a lavish after-party, of course. And the award winners certainly have reason to celebrate, because as of this year, a Teddy Award entitles them to take part in the competition for an Oscar.
When: Friday at 20:30
Where: Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Linienstraße 227, Mitte
Tip 3: Familiarise yourself with urban architecture at Wind Blows, Water Rises
Water is probably the most important resource in the world and is becoming increasingly scarce in times of climate change. Floods are also presenting mankind with ever greater challenges. With her research-based work Wind Blows, Water Rises, Chinese star architect Doreen Heng Liu addresses these problems from the perspective of urban city planning. The exhibition of the same name at the Aedes Architecture Forum presents 13 projects that deal with urban change in the Pearl River Delta. Liu's approaches show how climate resilience can be strengthened and cultural identity preserved at the same time. Look forward to promising perspectives on an uncertain future.
When: Friday from 11am to 6.30pm, Sunday from 1 to 5pm
Where: Aedes am Pfefferberg, Christinenstraße 18A, Prenzlauer Berg
Tip 4: Take a leisurely cruise past Berlin's most important landmarks
A Spree cruise is fun, a Spree cruise is beautiful - because Berlin's most important landmarks are dotted along the banks of the Spree. Embark either at the Nikolai Quarter or from Friedrichstraße and sail past the Reichstag all the way to the House of World Cultures. The Luther Bridge, Bellevue Palace and Berlin Cathedral are also clearly visible from the deck of the popular Berlin Spree boats - a sight that should definitely be enjoyed with a refreshing drink from the boat's pub. Make yourself comfortable and marvel at Berlin from the water for a sunny hour this weekend!
When: At various departure times
Where: Friedrichstraße landing stage, Am Weidendamm 1, Mitte or Nikolaiviertel landing stage, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 1A, Mitte
Tip 5: Spend a day with the kids at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
What could be better than having fun with the whole family at the weekend? Right, nothing! And one thing's for sure: there's no bigger play and fun paradise for the little ones in Berlin than the Legoland Discovery Centre at Potsdamer Platz. Here, kids can let off steam in 15 different play areas and give free rein to their creativity. Including the exciting dragon track, the dinosaur excavation site, the LEGO RACERS race track and LEGO MINILAND, where you can marvel at Berlin's landmarks in miniature - adults will also get their money's worth!
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm
Where: LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, Potsdamer Str. 4, Tiergarten
Tip 6: Look forward to a child-friendly version of Weber's Freischütz
Want to go to the opera, but bored children are putting a spanner in the works? The author duo Friedrich Kind and Anne Schuhmacher have found the perfect solution to this problem for the whole family with Freischütz für Kinder. While you can enjoy the emotional music by Carl Maria von Weber at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, the children's thirst for action is captured at the same time: The young audience is invited to support the individual numbers and help the protagonist Max in the schoolyard in his courtship of the beautiful Agatha. A unique opportunity for guests aged 8 and over to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of opera with fun and games.
When: Friday and Sunday at 11am
Where: Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Unter den Linden 7, Mitte
Tip 7: Experience the last days of Pompeii at the New Media Art Centre
The earth shook and suddenly Mount Vesuvius spewed fire and ash: the sight of this devastating volcanic eruption in 79 AD must have been as impressive as it was frightening from Pompeii. And rightly so: within a few hours, a living metropolis was buried under metre-high layers of ash and pumice. For historians, however, the misfortune of the population is a real treasure, as everyday Roman life is better preserved here than anywhere else. In the immersive exhibition The Last Days of Pompeii, you can take a 360-degree look at the legendary Roman city at the New Media Art Centre this weekend - including gladiator fights and faithful replicas.
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 9pm
Where: New Media Art Centre, Revaler Straße 99, Friedrichshain
Tip 8: Listen to Berlin legends and myths in the Nikolai quarter
If you think you already know everything about Berlin, you're in for a surprise: There are still plenty of facts to discover in the Nikolai Quarter - especially about Berlin's world of legends. After all, what better place to gain an insight into the city's mythical past than its oldest settlement area? A exploration tour for the whole family awaits you here at the weekend, providing you with anecdotes, exciting locations and background knowledge: for example, about the bear in the coat of arms, or Berlin's own mythical creature - the Kaak.
When: Sunday at 15:30 (German language)
Where: Museum Nikolaikirche (forecourt), Nikolaikirchplatz, Mitte
Tip 9: Get to know Grimm's fairy tales from their dark side
After one look at the original texts, you will realise that the Brothers Grimm's collection of fairy tales is not for the faint-hearted: Man-eating moons, murdering stepmothers and cruel witches are the order of the day here. At the Pfefferberg Theatre in Prenzlauer Berg the Hexenberg ensemble skilfully brings this gruesome original character to life on Friday evening and takes you to the dark side of the fairytale world with Hansel and Gretel & Machandelbaum. Because at the Pfefferberg Theatre, the brother and sister only speak up after the witch has already done her work and all help has come too late...
When: Friday at 7 pm
Where: Pfefferberg Theatre, Schönhauser Allee 176, Prenzlauer Berg
Tip 10: Let yourself be guided through the architecture and history of the KINDL building
Wonderful on the outside, pretty fantastic on the inside: where the delicious Kindl beer was brewed until 2005 is now home to the KINDL - Centre for Contemporary Art, which presents changing exhibitions in the historic halls. But even without art, the building is very beautiful to look at: With its red clinker brick façade, the Kesselhaus was designed and completed in the 1930s by Gerhard Fritsche in the New Objectivity style. To preserve this impressive architectural heritage, regular guided tours of the former brewery building in Neukölln are organised. You will also learn about the background to the beginnings of the brewery and the technical functions of the various parts of the building.
When: Saturday at 2pm
Where: KINDL - Centre for Contemporary Art, Am Sudhaus 3, Neukölln
Tip 11: Revel in the voice of Céline Rudolph at Jazz in the Park Café
The instrument of the year 2025? The voice. Since the beginning of human history, singing has transported our feelings and stories - so it's no wonder that it's hard to escape its magic. With Jazz im Parkcafé on Saturday evening, you can expect not only the stunning vocal artistry of Céline Rudolph - winner of the German Jazz Award 2024 - but also one of the city's most popular neighbourhood events. Since 2008, the Jazz im Berliner Kiez format has been held monthly at the Parkcafé on Fehrbelliner Platz and brings together the greats of Berlin's jazz scene for unforgettable concerts. Look forward to a rousing musical weekend!
When: Saturday from 9 pm
Where: Parkcafé Berlin, Fehrbelliner Platz 8, Wilmersdorf
