In Berlin, things won't get boring even on the weekend after the big European Championship final, because the next highlights are just around the corner. The summer Berlin will spoil you with a poetry slam on the beach, a pizza festival and many cultural events. And if you're longing for a slightly shadier programme in the July heat, you can simply spend the entire weekend at board game tournaments and art exhibitions!
By the way: To keep up to date with what's going on in 2024, simply order our Weekend tip newsletter for Berlin.
Tip 1: Celebrate the 30th birthday of the lesbian-gay city festival
The time has finally come again: Schöneberg shines in all the colours of the rainbow around Nollendorfplatz. For the 30th time, the lesbian-gay city festival, which many Berliners also know as the Motzstraßenfest, will be celebrated here this weekend. Berlin's LGBTQIA+ scene offers the international queer community a safe space with a traditional character. Countless visitors from all over the world travel to Berlin for the event - also because Christopher Street Day is coming up the following weekend! Look forward to three days full of partying, music, talks, workshops and diversity.
When: Friday and Saturday from 11am
Where: Around Nollendorfplatz, Schöneberg
More information about the lesbian-gay city festival
Tip 2: Enjoy Italian delicacies at the True Italian Pizza Street Festival
Delicious Italian pizza, fresh from the oven, as far as the eye can see? If that doesn't sound like the perfect plan for the weekend. That's exactly what awaits you around the Jules B-Part Café in Park am Gleisdreieck. The True Italian Pizza Street Festival takes place here on Saturday and Sunday. Berlin's best pizzerias are joining forces for this festive occasion and presenting you with the most authentic and delicious pizza creations that their stone ovens have to offer. From Neapolitan to vegan options and gluten-free pizzas, everything is on offer here. It's almost worth skipping breakfast for a change...
When: Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 10 pm
Where: Jules B-Part Café am Gleisdreieck, Luckenwalder Straße 6b, Kreuzberg
Tip 3: Be there when fairy tales come true in the Botanic Garden
A midsummer night's dream becomes reality when the Botanical Garden Berlin is transformed into a nocturnal fairytale realm for the 15th time this weekend. On Friday and Saturday, the gates will open at nightfall and invite you into a world full of magic. Even without an additional programme, the more than 22,000 plant species would exude a very special atmosphere at night. But on this special weekend, magical mythical creatures live among the leaves, light installations make the palm trees dance and music and dance performances breathe new life into the historic site. So look forward to a night that will leave you in awe!
When: Friday and Saturday from 6 pm
Where: Botanischer Garten Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 68, Lichterfelde
More information on 15 years of Botanical Night
The most fun club vacation
Summer is here - time for a club vacation in a class of its own! Because at the Quatsch Comedy Club, every ticket comes with a free cocktail! Start the summer off right with hot punchlines and cool drinks. Offer valid 01.07. - 15.09.2024
Tip 4: Listen to the best poetry slam in the world at Strandbad Orankesee
Admittedly, the title of our next event is not very modest. But if nothing else, the participants of the best poetry slam in the world really have what it takes. See for yourself and make yourself comfortable on the beach when the six linguistic acrobats vie for the audience's favour with their wordplay in the final before the final. Musical entertainment will be provided before and after the performances and there will be no shortage of cool drinks on this balmy summer evening.
When: Saturday from 7pm
Where: Orankesee lido, Gertrudstraße 7, Alt-Hohenschönhausen
Tickets and more for the best poetry slam in the world
Tip 5: Sit in the very front row at the Summer Preview of Dokumentale
The Dokumentale - International Documentary and Media Festival Berlin will take the Berlin film scene by storm in October. The new festival is dedicated to the art of storytelling. Here you can enjoy internationally acclaimed documentaries and exciting short films and share your impressions at all kinds of events. But it's still a while until autumn. To sweeten the wait, the organisers have planned a Summer Preview this weekend. You'll have the opportunity to sit in the front row of 13 exclusive documentary films. Good music and cool drinks included!
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various times
Where: Various venues throughout Berlin
More information about the programme
Tip 6: Dazzle with Berlin's LGBTQIA+ icons at QUEER IS BEAUTIFUL
QUEER IS BEAUTIFUL - these three words are the order of the day in Berlin and now finally back at the Theater am Delphi! After a three-year break, the dazzling show is back on stage and takes you into an extravagant world in which gender boundaries are as fluid as the drinks at the theatre bar. With lots of music, captivating presenters and sexy performances, everyone is welcome and warmly invited to let their hair down - even if only metaphorically! Friday at 19:30
Where: Theatre im Delphi, Gustav-Adolf-Straße 2, Weißensee
More information about QUEER IS BEAUTIFUL
Tip 7: Browse, play and try your way through Berlin's board game paradise
In the age of online games and game consoles, the analogue board game still manages to inspire its fans. And rightly so, because the board game universe is more colourful, diverse and exciting than ever before. The Berlin Brettspiel Con at the Estrel Hotel in Neukölln will prove this to you this weekend. Almost everything the analogue gaming world has to offer awaits you here on over 9,000 square metres. Board game developers present their new works and illustrators present their art in the Artist Gallery. Come along and test your skills in numerous tournaments or simply play with friends in the in-house gaming area. May the best gamers win!
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Where: Estrel Hotel & Convention Centre, Sonnenallee 225, Neukölln
More information about the Berlin Brettspiel Con
Tip 8: Go on a discovery tour at Madame Tussauds and SEA LIFE Berlin
The Berlin museum landscape is full of secrets. And the most popular of them are hidden in two very special places: the wax museum at Madame Tussauds and the magical underwater worlds at SEA LIFE Berlin. Because there is always something new to discover here. Whether it's a particularly lifelike star or a particularly fast fish - fun is always guaranteed. So grab the Berlin combination ticket and set off on a museum tour of a particularly varied kind!
When: Friday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm
Where: Madame Tussauds, Unter den Linden 74, Mitte / SEA LIFE Berlin, Spandauer Straße 3, Mitte
You can find the Berlin combo ticket here
Tip 9: Ahoy Matros:innen - weigh anchor and make yourselves comfortable on board
Of course, Berlin cannot be compared with maritime jewels like Venice, Marseille or Copenhagen - but we still have water. And the Spree is an absolute gift, especially in summer! So if you fancy a sightseeing tour but absolutely can't be arsed to take a walk along Berlin's hot cobblestones, we've got just the thing for you. Simply make yourself comfortable for 2.5 hours on one of the Spree boats and enjoy the highlights of the city from the water. Because the Spree - fortunately - flows past numerous Berlin sights!
When: Friday to Sunday at various departure times
Where: Reichstagufer (at the Tränenpalast), Reichstagufer 18, Mitte
Tip 10: Take a tour of the University of the Arts
As is traditional for Berlin's art academies, they open their doors to curious visitors once a year for a weekend. And the UdK (University of the Arts), as Germany's largest art academy, is of course there. Students from various disciplines present their works directly at the venue - from painting to jazz music to fashion design, everything is included. You can look forward to an insight into the studios and rehearsal rooms of a renowned Berlin art institution.
When: Friday to Sunday, various times depending on the event
Where: Various venues throughout Berlin
More information about the UdK Tour 2024
Tip 11: Enjoy world music at the Sonic Pluriverse Festival
The Sonic Pluriverse festival series currently has the House of World Cultures firmly in its grip and brings a unique artistic perspective. With a mixture of concerts, DJ sets, listening sessions, workshops and lectures, the interdisciplinary collective Sonic Interventions puts the musical focus on a different part of the world every year. This time, the programme is dedicated to Terapia. This musical style from the Colombian Caribbean combines genres such as zouk, makossa and soca. Here, music becomes a mediator of multicultural cultural heritage. A festival that no one should miss!
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various times
Where: House of World Cultures, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, Tiergarten
more Info about Sonic Pluriverse Festival
