Like a music fairytale: the iHeartBerlin picnic at Staatsoper für Alle

Like a music fairytale: the iHeartBerlin picnic at Staatsoper für Alle

Summer arrives with one of our favorite events of the year: “Staatsoper für Alle” – the annual open-air classical music festival on Bebelplatz. And as every year, we have another special picnic pop-up for our readers to win seats for.

Emotions, pathos, singing, and fans: what sounds like a short and sweet description of the currently omnipresent European Football Championship applies just as much to the world of opera. And every summer, one of the core objectives of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden is to bring opera to life for everyone. 

Every year, Bebelplatz is transformed into a fantastic backdrop for classical and opera music.  As part of the free open-air concert Staatsoper für Alle on July 12 and 13, fans of classical music and those who might want to become one can let themselves be carried away by the music of the Staatskapelle Berlin. So if you want to use the break in the European Championship drama on both days to indulge in the drama of the opera, you can simply drop by at the free event. And even if you weren’t a fan of opera music in the past, attending this event may change your perspective. 

Last year alone, over 33,000 people came to Bebelplatz to listen to the musical sounds of Verdi and Bruckner. This year, the opera performance of Melancholy of Resistance will be broadcast live on 12.7. and on 13.7. Wagner and Strauss are on the program, whose timeless pieces deal with the twists and turns of love and human nature. 

Be there – our picnic pop-up at Staatsoper für Alle
As we know that all this can be overwhelming for those who have never attended this event before or have had little exposure to classical music, we at iHeartBerlin give our readers the opportunity to experience this event in a more intimate circle every year. We are giving away 3×2 places for a picnic with us before and after the concert.

Dates of the picnic:
Date: 13.07, 19.00
Place: Bebelplatz
Participants: You & your BFF
What: Live concert by the Staatskapelle

Although the joint picnic with our readers has now become a tradition, it remains a very special kind of get-together that is as unique each time as the people we get to meet.

To make the picnic a visual and culinary delight, this year PicknickDeluxe 030 is equipping us with their amazing setup and delicacies from Meo Meo’s Kitchen, which are not only pretty to look at but also incredibly tasty. Meo Meo’s Kitchen is run by Kim and her husband Tuan. They are well known in the Berlin street food scene and have permanent stalls in Mauerpark on Sundays and in Thaipark on Saturdays and Sundays. Together with Katharina the founder from PicknickDeluxe030, they now also offer picnic boxes and catering for large groups.

To take part in the raffle for a place on our picnic blanket, simply do the following:
1. Follow us on Instagram to make sure our messages get through to you if you win.
2. Comment on this post with your favorite opera and tag your friend who you would like to take with you.
3. Check your inbox on 10.7. – we’ll let the winners know via DM. 

Staatsoper für Alle is organized by the Staatsoper Berlin in collaboration with its long-standing partner BMW, which supports the opera in making this event free for everyone and providing access to classical music.

Sustainable Listening #4 – How the Future of Food can Save the Planet

Sustainable Listening #4 – How the Future of Food can Save the Planet

Our next chapter of the event series Sustainable Listening together with Staatsoper Berlin combined culinary innovation and climate responsibility. Themed around the food system and the Planetary Health Diet, this unique gathering blended classical and electronic music, creating a sensory journey into the realms of food and sustainability.

Despite inflation hitting the gastronomy scene, Berlin continues to offer an impressive range of culinary delights from around the world and for different pockets. The city’s commitment to vegan and vegetarian cuisine is evident, although the numbers show there’s still progress to be made. With only 5% of restaurants being exclusively plant-based, and 20% offering vegetarian or vegan menus, Berlin’s food landscape reflects a growing, shift towards sustainable eating.

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25 Years Potsdamer Platz: A Free Festival For Everyone

25 Years Potsdamer Platz: A Free Festival For Everyone

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When I went to Berlin alone for the first time 24 years ago, one of the first places I visited was Potsdamer Platz. At that time I was insanely impressed by the architecture, the stores, all the cinemas, theaters, and restaurants. I felt as if I had been transported to the future. What they came up with for this historic place back then absolutely resonated with me. 

This coming weekend, September 15-16, Potsdamer Platz is now celebrating its 25th anniversary with a big, free festival. A lot has happened in this quarter of a century. A whole neighborhood has developed around it, and the square as a whole is even busier and more active than when I first visited. In particular, the restructuring of the former Potsdamer Platz Arkaden into The Playce is probably the most striking recent change. It is the first mall in Berlin to undergo a major overhaul and attract visitors with a new concept.

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The iHeartBerlin Picnic at Staatsoper für Alle – The Bliss of Classical Music

The iHeartBerlin Picnic at Staatsoper für Alle – The Bliss of Classical Music

Berlin is not a city known for its love of stability and traditions. Things change rapidly, and what may be your favorite party or restaurant today could easily become dull and uninteresting tomorrow. As Berliners, we are spoiled with an infinity of options. However, there are certain events that should never be overlooked and genuinely deserve the label of “timeless.”

One of these rare gems is the annual free open-air concert, Staatsoper für Alle, which transforms Bebelplatz into a magnificent arena for classical music. Even if you haven’t been a fan of opera music in the past, attending this event may change your perspective. It’s similar to the effect of being in a stadium surrounded by devoted fans; eventually, the music will resonate with you.

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Experience the Magic: Sunset Concert & Classical Music Aperitivo with iHeartBerlin & Staatsoper Berlin

Experience the Magic: Sunset Concert & Classical Music Aperitivo with iHeartBerlin & Staatsoper Berlin

Advert. 

As Summer returns, so does one of our favorite happenings: “Staatsoper für Alle” – the annual open-air that transforms Bebelplatz Unter den Linden into an open-air arena for classical music. With free admission, live performances, and a special pop-up picnic organized by us, our readers are in for an unforgettable experience.

I guess most of our iHeartBerlin readers have been to an open-air party, a festival, or any other kind of music experience you can have beneath the summer sky. But over the years, I noticed how many see classical music as something that can only be experienced behind closed doors in big concert halls and so on. But what if one of the biggest and central public spaces in Berlin would become an open-air concert venue? 

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How to save a forest – Recap Sustainable Listening #2 – Forest

How to save a forest – Recap Sustainable Listening #2 – Forest

How much of the German forest can we still save? Together with Staatsoper Berlin, iHeartBerlin is trying to find a constructive solution through our new event series Sustainable Listening. Check out the recap of the climate performance from early January.

Last summer was considered a so-called forest fire summer. That year alone almost, 4300 hectares of forest were destroyed in large fires throughout Germany. Of course, many of these were hectares around Berlin, for example, in the Berlin Grunewald, where in August 2022 a blast from ammunition caused the accidental destruction of about 42 hectares.

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Discovering new Festivals: Dancing on the Beach at the Mallorca Live Festival

Discovering new Festivals: Dancing on the Beach at the Mallorca Live Festival

Festival Season is back on track after a long covid break. This year we would love to introduce you to some festivals in Europe that might not have been on your bucket list yet. The Mallorca Live-Festival promises beach fun and electronic music highlights far away from the ordinary.

While other years we like to feature festivals around or in Berlin, this year with new travel opportunities we wanted to look a bit further out of our usual geographic radius. That is why we got super excited about the upcoming invitation for the Mallorca Live Festival.

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Sustainable Listening: It’s Time to Listen to the Oceans 

Sustainable Listening: It’s Time to Listen to the Oceans 

photo: Markus Braumann

A new event series at Staatsoper Berlin connects classic with electronic music and features thought-leading climate scientists for a new genre-bending format. 

Not everything we cook up in our iHeartBerlin-creative kitchen is always loud, bold, and edgy. Some projects are more about the fine details and the quiet sidenotes, yet turn out to be extremely powerful. 

So it happened that last week we premiered with our first creative and curational collaboration with Staatsoper Unter den Linden. The event series that we proudly call “Sustainable Listening” wants to connect science with music and bring scientists fighting climate justice for the next generations onto the stage of the opera house. 

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