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.
The Planetary Health Diet – A solution to combat climate change
Last week marked another engaging edition of Sustainable Listening, the innovative concert and climate talk series by iHeartBerlin in collaboration with Staatsoper. This event brings together scientific experts and artists for an evening dedicated to climate issues. The focus this time was on the profound impact of our food system on the climate. A critical highlight was the discussion around the global meat industry, a major contributor to the climate crisis. Our speaker from Prof. Herman Lotze-Campen shed light on current challenges within our food systems, emphasizing the urgent need to shift towards less meat consumption. Central to his talk was the Planetary Health Diet, a concept advocating for a higher intake of legumes and exploring novel protein sources, presenting itself as a promising approach to lessen our environmental footprint.
The highlight of the evening was an opulent vegetable-based baroque feast, challenging the traditional meat-centric celebrations. Food artist Eleonore Buschinger, known for her personalized food delivery service ‘Eat Vitamin Color‘, crafted an exquisite menu that gave joy to our taste buds. The right drink was offered for a donation from BRLO. They produce an emission-free beer which is also non-alcoholic.
Sensorial Harmony of Food and Music
The event’s success was also owed to the performances by the Orchester des Wandels from Staatsoper Berlin and the electronic duo Gebrüder Teichmann. Their music underscored the event’s message: addressing climate change is a collective journey that can be enriched and inspired through artistic expression.
This event was more than just a night of culinary and musical exploration. It was a call to action for a more sustainable future, starting with what we put on our plates. As we eagerly anticipate the next session in May 2024, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this experience unforgettable.
The next edition will be in May and you can already buy tickets for it.
Thanks to BRLO and to German Zero for supporting this beautiful event.



















by Claudio | Nov 16, 2023 | Art, Music, Theater
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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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by Frank | Sep 11, 2023 | Events, Food, 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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by Claudio | Jul 12, 2023 | Music, Theater
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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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by Claudio | Jun 28, 2023 | Music, Theater
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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by Claudio | Feb 8, 2023 | Events, Music
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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by Claudio | Jun 20, 2022 | Events, Music, Party, Travel
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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by Claudio | Jun 16, 2022 | Events, Music
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Summer Season is finally back and with it comes one of our favorite events of the year. “Staatsoper für Alle” – the yearly open air classic festival that takes over Bebelplatz Unter den Linden is finally back in its full form. No tickets needed, no restrictions regarding Covid anymore and we have a special picnic pop up waiting for our readers.
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by Claudio | Jun 13, 2022 | Music, Theater
What does opera have to do with climate change? Two events in May and June dive into the relationship between culture and climate and raise awareness for climate change. iHeartBerlin is giving away 4×2 tickets, so don’t miss this opportunity!
Climate change concerns not only science and economy but also culture and the arts. Beyond the arts, many working in the cultural industry have asked themselves: What can culture do for the climate?
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by Claudio | May 12, 2022 | Music
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One the past weekend Berlin once again saw its big annual free open-air opera event Staatsoper für Alle hosted at Bebelplatz by the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Due to the pandemic, last year’s edition was held rather small offering the medical personal of the city a chance to view the live screening of the season’s premiere. This year, the event was still not back to its usual capacity of 40.000 people, but at least a few thousand citizens were able to join the two-day event.
Those of you who follow us, know we have been working with the Staatsoper now for several years, hosting the picnics at the Staatsoper für Alle events and creating video content for their social media channels. We were happy that we could join again in the festivities this year, but of course with one sad eye because it wasn’t in the shape of our famous picnic.
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by Frank | Sep 21, 2021 | Events, Music