100 Cultural Events For Free and Outside – The Kultursommerfestival 2023

100 Cultural Events For Free and Outside – The Kultursommerfestival 2023

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This summer is going to be great! I can feel it in my gut. Ok, admittedly summers in Berlin are usually always great. But somehow there’s something in the air. Everyone is in the mood to just have the best time.

We’re looking forward to visits to the lake, walks in the park, outdoor cinema, open-air parties, evenings by the canal, festivals and a lot of fun. And there’s a lot to experience this summer, too. In large part, we have the Kultursommerfestival (Cultural Summer Festival) to thank for that, which is taking place for the second time this year. From June 24 to September 3, the festival brings together a full program of 100 events. It is probably one of the largest joint projects of Berlin cultural institutions there is.

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On Is Bringing More Movement To Berlin

On Is Bringing More Movement To Berlin

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Berlin is a city that is always in motion. But now that it’s Spring and it’s getting warmer, everyone is feeling the buzz and getting more active – just the right timing for the Movement Week Berlin – a sports program that was initiated by Swiss sportswear brand On in collaboration with Urban Sports Club.

The Movement Week Berlin is not just purely about sports, it’s about community, enabling access to sports, motivation, and experimentation. Its aim is to bring experienced athletes and sports enthusiasts together in one place with those of you that are curious and want to become more active. You don’t have to be advanced in any discipline to join in on the fun. 

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Olympia Bukkakis’ Replay Is A Piece of Queer Heaven

Olympia Bukkakis’ Replay Is A Piece of Queer Heaven

photos: Frank R. Schröder. 

When I entered the main stage of the Sopiensaele theater on Wednesday evening and saw the three performers of Olympia Bukkakis’ new production “replay” twirling around in a set of silky white and translucent fabrics hanging from the ceiling like clouds I thought to myself: This must be a queer version of heaven.

The piece poses the question: What would happen if a drag queen and two non-binary performers would take charge? It would be a world where women like Breonna Taylor and Mahsa Amini would never be forgotten. A world where people from different backgrounds learn from each other in harmony. Where local drag queens get recognition before international pop stars. Where someone could break out in a Britney performance at any given moment. Where empathy, reflection, humor, and kindness are practiced with grace.

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A New Year’s Eve Party for Families with Kids at The Playce

A New Year’s Eve Party for Families with Kids at The Playce

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New Year’s Eve is coming up and everyone is all excited because it’s the first time in two years that official parties and events are happening again after the various pandemic lockdowns. We are certainly excited to hit the clubs again.

But there is one small but cute subgroup that unfortunately will have to stay home for New Year’s Eve once again: The kids! And isn’t that unfair? New Year’s Eve is historically really an adult kind of thing, isn’t it? The late hour of the main event, the booze, the firecrackers, the clubs – these are all not really kid-friendly things. It’s really unfair though because kids do sense that this is a special happening, yet one that many of them are excluded from.

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The Candella Ball: Devilish Bodies

The Candella Ball: Devilish Bodies

I have a confession to make: Besides my marriage to Berlin, I have an extra-marital affair with Medellin, Colombia. You know, it’s nice to stick your head outside of Berlin every once in a while to see what other cities are up to. And in that spirit, I want to share a party photo set with you I took in Medellin last weekend at the Candela Ball, so you also get to see what the queer party scenes in other major cities in the world look like.

I loved photographing at this drag ball. It was much like in the old days in Berlin when I took party photos regularly. One of the first parties I had to think of was the Blitz party that I captured many times. The costumes, the make-up, and the effort that was put in both by organizers and guests – it’s really something rare to find. This is what I found at the Candela Ball.

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Queer Joy at the Berlin Pride Parade

Queer Joy at the Berlin Pride Parade

The last weekend was full of queer joy for us with several pride parades and queer parties going on. It felt a bit like Christmas for the LGBTQIA+ community and there was something going on for every sub-group. This year, we not only visited the main pride on Saturday but also the Dyke* March on Friday and the Internationalist Pride that happened on Saturday evening at Hermannplatz. Both of these were pretty much in contrast to the main Pride parade, but nonetheless what stood out was the smiling faces and happiness of all the queer people who joined. And that makes us very happy. Because queer joy matters so much – it’s the rebellion, the antidote, the protest against discrimination, hate, prejudice, prosecution, and inequality.

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CODESS: The 8 Year Anniversary Performance by UY Studio

CODESS: The 8 Year Anniversary Performance by UY Studio

Avid followers of iHeartBerlin know that fashion label UY is one of our favorites in Berlin and very close to our hearts. No other label has elevated club wear like they did and turned it into a lifestyle. UY is one of the longest-running clubwear labels in Berlin with a history of presenting their work in a very creative and multi-disciplinary way. Three years ago they celebrated their 5th anniversary with a stunning performance at Halle am Berghain choreographed by our friends from The Progressive Wave with the soundtrack created by Dasha Rush. It was a true spectacle and one of the most impressive presentations of a fashion label we had seen. Check out my photos and animations of that show here.

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Rave the Planet: Together Again in the Streets of Berlin

Rave the Planet: Together Again in the Streets of Berlin

After a few years of preparation, and another year of delay due to covid, the first edition of the Rave the Planet parade finally took place last Saturday bringing back the magic of the iconic Love Parade to the streets of Berlin. Around 200.000 ravers from young to old came together along the track of the parade that lead from Ku’damm over Nollendorfplatz, Potsdamer Straße, Brandenburger Gate all the way over to the Siegessäule in Tiergarten. A caravan of 18 trucks filled with DJs, performers, and ravers made its way through town filling the air with the finest techno the city has to offer.

It was pretty incredible to witness this first edition, especially since I never went to the original Love Parade that took place in Berlin from 1989 to 2006. The energy in the city was incredible, the people were so ecstatic and it felt like seeing Berlin back to its old strength that we almost thought lost due to the last years.

For the first time, we also had the privilege to experience a parade from the perspective of a truck as our friends from Das Techno Team invited us onto their float. It was a really special pleasure to celebrate this event with their crew and performers. It also gave me the opportunity to capture the event in ways I never could before during big street parades. Check out our Instagram and Tiktok for our video recap. And below you’ll find out photo impressions.

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The Berlin Street Parades of the Summer

The Berlin Street Parades of the Summer

photo: Jens Schwan. 

The summer has us in a daze of joy with the weather being so amazing and one event happening after the next. We find ourselves almost every day with a glass of Aperol Spritz in hand at some gathering enjoying the company of people and good music. July is brimming with opportunities to have fun and we are so here for it.

The summer is also the time for the big street parades and there are really countless ones happening is the next weeks, especially in relation to Pride. We selected some of the most important ones for you. 

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Free Entry at C/O Berlin thanks to the ‘Open House – hosted by Airbnb’

Free Entry at C/O Berlin thanks to the ‘Open House – hosted by Airbnb’

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After a super successful first edition in December last year, C/O Berlin and Airbnb are following up and once again inviting photography lovers for free to the Open House – hosted by Airbnb on July 1, 2022 at the current exhibitions.

With the Open House concept, Airbnb continues their efforts to contribute to the revival of the cultural scene after years of pandemic-related lockdowns and to provide Berliners and visitors with a special experience.

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