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This past weekend the Kultursommerfestival 2023 kicked off with not one but nine events spread all over town. The opening is only one of around 100 cultural events that will take place until the end of the summer on September 3rd – all of them for free and outdoors. The program is super diverse and will include concerts, theater shows, performances, exhibitions, installations, parties and so much more.
As a partner of this year’s Kultursommerfestival we had the pleasure to create a list of highlights from the program to give our readers some guidance on which of the many events they definitely shouldn’t miss. There is something in there for everyone. It’s going to be such an eventful summer!
Read on…
by Frank | Events
Heissa Holzmarkt.
With our nerves hanging on really thin threads these days due to the… – let’s just call it circumstance – there is only one thing really keeping us remotely sane: the prospect of Christmas. It’s like that one warm cozy light at the end of the tunnel that is the second year in a fucking pandemic.
While a lot of markets were actually not happening last year, the vaccinations and current regulations make it possible that they are happening again this year. We are glad they are because Christmas and Winter markets make up for a lot of the magic of the holiday season. And no better excuse to fill up on mulled wine than a visit to a Christmas market.
Of course, we wouldn’t be iHeartBerlin if we sent you to the regular markets happening in the usual places – you know where to find those. We picked the more unique and special ones that often come with a little twist as well. Here goes our Christmas Market guide for 2021. (Mind you, they all call themselves “Winter Markets” these days for whatever reason that might be…)
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by Frank | Christmas, Market
It’s the news we have all been waiting for for months now: There is a light at the end of the tunnel for the seemingly endless lockdown of all nightlife and culture venues. As many media outlets reported yesterday, the Senate has announced to start re-opening venues for public events in combination with rapid covid tests. The first venues to be part of the trial are the big stages of Berlin including the Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper, Berliner Ensemble, Volksbühne, Philharmonie, and the Konzerthaus.
But what we are most excited about is that there will also be a trial at Holzmarkt’s Säälchen in collaboration with the Berliner Clubkommission. Hold your horses, it’s not a party, it’s “just” for a concert. But still. This is the first step we have been craving for, and if all goes well it will mean that soon more events can happen and more venues will be able to re-open.
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by Frank | Events, Pandemic
Heissa Holzmarkt.
Although Berliners are known to hate the wintertime, December brings one special treat that somehow alleviates the pain. Even those hardened freelancers who don’t need to show up for work and seriously consider hibernating with takeout as a viable survival solution are likely to leave the comfort of their home office when they hear two magic words: Christmas markets. And seriously, what’s not to love? Berlin’s Christmas markets reflect the spirit of the town itself and many of them have little to do with the cheesy vibe of dumb consumerism. On the contrary – they present a chance to discover and support local creators, get to know locations that remain relevant all year round, and last but not least, have a glass of the classic Glühwein. Read on to discover the coolest Christmas markets and special sales going on this year!
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by Michalina | Christmas
The Ballroom scene might very well be my favorite thing about Berlin’s nightlife right now. I’m so happy there is a lot of movement going on at the moment with multiple voguing workshops taking place and balls happening more regularly. If you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about you can read up on the ballroom culture and voguing in some earlier pieces of us here and here.
This last Friday the magnificent David Milan from the House of Milan hosted his very first ball here in Berlin at Säälchen in conjunction with Pride Week and with support by Coca-Cola and Eastpak. It was a beautiful spectacle that united all the colors of the rainbow (literally and metaphorically) under one roof. The runway was on fire that night with some of the best outfits and performances I have seen in a while. I just love how regular outfit rules of Berlin’s club scene are totally turned upside down with people going for bold, colorful, extravagant and camp instead of the trendy, sporty all-black style. For me, the voguers are like the coolest people that I can imagine, but at the same time they are very welcoming and accepting of all kinds of people, so you will see a very diverse crowd embracing different identities, cultures, and shapes at their events.
The crowd of the Pride Ball was no exception, so much beauty, my camera could not have been happier. Of course, I took tons of photos and I created probably the biggest series of animated GIFs that I ever did for an event. I’m already excited for the next ball (which is happening at Schwuz on August 23) and also look forward to more movement in the ballroom culture of Berlin.
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by Frank | Party, Photos
Our city is changing. As long as we’re loud enough, it can change for the better.
My body is still sobering up from excessive new years celebrations when I leave my apartment on Karl-Marx-Allee on this frosty Thursday morning. I might feel like trash, but stepping through the elegant row of columns guarding the gates to the monumental ‘Stalin-palaces’, I live in, just gives me something grand each time.
I’m on my – semi-thought-through – mission to keep it that way: I’m buying my apartment! – I’m 25, I just finished my studies, and my savings got me as far as a new MacBook… Turning around the corner to Ostbahnhof, nervously fiddling with the pile of signed documents in my right hand, I ask myself: Have I gone mad?
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by Andy | People, Stories
Wondering how to spend the weekend if the weather does you a favor and is nice ever again in the future? Look no further as we’ve gathered for you some of our favorite cafes and restaurants by the water; because, what’s a better summer setting than this? Whether a lake or a riverside, these places are absolutely perfect for summer strolls, and God knows how we miss those. So next chance the weather gives you, grab your friend, your boo, your mom, and be where life is nice! You will find us there sipping on our beer, letting our toes catch some vitamin D.
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by Stella | Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Tiergarten
Who would have thought in the mid 2000s that a tiny shack of scrap wood on an abandoned lot at the river Spree would ever become the quirky urban oasis that is the Holzmarkt today?
It was in the year 2004 when I stepped into the so-called Bar25 for the first time. At the time it was a tiny improvised bar made of recycled wood at the end of an overgrown footpath in the wastelands of the Spree riverbanks in Friedrichshain. There was no techno party going on there, just the comfort of a worn out couch and some beers. I was on a date then that I hardly remember now, but I remember the place because it became of one the most legendary international techno clubs and a hub for youth culture of the post-millennium era.
Over the course of the next 7 years the buzz around this inconspicuous little place became louder and louder. I dropped by every now an then observing their journey to techno heaven and international fame. The bar grew bigger ever year, adding a small circus arena, a pizza parlor, a restaurant, a spa, a pool, a hostel and more cute little things to its world making it a little paradise that you never wanted or needed to leave. They started the whole cult of going to a place and not leaving it for 5 days straight. You didn’t have to, because there was everything you needed – plus a swing with a lovely view of the sunset over the Berlin city silhouette. There was a lot of feathers, confetti and glitter involved, something that set the Bar25 apart from it’s more understated neighbor Berghain that opened around the same time as them.
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by Frank | Clubs, Friedrichshain, Restaurants
photo: Klunkerkranich
Spring has sprung! And you know what this means: Outdoor locations are becoming a thing again!
No more standing under heating lamps, clutching to your scarves. The last fluffs of your scarfs are scaling off your necks and many heads turn to other people again. With every raising degree, the core areas of the capital shift from inside to outside.
Berlin awakens in Spring. And along with it the people, the cafés, restaurants, urban parks and festivals are returning from their winter hideout. How we’ve missed the many opportunities to enjoy life under the clear sky. With Spring, all these possibilities are back!
And even better, we compiled a list of activities and locations that are back from winter hiatus and open again for you to enjoy. See them right after the jump. Read on…
by Yasmin | Bars, Cafés, Galleries
photo: Haubentaucher
The season of skulking through the dark nightclubs and dirty bars of Berlin is over, guys! It’s time to go outside and enjoy the sun. Well, we might not have a very long and intense summer here in Berlin (sadly). But those golden days that we get, we like to use as much as we can. And where do we like to go? Every where we can have a drink without a roof over a head. Preferably something with a view, or inside the green, or at the water. Well, luckily we have plenty of places in Berlin that fulfill these criteria and we’ve selected 10 of our favorite ones including some old classics and some brand new hotspots. Enjoy our list of awesome outdoor locations!
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by Frank | Bars, Cafés, Clubs, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Restaurants, Tiergarten
