We know: summer is winding down, the €9 ticket is gone, you need to wear a jumper for the first time in months. Before you get too depressed and decide to move to Marseille or Lisbon, take a look at what’s happening this September in Berlin. It’s round about now the city’s cultural calendar gets going again after a summer break:
Berlin Beer Week
All-you-can-drink tastings, meet and greets with international brewers, BBQs and live music await you at the Berlin Beer Week, which actually lasts 11 days and opens today with a four-day beer, bourbon and BBQ mini-festival.
- Kulturbrauerei + various venues. Starts 17:00, 02.09, through 11.09
Berlin Photo Week 2022
At Berlin Photo Week between September 2nd and 9th, visitors can marvel at the art of photography and even learn to master it themselves in the many workshops on offer. The extensive photography festival mainly takes place in Arena Berlin – but also at some satellite locations. At the Homebase Arena there will also be an interactive place where you can play with the cameras in prefabricated settings.Berlin Photo Week 2022 takes place in cooperation with the agency Magnum Photos. The highlights also include two photo exhibitions in the Reinbeck Halls and the Helmut Newton Foundation.
- Berlin Photo Week in Arena Berlin, Eichenstrasse 4, Treptow, and at various locations in Berlin, September 02.-09, admission from €10, online
Selbstgebautes Musik Festival
With DIY instruments and curiosities such as automated pipe organs and automatic synthesisers, you can experience what actually goes into the music making process at this years Selbstgebaute Musik festival. Because music is for everyone, the festival day is not only characterised by concerts, but also by many opportunities to participate, build and try things out yourself.
- Holzmarkt and Säälchen Holzmarktstraße 25, Friedrichshain, Sun 4.9., 13:00 to midnight, €5 admission, free for children, material costs for workshops may apply, more information online
21st Berlin International Literature Festival
The centre of the International Literature Festival 2022 is the Haus der Berliner Festspiele. The program, which is knitted around authors from all over the world, will take place in various locations around the city. Whether it’s prose, poetry, non-fiction, graphic novels or children’s and youth literature – in mid-September eleven days of readings, discussions and encounters will focus on the world of literature. The other locations include the domed hall of the Silent Green in Wedding (pictured), the House of World Cultures and the cinema on Bundesplatz. A total of 34 different locations throughout Berlin and Brandenburg have been booked for the 2022 edition of the literature festival.
- 21st International Literature Festival Berlin various locations in Berlin, September 07-17, tickets €10, online
Charivari’s Circus Biennale
Berlin-based Charivari hosts contemporary circus companies from Poland to Iran in Lichtenberg’s leafy Kuriosum. The month-long programme caters to all tastes and ages, from Charivari’s own dadaist variety to acrobatics and singing clowns to hula hoop workshops and freak show puppet theatre. There’s even androgynous clownery and erotic acrobats as part of this year’s feminist focus!
- Villa Kuriosum. Starts 20:00, 09.09 through 30.09 online
Callie’s Summer Party
Come and experience the Wedding creative spirit firsthand as Callie’s art residency open their doors for a night of music, mingling and drinks in their very own courtyard.
- Callie’s. Starts 19:00, 08.09 online
Sounds Pop
If you’re looking for a new act to fall in love with, you should always start at Acud. This intimate festival is the best barometer for what’s happening right now in Berlin’s vibrant underground pop scene.
- Acud Macht Neu. Starts 18:00, 09.09, through 09.11. online
Jewish Culture Days
During the Jewish Culture Days, the Jewish diaspora in Berlin is presented, honoured and celebrated with a varied programme. Cultural events such as concerts and lectures as well as church services take place at various locations in Berlin. Non-Jewish visitors also have the opportunity to get to know the diversity and complexity of the oldest of the monotheistic Abrahamic religions. As part of the culture days, events are planned in the synagogue on Rykestraße and in the Renaissance Theatre.
- Jewish Culture Days 2022 various locations in Berlin, September 10-18, admission varies by event, online
Tag des offenen Denkmals (Monument Open Day)
There are thousands of cultural monuments in Berlin and on Open Monument Day, Berliners have the chance to visit heritage listed buildings that are normally not open to visitors (or only open to a limited extent). The Open Monument Day 2022 has the motto ‘Spurensuche – unterwegs mit der Denkmalpflege’, roughly, ‘Searching for traces – on the way with monument preservation’ and thus underlines the research aspect of monument preservation. All guided tours taking place on September 10th and 11th are free of charge, but not all are available in English!
- Open Monument Day 2022 various locations in Berlin, September 10th + 11th, free admission, online
Berlin Art Week
During Berlin Art Week, established galleries, new project spaces and young artists feature alongside the stars of the Berlin art scene. For us, the highlights include a group exhibition by 15 Berlin galleries in the Wilhelm Hallen and the exhibition “Queerness in Photography” at C/O Berlin. The focal point of this year’s Art Week is the so-called BAW Garden at the Uferhallen in Wedding, where talks, performances, workshops, concerts and much more will be held.
- Berlin Art Week 2022 various locations in Berlin, 14.9.-18.9., online
Positions Berlin Art Fair
As a partner of Berlin Art Week, Positions presents 88 international galleries and their most important artistic positions. The show takes place in Hangars 5 and 6 of the former Tempelhof Airport and, in addition to special exhibitions, also offers talks, music acts, guided tours and an award ceremony.
- Positions Berlin Art Fair 2022 Tempelhofer Damm 45, Tempelhof, September 15-18, tickets for €20 here
Giant Kite Festival on Tempelhofer Feld
The festival of the giant kites will take place again this year on the Tempelhofer Feld. Gigantic superheroes, lifelike dragons, a giant teddy bear floating through the air: On September 17, it’s not difficult to dream while gazing out over the former airfield.
But the festival of the giant kites is not only visually spectacular. Kids can also look forward to kite-making workshops, face painting and a giant bouncy castle. The highlight of the show is definitely the world and European stunt kite champions showing off their skills.
- Festival of giant kites on Tempelhofer Feld (western part), September 17, 11:00. to 20:00, free admission
Potato festival at Domäne Dahlem
German culture is more than just potatoes, and the potato festival at the Dahlem estate proves it. Many creative stalls offer local handicrafts, and the little ones can ride ponies or explore the area by tractor or carriage. Live music and a wide variety of culinary offerings make the potato festival an autumn highlight for adults too. There are of course potatoes too, for those wanting to try their hand at harvesting a field.
- Potato festival at Domäne Dahlem, Queen-Luise-Strasse 49, Dahlem, September 17+18, admission €3.50, reduced price €2 (admission is free for children under 12), online
Dussmann English and EXB presents: Katy Derbyshire and Lucy Jones
Exberliner and Dussmann English Bookshop kick off their autumn literary collaboration with a special event about the art of translation. Host John Owen will share the stage with two of Berlin’s finest Germanto-English translators currently in the game: Lucy Jones, translator of Brigitte Reimann, Anke Stelling and V&Q Books publisher Katy Derbyshire.
- Dussmann English Book Shop. Starts 19:00, 21.09 online
EXBlicks: Seaside Special
A feel-good documentary about England post-Brexit? It exists! EXB invites you to the screening of Love Letter from Europe: Seaside Special (2021) – Jens Meurer’s ode to the British Seaside and its Piers. Stay on for a chat and a glass of wine.
- Lichtblick Kino. Starts 20:30, 26.09 with English subtitles.
Lollapalooza
Berlin’s favourite band Seeed, has been confirmed as the hitherto kept secret headliner of this year’s Lollapalooza. The giant festival will take place from September 24th to 25th in and around Olympiastadion. Big German acts like Kraftklub, Casper and Annenmaykantereit are also part of the party. International stars like Machine Gun Kelly and Paolo Nutini will also make appearances. All genres of music are covered at Lollapalooza, so there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone. You can read more about Lollapalooza here.
- Lollapalooza Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park, Olympischer Platz 3, Westend, 24.9.+25.9., festival ticket from €169, teens €99, day tickets €94, free admission for children, tickets and further information online
The BMW Berlin Marathon
At the end of September, 40,000 runners will again take part in the legendary BMW Berlin Marathon. Hobbyist and professional runners come from all over the world for this exciting sporting event. The BMW Berlin Marathon is a favourite of many pro athletes: most of the world record marathon times are run in Berlin because it’s the flattest track! The starting point is the Victory Column and the end point is the Brandenburg Gate. Many central streets in Berlin are traditionally closed to cars, so if you want to avoid stress take public transport instead.
- BMW Berlin-Marathon September 24th + 25th, starting gun at 9:15, route and information here
Pumpkin and apple festival at Britzer Garten
The pumpkin and apple festival in Britzer Garten is all things autumn. In addition to the traditional pumpkin show, where pumpkins in all imaginable shapes and colours will be exhibited, children can look forward to carving pumpkins themselves and making kites. It’s worthwhile for the adults too; a walk through Britzer Garten, just in time for the beginning of autumn is a photographers delight!
- Apple and pumpkin festival in the Britzer Garten Sangerhauser Weg 1, Neukölln, 24.+25.9., Sat 18:00-21:00, Sun 1:00-18:00, admission €2, concessions €1 (only park admission – for children up to 5 years the Admission free)
Festival of Animation Berlin
With talent from France to Ukraine to China, this three-day animation festival sees 11 different competitions, kicking off tonight with the German competition and a performance by Köpenick rapper Romeo. The festival’s only feature-length contribution, The Swallows of Kabul, on Sunday is not to be missed!
- City Kino Wedding. Opening ceremony, 19:00-20:30. In English and German, with English subtitles. 30.09 through 02.10 online
Triennale der Moderne
September will also be exciting from an architectural point of view: between 30.9. and 3.10. The Triennale der Moderne takes place in Berlin. Under the theme “Living. To work. Life.” lectures, workshops, symposiums, tours and visits are planned. The other cities hosting the festival in Germany are Dessau and Weimar.
In Berlin, the focus will be the six modernist housing estates here in the Hauptstadt. These six buildings are UNESCO World Heritage listed because they are considered a special expression of the political, social, cultural and technical progress during life in the Weimar Republic.
- Triennale der Moderne various locations in Berlin, September 30-October 3, online