The best Music Festivals in and around Berlin this Summer

Have you already sensed it in the air? Indeed! Summer is almost here and with rising temperatures comes the desire for outdoor fun. There's nothing better than a really good festival to enjoy music, to dance and to celebrate. A whole host of big and small festivals have been lined up in and around Berlin this year. Some of them are explicitly queer or queer-friendly. We have already added these five festivals to our calendar!

promo/Melt!/Nicola Rehbein u. Jen Krause

Melt! Festival

The 'Melt! Festival' has been a festie favourite of Berlin's trendy kids for almost two decades now. This is where the stars of the independent pop and electro scene, such as Bicep (live), slowthai, Shygirl, southstar, Daphni, Solomun, Agar Agar, Sevdaliza and many more gather. The festival has strong ties to the Berlin queer scene. Also lined up are performances by local queer acts such as comedian Sebastian Hotz aka "El Hotzo" and international queer musicians like Planningtorock and The Blessed Madonna. The venue is the former coal mine, Ferropolis, which guarantees a particularly impressive ambience due to its backdrop of cranes and industrial sites. It takes place at the beginning of summer from 8 to 11 June.

Melt! Festival
8. to 11. June, 2023
Ferropolis, Gräfenhainichen
Website Melt! Festival

Zurück zu den Wurzeln

If you are looking for a special ambience and imaginative programming, rather than world-famous acts, the 'Wurzelfest' music festival from 8 to 11 June comes highly recommended. Here, on a former airfield near Berlin, an entire fairytale forest will be set up, where there will be an incredible variety of activities to experience. A total of six stages covers a wide spectrum of musical styles from Tech-House to Reggae, and in addition, there will also be live music, comedy, and poetry on offer. The programme also includes workshops, readings, and circus shows. If that sounds a bit too light-hearted for you, rest assured - there will also be Berlin-style raving!

Zurück zu den Wurzeln
8 to 11 June, 2023
Flugplatz Altes Lager
Website Wurzelfest

QueerTango-Festival!

Tango gives you the thrills while the attached gender roles give you the chills? Berlin's International QueerTango Festival got you covered! Offering various workshops for all levels and a fine selection of shows and milongas, the festival has been attracting hundreds of dance enthusiasts from all over the world for years. Presenting teachers and artists from Berlin, Italy, Poland, France and the USA, the outspokenly queer and open-role festival puts particular emphasis on a relaxed atmosphere.

QueerTango-Festival
6 to 10 July, 2023
Kreuzberg, Berlin
Website QueerTango-Festival

Whole Festival

The 'Whole Festival' is a relatively new event. It was born out of the merger of various queer Berlin party collectives, including 'Pornceptual', 'Cocktail D'Amore' and 'Buttons'. Within just a few years it has become a permanent fixture in the world of techno festivals. The spectacular venue is Ferropolis, located about 1.5 hours from Berlin near Dessau. If you like the cool, queer Berlin party scene and like to party a little longer, this is the place to be. This year's festival will take place from 28 to 31 August.

Whole Festival
28 to 31 July, 2023
Ferropolis, Gräfenhainichen
Website Whole Festival

Lollapalooza

As one of the biggest festivals worldwide, Lollapalooza also has a Berlin version. The really big acts will be performing here - this year for example Mumford & Sons, David Guetta, Ava Max, Imagine Dragons, Macklemore und Jason Derulo. The venues for the festival are the Olympic Stadium and the Olympic Park. The event will take place from 9 to 10 September.

Lollapalooza
9 to 10 September, 2023
Olympiastadion, Berlin
Website Lollapalooza