January

International Green Week celebrates agriculture and gardening at the ICC trade fair center and features samples of  exotic foods from around the world.  Tel. 303/80

Schauplatz Museum (Museum Showcase)  A month long showcase of theater performances, concerts, readings, films, lectures and  discussions enlivening Berlin’s museums.  Includes “Long Night of the Museums” on which the museums in Berlin stay open until after midnight.  tel. 28 39 74 44.

  February

International Film Festival Berlin.  Also known as Berlinale, the film festival attracts stars, directors, and critics from around the world.  About 750 films are shown during the 2 weeks.  tel. 25 48 90.

  March

International Travel Fair  Held at ICC Trade Center.  Exhibitors highlight their countries’ attractions.  tel. 303 80.

  April

Festival Days  An annual series of gala concerts and operas under the auspices of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden which brings world renowned conductors, soloists and orchestras to Berlin for 10 days.  Concerts are held at the Philharmonic concert hall; operas are held at the opera house.  tel. 20 35 44 81.

  May

Carnival of Cultures

    Arts and Entertainment

  Classical music

Deutsche Oper, Bismarckstr.

35  030/341 0249

Good classical concerts, plus opera and ballet in a large, modern venue.

Komische Oper

Behrenstr. 55–57 

030/4799 7400

The house orchestra performs classical and contemporary music, and opera productions are staged here.

Philharmonie

Herbert-von-Karajan-Str. 1 

030/254880

The most noted and popular orchestra in Berlin.

Konzerthaus Berlin, Schauspielhaus am Gendarmenmarkt,

Gendarmenmarkt 2

 030/203 092101

Home to the Berlin Sinfonie Orchester and host to visiting orchestras.

Staatsoper

Unter den Linden 7 

030/203 54555

Excellent operatic productions in one of central Berlin’s most beautiful buildings.

Berliner Ensemble

Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1

 030/282 3160

The official Brecht theatre.

Maxim Gorki Theater

Am Festungsgraben 2 

030/202 21115

Productions of modern works.

Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz

Kurfürstendamm 153 

030/890023

State-of-the-art theatre for performances of the classics and some experimental pieces.

Varieté Chamäleon

Rosenthaler Str. 40–41, Mitte 

030/282 7118

Cabaret and variety theatre in the beautiful turn-of-the-century Hackescher Höfe complex.

Concerts 

 Among the major symphony orchestras and orchestral ensembles in Berlin is one of the world’s best, the Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester, which resides at the Philharmonie Mit Kammermusiksaal

Matthäikircherstr. 1

 030/254-880 or 030/2548-8132

The Kammermusiksaal is dedicated to chamber music.

Grosser Sendesaal Des Sfb

Haus des Rundfunks, Masurenallee 8-14

030/30310

is part of the Sender Freies Berlin, one of Berlin’s broadcasting stations, and the home of the Radio Symphonic Orchestra.

Konzerthaus Berlin’s

Schauspielhaus, Gendarmenmarkt

030/2030-92101

beautifully restored hall is a prime venue for classical music concerts in historic Berlin.

The concert hall of the Hochschule Der Künste University of Arts

Hardenbergstr. 33,

030/3185-2374) is Berlin’s second largest.

Waldbühne

Am Glockenturm, close to Olympic Stadium

030/305-5079 is modeled after an ancient open-air Roman theater and accommodates nearly 20,000 people at opera, classical, or rock concerts.