20 Best Performing Arts Venues in Berlin, Germany

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the world's best and their resident venue is the Philharmonie, comprising the Grosser Saal, or large main hall, and the smaller Kammermusiksaal, dedicated to chamber music. Tickets sell out in advance for the nights when star maestros conduct, but other orchestras and artists appear here as well. Wednesday's free Lunchtime Concerts fill the foyer with eager listeners of all ages at 1 pm between September and June. Show up early as these concerts can get very crowded. One-hour guided tours in English are offered several times a month and can be booked online.

Of the many composers represented in the repertoire of Deutsche Oper Berlin, Verdi and Wagner are the most frequently presented.

Silent green presents concerts, films, and readings in what might be the city’s most unique venue: a former working crematorium, which opened in 1910 and shut down in 2002. Events happen in both the 17-meter-high domed former funeral hall and the underground concrete crematorium, as well as on the outdoor lawn during the summer. For refreshments during both show and non-show days, the MARS Café & Bar serves a weekly changing lunch menu as well as coffee and cakes in the afternoon and drinks and snacks in the evenings.

The premier opera company in Berlin presents both traditional and contemporary productions, often with international opera stars, in their beautiful concert house on Unter den Linden.

The Volksbühne is unsurpassed for its aggressively experimental style, and the 824 seats are often sold out. The unusual building was reconstructed in the 1950s using the original 1914 plans. It also houses two smaller performance spaces—the Roter Salon and the Grüner Salon—which host everything from retro Motown nights and salsa classes for all levels to touring pop and rock acts.

Partially hidden behind Kottbusser Tor, Babylon shows original-language films with English/German subtitles. Ticket prices vary according to the day of the week, with Monday being the cheapest at €7.

In February, numerous cinemas band together to host the prestigious Internationale Filmfestspiele, or Berlinale, a 10-day international festival at which the Golden Bear award is bestowed on the best films, directors, and actors. Ticket counters open three days before the party begins, but individual tickets are also sold on each day of the festival, if you're willing to wait in line for what can be hours. Film buffs should purchase the season pass, or act quickly when tickets are sold online.

The excellent Berliner Ensemble is dedicated to Brecht and works of other international playwrights.

Mainstream U.S. and British movies are screened in their original versions at the CineStar im Sony Center. Tuesday is a discount evening.

The theater most renowned for both its modern and classical productions is the Deutsches Theater.

The English Theatre presents dramas and comedies in English as well as hosting independent productions, concerts, events, and comedies for Berlin's international community.

For children's theater, head to the world-famous Grips Theater, whose musical hit Linie 1, about life in Berlin viewed through the subway, is just as appealing for adults.

This theater consists of three houses (HAU 1, 2, 3) within a five-minute walk of one another. Fringe theater, international modern dance, and solo performers share the stages.

The operas performed here are sung in their original language (with English subtitles available on a display on the seats), but the lavish and at times over-the-top and kitschy staging and costumes make for a fun night even if you don't speak the language.

The beautifully restored hall at Konzerthaus Berlin is a prime venue for classical music concerts.

The rebellious actors at the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, once the city's most experimental stage, have mellowed somewhat but still put on great performances, frequently with English and French subtitles. Their regular, avant-garde stagings of well-known Shakespeare plays provide a wonderful opportunity to enjoy German theater, even if you don't know a word of German. (You can always brush up on the story beforehand and follow along with your own English text.)

The Tanzfabrik is Berlin's best venue to see young dance talent and the latest from Europe's avant-garde. Additionally, contemporary artists come to learn and practice here in dance classes and workshops, often in their Kreuzberg studio at Möckernstrasse 68. The company holds additional dance festivals at Grüntalerstrasse 9, also in Wedding, on occasion.

The white, tentlike Tempodrom, beyond the ruined facade of Anhalter Bahnhof, showcases international music and rock stars.

The late-19th-century Theater des Westens, one of Germany's oldest musical theaters, features international musicals such as Ghost and Dance of the Vampires.