Reflexes &amp; Reflections 2026 takes place from 27 to 30 August 2026.

Reflexe & Reflexionen

Reflexes &amp; Reflections

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Programm 2026

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Programme 2026

Reflexe und Reflexionen

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As part of “Reflexes and Reflections”, the Berliner Festspiele organise artistic-discursive theme days at irregular intervals, which deal with social problems and controversial topics.

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Today’s Events

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<h3>Donald Trump, a Polarised Public and the End of Democracy?</h3>with Jeffrey Goldberg, Alice Hasters In dialogue with Saba-Nur Cheema and Meron Mendel6 March 2025For the opening of “Reflexes &amp; Reflections”, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in chief of The Atlantic, will explain in how far a polarisation of the public sphere is responsible for the re-election of Donald Trump. Author and journalist Alice Hasters will respond to his talk by putting forward her own proposals for a liberal debate culture.

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Key Visual Reflexe & Reflexionen 2025

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4-Day Focus at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, curated by Saba-Nur Cheema and Meron Mendel

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In “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: BELANCIEGE”, Hito Steyerl, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze and Miloš Trakilović investigate how data analysis practices within the fashion industry are used in targeted advertising on social media and what dangers thus arise for liberal democracies.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: BELANCIEGE

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In “Freedom Sonata”, dance artist Emanuel Gat, together with a group of dancers of diverse heritage and styles, re-examines the form of the sonata. He creates complex scores, which the dancers make their own live on stage.

Freedom Sonata

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Max Uthoff, political cabaret artist and host of the ZDF programme “Die Anstalt”, teams up with Enissa Amani, comedienne and activist. Together, they discuss the snap election results and explore the question: what’s left to laugh about?

German Federal Election 2025. What’s Left to Laugh About?

Artistic Programme

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Widely regarded as one of the most original and influential artists of the 20th century, Diane Arbus’ bold black-and-white photographs demolish aesthetic conventions and upend all certainties. Gropius Bau presents the most comprehensive exhibition of her work to date.

Diane Arbus: Konstellationen

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Gropius Bau presents the most extensive solo exhibition by artist and choreographer Ligia Lewis to date. Lewis’s work circles around themes of race, gender, violence and resistance, exploring how these dynamics haunt and shape the present.

Ligia Lewis: I’M NOT HERE FORRRRR…

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In “Thikra: Night of Remembering” by the Akram Khan Company, 11 female dancers from two different traditions are brought together in a choreography that points to the future far beyond the specifics of these two styles. Berliner Festspiele will present the production for the first time in Germany.

Thikra: Night of Remembering

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21 prize winners were selected from 400 young writers. The authors succeed in conveying intimate and powerful emotions in a moving way without resorting to kitsch. They also tell their stories in quiet voices, with beautiful observations of detail, and draw exciting and self-confident protagonists.

Treffen junger Autor*innen

More Berliner Festspiele

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By Hito Steyerl, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze and Miloš Trakilović

By Emanuel Gat

With&nbsp;Enissa Amani and Max Uthoff

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Reflexes &amp; Reflections 2026 will take place from 27&nbsp;August to 30&nbsp;August.

Reflexes &amp; Reflections 2026

The “Reflexes &amp; Reflections” theme days are a programme series organised by Berliner Festspiele. In times of increasing polarisation of social debates, it aims to create open and controversial spaces for discussion. “Reflexes &amp; Reflections” brings together artistic and discursive positions to negotiate social problems and contentious issues.

About Reflexes &amp; Reflections

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To open this 3-day focus and in response to the re-election of Donald Trump, the Berliner Festspiele have invited&nbsp;Jeffrey Goldberg,&nbsp;the distinguished American journalist and editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. In his lecture, as part of the event&nbsp;<a href="${link:{uuid:{6744d837-cf12-4c3c-a16d-528993237a86},repository:{website},path:{/bfs-de/reflexe-und-reflexionen/programm/2025/kalender/donald-trump-die-polarisierte-oeffentlichkeit-und-das-ende-der-demokratie}}}">Donald&nbsp;Trump, a Polarised Public and the End of Democracy?</a>, which is now available in the Berliner Festspiele Media Library,he shed light on the changes in political discourse and the media during the last decade.&nbsp;

Lecture by Jeffrey Goldberg

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Upcoming Events

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Reflexe & Reflexionen 2026: Impressionen 2025

Impressions 2025

Impressions 2025

Public disputes today are louder, more intense and more hostile than ever. Right-wing and authoritarian parties are gaining increasing support. Many people feel they are not being heard. Others complain of being unable to express their opinions. And in many parts of society, trust in the mediating power of state institutions and established media is declining.n view of this imbalance, Berliner Festspiele assessed the current state of affairs: How is our culture of debate failing? What role do social media, inequality and ideological conflicts play in this? And how can a lively praxis of public debate be encouraged? These questions were considered in the second edition of “Reflexes &amp; Reflections” in March 2025, which was once again curated by political scholar Saba-Nur Cheema and historian Meron Mendel. This time, the focus was on the future of debate culture.On three packed days devoted to this theme, prominent speakers discussed in a series of panel discussions, lectures and workshops the possibilities of liberating public discourse from its enduring but unproductive state of arousal. Participants included Jeffrey Goldberg, Alice Hasters, Yasmine M’Barek, Hasnain Kazim, Gilda Sahebi, Mithu Sanyal, Stefan Niggemeier and Deniz Y&uuml;cel.Artistic perspectives on processes of social negotiation were offered by the dance piece <a href="${link:{uuid:{ef75b370-61ac-4141-a551-683781849dc2},repository:{website},path:{/bfs-de/reflexe-und-reflexionen/programm/2025/kalender/freedom-sonata}}}">“Freedom Sonata”</a> by Emanuel Gat and the video installation <a href="${link:{uuid:{65c2a467-f3cc-42dd-b854-94f63ee521c5},repository:{website},path:{/bfs-de/reflexe-und-reflexionen/programm/2025/kalender/mission-accomplished-belanciege}}}">“MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: BELANCIEGE”</a> by Hito Steyerl, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze and Miloš Trakilović. Alongside all the serious questions that were discussed as part of “Reflexes &amp; Reflections”, there was also room for a sense of humour: shortly after the 2025 German Federal election, comedian <a href="${link:{uuid:{c46e2e10-63d3-4b2b-aad5-7080f06aeb99},repository:{website},path:{/bfs-de/reflexe-und-reflexionen/programm/2025/kalender/bundestagswahl-2025-was-gibts-noch-zu-lachen}}}">Max Uthoff</a> and comedienne and activist <a href="${link:{uuid:{c46e2e10-63d3-4b2b-aad5-7080f06aeb99},repository:{website},path:{/bfs-de/reflexe-und-reflexionen/programm/2025/kalender/bundestagswahl-2025-was-gibts-noch-zu-lachen}}}">Enissa Amani</a> commented on the election results. They asked themselves: what’s left to laugh about?

Reflexes &amp; Reflections 2025

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On the future of debate culture: The videos of the second edition of “Reflexes &amp; Reflections” with lectures, discussions and a late-night programme are available in the Media Library.

Reflexes &amp; Reflections in the Media Library

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As part of ‘Reflexes and Reflections’, the Berliner Festspiele organise artistic-discursive theme days at irregular intervals, which deal with social problems and controversial topics.

Festivals & Programme Series

The Berliner Festspiele organise a range of festivals and art exhibitions, concerts, dance and theatre performances, readings, lectures, debates and much more throughout the year. These events are presented at a range of locations across Berlin but are concentrated primarily at their own two venues: the Gropius Bau and the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.

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Reflexes & Reflections

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You can listen to some of our events this year digitally in the Berliner Festspiele Media Library after the live concerts.&nbsp;In addition, On Demand offers from past years are available.

Musikfest Berlin in the Media Library

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The international Jazzfest Research Lab&nbsp;welcomes academics and students to take a critical look at the festival’s archive, its programmes, creators, musicians and – last but not least – its myths. In two seminars during the summer semester of 2024, students from the Berlin University of the Arts and the University of Hildesheim have explored the festival’s history from various perspectives. In this film, the participants give a first look at how they dealt with their research subject.

Introducing: Jazzfest Research Lab

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To mark its 60th anniversary, Jazzfest Berlin is celebrating the cultural diversity of the neighbouring district of Moabit in collaboration with around 35 official partners and initiatives and with over 350 participants of all ages.&nbsp;In June 2024, interviews were conducted with 20 partners who presented their perspectives, wishes and ideas for the Jazzfest Community Lab Moabit. You can get a first impression with this film.

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Curated by&nbsp;Meron Mendel and Saba-Nur Cheema&nbsp;

From 13 to 16 June 2024, the interdisciplinary themed days “Reflexes &amp; Reflections” on the Israel-Palestine conflict and its consequences for society in Germany took place at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele. You can now find video and audio recordings of the discourse events in the Berliner Festspiele Media Library!

Reflexes &amp; Reflections. 7 October, the war in Gaza and the debate in Germany

In the Media Library

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Concerts, Community Week, Film Project, Workshops, Jam-Sessions, Discourse

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The 10 Remarkable Productions 2024

On 26 January, the Theatertreffen’s jury of critics announced their selection of 10 remarkable productions for the 2024 Theatertreffen at a press conference. Our congratulations go to the nominated production teams and all participants! The programme will be published on 5 April.

Theatertreffen 2024

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The massacre, hostage-taking and rocket attacks by Hamas have shaken us deeply. The grue-some attack on Israel on 7&nbsp;October left us stunned and initially lost for words.

The Berliner Festspiele on Current Events in Israel, Gaza and Germany

With this letter of intent, we, the signing cultural organizations, express our intention to welcome, host and stage Ukrainian theatre artists in our venues, to make Ukrainian dramatic work visible to the European community.

Support of the Ukrainian Cultural Scene

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From October 2025 to January 2026, the Performing Arts Season will present outstanding international productions from the fields of dance, theatre and performance at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele and the Gropius Bau. The programme schedule is online, advance ticket sale is on. The current edition focuses on the fragility and dynamics of identity, especially in times of social change and marginalization.

Performing Arts Season

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A total of 13 acts, including four bands, two duos and seven soloists, have been invited to the 42nd Treffen junge Musikszene as prize winners. The musical genres span a wide spectrum, ranging from pop in its many diverse forms through all the way to electronic and instrumental compositions.

Treffen junge Musikszene

Upcoming

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<h3>Theatertreffen</h3><h4>2 to 20 May 2024</h4>The 10&nbsp;remarkable productions, selected by a jury of critics, were announced in a press conference on 26&nbsp;January 2024, 11:00. The programme will be published on 5&nbsp;April, advance ticket sales will start on 19&nbsp;April at 14:00

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Akram Khan Company

Thikra: Night of Remembering

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Wim Wenders “Wesentliches”

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The Berlinale as a guest at Haus der Berliner Festspiele

75th Berlin International Film Festival

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as a guest at Haus der Berliner Festspiele

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Widely regarded as one of the most original and influential artists of the 20th&nbsp;century, Diane Arbus’ bold black-and-white photographs demolish aesthetic conventions and upend all certainties. With Diane Arbus: Konstellationen, Gropius Bau presents the most comprehensive exhibition of her work to date. Featuring 454&nbsp;prints, many of them shown here for the first time, Konstellationen offers new perspectives on Arbus’ iconic images and the wide range of her portraiture.

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Marking twenty years since artist, writer and performer Vaginal Davis made Berlin her home, Gropius Bau presents the first comprehensive solo exhibition of her work in Germany. In her expansive oeuvre, punk meets glamour, queer activism meets Black counter-culture and resistance meets desire. Fabelhaftes Produkt offers an overview of Davis’ practice and artistic collaborations.

Vaginal Davis:&nbsp;Fabelhaftes Produkt

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A Play Space for Kids

Playing, laughing, making noise, letting off steam, doing nothing – all in an exhibition venue! With BAUBAU, the artist Kerstin Br&auml;tsch designed an&nbsp;admission-free play space for kids, where more is allowed than forbidden. On Gropius Bau’s ground floor, colourful wallpapers, structures, objects and open-ended material called “loose parts” configure flexible spaces that are shaped by children’s activities.

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Ligia Lewis is a central figure in redefining performance within the context of the visual arts. In her multifaceted practice, she combines performance, live installation and film. &nbsp;From autumn 2025, Gropius Bau presents I’M NOT HERE FORRRRR…, the artist and choreographer’s most comprehensive solo exhibition to date. It brings together new and existing works that explore themes of race, gender, violence and resistance.

Current and Upcoming Exhibitions at the Gropius&nbsp;Bau