Top things to do in Berlin — week of 27 April

End of April and Berlin is finally acting like Berlin again. Garden bars opening, klubnacht running long, and a midweek AI meetup that is actually worth showing up for. Here is what I would not skip.

If you would rather just read the calendar, Rifio's Berlin page has all of these in one place.

Monday: a quiet one at Klunkerkranich

Klunkerkranich is open and the rooftop is doing a Monday cocktail offer. Easy start to the week, the sunset over Neukölln still does its thing, and you are home by ten. Mega.

Tuesday: Watergate Tuesday

Watergate is doing a regular Tuesday now and it is the cheapest way into a club week — €10 before midnight, decent line-up, the bar staff are quick. The river view from the panorama bar is the only reason I have ever liked a Tuesday.

Wednesday: Factory Mitte AI meetup

The most serious thing in this list. Two talks — one on open-weights deployment, one on European compute — then a Q&A that does not pretend to be a panel. Free, beer fridge, the room is small enough that you actually meet people. The crowd skews engineers from the local labs and a few VCs from the Mitte side.

Thursday: SO36 punk show

A Thursday punk show at SO36, €15, the line-up is two German bands and one from the UK who I have wanted to see for two years. Doors at 8, the floor will be sticky by 9, you will be fine by Friday morning.

Friday: Sisyphos garden opening

The big one for the weekend. First proper garden night of the year — €18, doors at 11, line-up is the regular Sisyphos crew plus one out-of-town booking. Bring a jumper because the wind picks up at 4am and the garden is exposed. The food stand will be running, which is alot more reliable than two summers ago.

Saturday into Sunday into Monday: Berghain Klubnacht

It is the Klubnacht. €25 if you get in. Saturday night is the obvious window, Sunday afternoon is the move if you can stand the queue, and the bold call is Monday morning when the room thins out and the music gets weird. The garden bar will be open if it is over 14 degrees.

Sunday: brunch at Roamers and a long walk

If you skipped the klubnacht — which is a respectable choice — Roamers does the best Sunday brunch in Neukölln and the queue is shorter than it deserves. After, walk down to the canal, get a coffee, look at the swans. That is a complete Sunday.

A small note on transport — the U1 is doing weekend works again, untill 18 May. Plan around it or get a taxi back from Friedrichshain.

A reminder that the Berlin techno page has the line-ups already filtered for the weekend.

Berghain Saturday and Sisyphos Friday are the two anchors. Everything else is around them. Wednesday at Factory if you are in the AI scene. Tuesday at Watergate if you want a cheap night. Mega week on paper, let us see if Berlin shows up.