Hey Berliners! 😊

This is everything that did not fit into Sunday's issue. The Ringbahn is still down until Sunday night. Cherry blossoms still going. Tonight you have three things worth doing – a Russian ballet, a free jazz session, and a language exchange over beer in Kreuzberg.

Five minutes. Let us go.

— Dr Yassir A Shuaib

🚇 S-Bahn still suspended until 13th April

S41, S42, S46, and S47 are down between Treptower Park and Tempelhof. Back to normal on 14th April. Add 20+ minutes if you are in Neukölln, Treptow, or Tempelhof this week. More info →

🌸 Cherry blossoms — still at peak

Walk past 215 cherry trees on Schwedter Straße in Prenzlauer Berg. It's a beautiful view of pink blossoms. Go early on weekends – it gets crowded after 10 am.

📍 Start at Schwedter Straße/Gleimstraße, 10437 Berlin – S-Bahn Bornholmer Straße.

More info →

🎡 Berliner Frühlingsfest — Berlin's big spring fair, still running (until 3 May)

This is a huge outdoor funfair with over 85 rides, games, and food stalls. Entry is free – you just pay for the rides and food you want.

Opening hours:

Two special fireworks nights: 10 April and 1 May at 10 pm

Address: Kurt-Schumacher-Damm 207, 13405 Berlin (central fairground near the old Tegel Airport)
How to get there: Take U6 to Kurt-Schumacher-Platz, then bus M21 or X21.

It's a classic German Volksfest – think Ferris wheels, roller coasters, bumper cars, cotton candy, and bratwurst. Great for families, couples, or anyone who just wants to have fun.

More info →

🩰 Nureyev — Deutsche Oper Berlin — Tonight and Sunday

The ballet performance was banned in Russia due to its depiction of Nureyev’s life. The ballet performance is currently taking place in Berlin for the first time outside of Russia.

📍 Bismarckstraße 35, 14057 Berlin – U2 Deutsche Oper

More info →

🎭 The Turn of the Screw — Staatsoper Unter den Linden

Benjamin Britten's ghost opera, sung in English with English surtitles. A governess arrives at a country house; two children behave strangely. Something is very wrong. 1h 45min, no interval. If you have never been to an opera, start here. Short, in English, one of the world's outstanding opera houses.

📍 Unter den Linden 7 – U6 Französische Straße

More info →

🎤 Cosmic Comedy Berlin — Thu/Fri/Sat (Paid English comedy)

Berlin's main English comedy club. Free pizza and a shot included. Thursday is open mic, unpredictable and often excellent. Friday and Saturday are curated showcases. Book ahead; weekends sell out. Prices: €13 on Thu / €17 on Fri+Sat.

📅 Dates: Thu 9 & Fri 10 & Sat 11 April | Doors 19:00, Show 21:00

📍 Schönhauser Allee 184 – U2 Eberswalder Straße

More info →

🗣️ German-English Language Exchange — Travolta Bar (Free, tonight)

Every Tuesday from 19:30. Germans practising English meet English speakers practising German. At a proper Kreuzberg bar, it is neither a class nor a worksheet. Just conversation over drinks. No registration is required; simply arrive and enjoy a drink. Tonight, Tue, 7 April, 19:30.

📍 Wiener Straße 14b, 10999 Berlin — U1 Görlitzer Bahnhof

More info →

🎤 Bearpit Karaoke — Mauerpark (Free, Sunday 12 April)

Every Sunday from 15:00, Joe Hatchiban sets up a karaoke machine in the stone amphitheatre at Mauerpark. Anyone can sing. The crowd cheers for everyone. Running since 2009 — no tickets, no sponsorship, just show up. The season runs from April to October. It cancels out in heavy rain.

Sunday 12 April from 15:00

📍 Bernauer Straße 63‑64, 13355 Berlin — U8 Bernauer Straße

🎸 Jazz — Yorckschlösschen (Tonight)

Over a hundred years on the same Kreuzberg corner. Dark wood, dim lighting, cold beer, live jazz. There is a regular jam session open to musicians. Please bring a few euros for the band collection. No booking needed. Verify weekly programme → yorckschloesschen.de

Tonight — Tuesday 7 April from 20:30

📍 Yorckstraße 15 – U7 Yorckstraße

More info →

🎷 Jazz After Midnight — A-Trane (Saturday 11 April)

Every Saturday from midnight. Professional musicians drop in after their gigs and play until 4am. Free entry after midnight. It's one of the best late‑night rooms in the city.

Saturday 11 April from midnight

📍 Bleibtreustraße 1 – U7 Wilmersdorfer Straße

More info →

🏃 Parkrun Hasenheide (Free, Saturday 11 April)

Free 5km at 9:00. Run, jog, or walk. Register once at parkrun.com — your barcode works at any parkrun worldwide.

Saturday 11 April at 9:00

📍 Columbiadamm 160, 10965 Berlin — U8 Hermannplatz

More info →

⚽ Hertha BSC — home Saturday 11 April vs Kaiserslautern

Hertha are third in the 2. Bundesliga and chasing promotion. Six games left. This is a six-pointer.

Saturday 11 April 13:00

📍 Olympiastadion, Olympischer Platz 3 — S5/S7/S9 Olympiastadion

More info →

🏀 Alba Berlin — home Monday 20 April vs Telekom Baskets Bonn

Berlin's most successful basketball club. Loud, fast, accessible. Book your tickets in advance for the next home game.

Monday 20 April 20:00

📍 Uber Arena, Mercedes‑Platz 1, 10243 Berlin — S/U Warschauer Straße

More info →

How do I find an English-speaking GP in Berlin?

Germany does not require pre-registration. You find a doctor, confirm they are taking patients, and book.

Fastest route — Doctolib: Go to doctolib.de → search "Allgemeinmedizin" → Berlin → filter language: English → filter insurance: Alle Kassen. Book directly. Bring your Gesundheitskarte. Cost with public insurance: €0. Book → doctolib.de/allgemeinmedizin/berlin

Guaranteed English — avi Medical: Six Berlin GP practices built for English-speaking expats. All staff speak English. Always accepting new patients. Public and private insurance. Locations: Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, Charlottenburg, Mitte, Moabit. Book → avimedical.com

Urgent? Call 116 117, the national medical appointment line, available in English. Legally required to find you an appointment within four weeks, usually sooner.

🏪 Lenaustraße 5, 12047 Berlin

Cold beer, spray cans, political pamphlets, and a back room for neighbourhood meetings. Collectively run — no single owner. Open continuously since 2023. A Sternburg Export costs €1. Benches outside are the seating.

Not just a shop. A room that belongs to the street.

Open noon to midnight. More → @spaetverkauf

More info →

That's it for this midweek edition

We will be back on Sunday with the next issue. Make Berlin yours – and forward this to someone who needs it. Berlin Brief is always free.

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Same time. Same Kiez.

— Yassir 🌸