Hey Berliners!

The Ringbahn stopped for two weeks, and we all quietly found other ways around it. Tomorrow it comes back: S41, S42, S46, and S47, the full circle. It feels like more than a train. Achtung Berlin opens Wednesday; the Philharmonie is free at Wednesday lunchtime, and the Frühlingsfest is still running. It's a full week. Everything you need is below.

— Dr Yassir A Shuaib

🚇 S-Bahn Ringbahn returns on 13 April
S41, S42, S46, and S47 full service resumes on 13 April. Check live schedules at the S-Bahn Berlin website. 🔗 More info here

🚄 Berlin–Hamburg by train: add 45 minutes until 14 June
Frost damage delays restoration past the original April deadline. Partial service resumes on 15 May, and the full route on 14 June. 🔗 More info here. Alternatives and live updates at the website of Deutsche Bahn🔗 More info here

🏠 LEA family reunification now online
Applications to Berlin's immigration authority can now be submitted online. No appointment needed for initial submission. The old OTV portal is closed. 🔗 More info here

💰 Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 128GB — from €447
The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 128GB is currently available on the German market for around €447. It features a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED display, a 50MP triple camera, and receives 7 years of software updates. Compare prices and order here /
🔗 More info here.

💰 Bosch WAN282ECO5 Serie 4 Washing Machine (8kg) — €519.99
The regular price is €949, so you save 45%. It has a quiet 1400 rpm spin and is perfect for a 2–3 person household. The deal runs until approximately 20 April. Check Saturn or MediaMarkt in the morning you plan to buy – sale prices change without notice.

🎬 Achtung Berlin Film Festival — Wed 15 to Wed 22 April
The second-largest film festival shows around 80 films connected to Berlin and Brandenburg. Opening night features "Mambo Maternica" at the Colosseum in Prenzlauer Berg. German-language screenings include English or German subtitles. Tickets cost €8–12. 🔗 More info here

🎨 Marina Abramović — Gropius Bau, opens Wed 15 April
The first major Berlin solo show by one of the world's most influential performance artists. Balkan Erotic Epic explores ritual, eroticism, and the body as political resistance. Tickets cost €15 (€10 reduced). The exhibition runs until 23 August. 🔗 More info here.

⚽ Union Berlin vs Wolfsburg — Sat 18 April, 15:30
The match will take place at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in Köpenick. Tickets and details are available at the FC Union Berlin website 🔗 here.

🏀 Alba Berlin vs Bonn — Mon 20 April, 20:00
Cheer on Berlin's basketball team at the Uber Arena in Friedrichshain. Tickets are available from around €20 at the Alba Berlin website 🔗 here.

🏃 S25 Berlin — Sun 19 April, from 09:00
Sunday, April 19, starting at 9:00. This city run offers distances from 5 km to a half marathon. The event begins at Spandauer Straße 7 in Mitte and finishes inside the Olympic Stadium.🔗 More info here

🌿 Berliner Frühlingsfest — until 3 May
This spring fair features over 80 rides and free entry (rides are paid individually). Wednesday is Family Day with reduced prices at Zentraler Festplatz, Kurt-Schumacher-Damm (U6 Jakob-Kaiser-Platz).🔗 More info here

🏃 Parkrun Hasenheide — Sat 18 April, 09:00
A free, 5-kilometre timed run for all paces at Volkspark Hasenheide. Register once
🔗 here, then just show up at Columbiadamm 160, Neukölln.

🎸 Big Thief — Mon 13 April, 20:00
Mostly sold out. Check resale on Ticketswap. Venue: Columbiahalle, Columbiadamm 13-21, Tempelhof. Best by U6 Platz der Luftbrücke. 🔗 More info here

🎵 Berghain: REEF 10 Years — Fri 17 April, 22:00
One of the final REEF events ever. Lineup: Skee Mask, Calibre, RP Boo, Dangermami, Siete Catorce. Tickets: €25 advance / €27 door.🔗 More info here

🎵 Berghain: Klubnacht — Sat 18 April, 23:00
Honey Dijon is headlining the Panorama Bar. Address: Am Wriezener Bahnhof, Friedrichshain.🔗 More info here

🎷 A-Trane Jazz After Midnight — Sat 18 April, from midnight
Free entry. Venue: Bleibtreustraße 1, Charlottenburg.🔗 More info here.

🎹 Philharmonie Free Lunchtime Concert — Wed 15 April, 13:00
Baltic Neopolis Orchestra, Philharmonie foyer. Free, no ticket needed. Arrive early. Venue: Herbert-von-Karajan-Str. 1, Tiergarten.🔗 More info here.

🌿 Türkenmarkt Maybachufer — Tue 14 and Fri 17 April, 11:00–18:30
Every Tuesday and Friday from 11am to 6:30pm. One of Berlin's best open-air food markets has fresh produce, Turkish specialities, olives, cheese, and spices. Free entry. Maybachufer 1–13, Neukölln, U8 Schönleinstraße.

🍜 Street Food Thursday — Markthalle Neun, Thu 16 April, 17:00–22:00
Thursday 16 April from 5pm to 10pm. The 13th anniversary edition with 30+ vendors inside a covered 1891 market hall. Free entry. Arrive early to avoid queues. Eisenbahnstraße 42/43, Kreuzberg – U1/U3 Görlitzer Bahnhof.🔗 More info here.

🆕 NEW — Fukagawa Fine Dining, Kreuzberg
A new Japanese‑French fusion restaurant opened in Berlin. The 8‑ or 9‑course menu blends Japanese grilling with French technique. Open Tuesday–Saturday evenings only. Booking is essential
📍 Fichtestraße (former Tante Fichte), near U7/U8 Hermannplatz
🔗 More info here.

🏛️ OLD FAVOURITE — Zur Letzten Instanz, Mitte
Berlin's oldest restaurant (opened in 1621) serves traditional German dishes like Eisbein and Königsberger Klopse. It is renowned for its historic atmosphere in the Nikolaiviertel.
📍 Waisenstraße 14–16, 10179 Berlin – U2/U5/U8 Klosterstraße
🔗 More info here.

🎬 FIND Festival is live at the Schaubühne
The Festival of International New Drama (FIND) runs from 16 to 26 April 2026 at the Schaubühne. This year’s Artist in Focus is British director Katie Mitchell, whose adaptation of Bluets (with English surtitles) is the centrepiece. Tickets start at €13 (concessions €9). Full programme and more info here. Kurfürstendamm 153, Charlottenburg

🎭 Roses Rising – The Dinner — HAU1, Wed 15–Sat 18 April
World premiere. Four dinner guests spiral into collective delusion – baroque costumes, original music, and live performances. Closing night Saturday includes a party at WAU. From €12. Stresemannstraße 29, Kreuzberg. More info here.

⭐ The Turn of the Screw — Staatsoper, Sat 18 + Tue 21 April, 19:30
Sung in English, with both German and English surtitles. Britten's chamber opera — a governess, two children, and two ghosts. 1 h 45, no interval. From €9 at Unter den Linden 7, Mitte. More info here.

🎭 Dance Double Bill — HAU2, Sun 19 + Tue 21 April
Two Berlin-based choreographers, one evening — no spoken language. Sunday's show (19:00) is followed by an English artist talk. From ~€15 at Hallesches Ufer 34, Kreuzberg. More info here.

😂 Beer 'n Mic — Das Gift, Wed 15 April, 19:30
Free–low entry: an eight-act curated English open mic in Neukölln's best Scottish pub. Just show up. Donaustraße 119, Neukölln. More info here.

😂 Cosmic Comedy Berlin — Thu 16 / Fri 17 / Sat 18
English stand-up every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Schönhauser Allee 184, Prenzlauer Berg. Free pizza and a shot before every show. Thursday is open mic (~€13). Friday and Saturday are curated showcases (~€17) — book ahead; they sell out. More info here.

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See you next time. Same time. Same Kiez.

— Yassir