About Concert venues
Berlin's live-music scene is spread across converted factories, former cinemas, ballrooms and multi-purpose halls rather than one entertainment district. Most mid-size venues cluster in Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain and along the Spree, with the larger halls in Prenzlauer Berg.
South of the centre: Kreuzberg and Neukölln stages
These rooms sit on the airport side of the city, so the drive is usually the shortest. Our Kreuzberg and Neukölln pages cover the neighbourhoods in more depth.
- Tempodrom Berlin – Möckernstraße, next to the brick remains of Anhalter Bahnhof. Concerts at Tempodrom Berlin range from rock tours to seated shows in the big arena and smaller nights in the side hall; the car pulls up on the forecourt side.
- Columbiahalle Berlin and Columbia Theater Berlin – neighbours on Columbiadamm, facing Tempelhofer Feld. The theatre is the smaller room, so check which name is printed on your ticket.
- Huxleys Neue Welt – Hasenheide, a few minutes on foot from Hermannplatz. Hasenheide crawls in the evening; a stop on a side street is often faster.
- SO36 Berlin – Oranienstraße, the punk institution of Kreuzberg 36. Narrow street, quick kerbside drop.
- Lido Berlin – Cuvrystraße, a former cinema near Schlesisches Tor.
- Gretchen Berlin – Obentrautstraße, in old stable buildings close to Mehringdamm.
- Festsaal Kreuzberg – Am Flutgraben, on the canal where Kreuzberg meets Treptow.
- Heimathafen Neukölln – Karl-Marx-Straße, inside the historic Saalbau near Rathaus Neukölln.
Along the Spree: Friedrichshain, Mitte and Treptow
- Astra Kulturhaus Berlin – Revaler Straße on the RAW grounds. The taxi stops on Revaler Straße; the last stretch through the site is on foot.
- Radialsystem Berlin – Holzmarktstraße, a converted pumping station on the river behind Ostbahnhof.
- Kraftwerk Berlin – Köpenicker Straße in Mitte, a former power plant with huge concrete halls, used for festivals and sound-art nights.
- Arena Berlin Treptow – Eichenstraße in Alt-Treptow, a former bus depot on the Spree, now hosting mid-size concerts and markets.
- Funkhaus Berlin – Nalepastraße in Oberschöneweide, the old GDR broadcasting centre with its acclaimed recording halls. From BER it is one of the quickest venue runs on this page.
For arena shows at the Uber Arena near Warschauer Straße there is a separate page.
North-east: Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee
- Max-Schmeling-Halle – Am Falkplatz, right beside Mauerpark; big concerts plus handball and volleyball home games.
- Velodrom Berlin – Paul-Heyse-Straße near S-Bahn Landsberger Allee; for concerts the stage stands inside the cycling track.
- Kulturbrauerei Berlin – the red-brick brewery between Schönhauser Allee, Knaackstraße and Sredzkistraße, with several halls around the courtyards.
- Motorwerk Berlin – An der Industriebahn in the Weißensee industrial estate, a raw factory hall booked for concerts, parties and shows.
These are the longest runs from the airport. More about the area on the Prenzlauer Berg page.
How long is the ride on a concert evening?
Rough guide outside rush hour: Oberschöneweide and Treptow 20–30 minutes, Kreuzberg and Neukölln 25–40, Friedrichshain and Mitte 30–45, Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee 40–60. On Friday afternoons the A100 and A113 fill up between about 4 and 7 pm, which can add a good quarter of an hour. At the BER taxi rank the meter keeps running in that traffic; with a pre-booked ride the total for the car is shown before you book and does not change in a jam.
Hotel first, hall second
Many clubs and halls have no space for suitcases, and cloakrooms are built for jackets, not trolleys. If your flight lands in the afternoon, ask the driver to stop at your hotel, drop the bags and continue. Plan around an hour between landing and leaving arrivals on busy days. Hotels close to the Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain venues are listed on hotels in Friedrichshain & Kreuzberg.
What to tell your driver
- Venue plus street: several halls share a site (Columbia, Kulturbrauerei, RAW), so give both.
- Flight number: lets the driver follow your actual landing time.
- Group size and bags: a band or a group of friends with gear fits better in a minivan or minibus, see group transfer.
- Mobile number: so the driver can reach you if the arrivals hall is crowded.
After the encore: the way back
After a late show, Berlin taxis wait at ranks or can be hailed on main roads, and BVG night lines cover most venue areas. For the trip to the airport the next morning, book the ride from your hotel in advance via Berlin to BER so the car is booked even after a short night.
