So your fingers don’t freeze this week, sink them into sourdough, keep them moving with knitting needles, and leaf through magazines. Here are CC’s Calendar tips — for warm hands and open minds. Let’s start with a bit of printer’s ink. On Friday (16.01.), Purgatory Magazine celebrates the release of its tenth issue with a release party. There will be reading, dancing, listening, and talking, and, of course, a first look at the new issue. It’s called “There’s Nothing In My Dreams”, but there’s plenty there that evening: paper, nice people, and a place to disappear into. Saturday (17.01.) brings fresh air to your wardrobe, without buying anything new. At the Swap Market at Desi Diner, you can swap, pass on, and recombine. Clothes, accessories, and anything ready for a second life will change hands. Admission is donation-based and there will be snacks and plenty of time to browse. It stays soft and fabric-focused on Sunday (18.01.) with the first Knitting Café, which is all about stitches and snacks. For a few hours, Neumanns Bäckerei will become a meeting place for anyone who wants to keep their hands busy and enjoy some company: a cozy spot to knit, crochet, talk, or stay quiet together, accompanied by cake and warm drinks.

Also on Sunday (18.01.), there’s a contrasting program (at least conceptually). “Riskier alles – Kunst und Sport” invites you to a Sunday get-together at Galerienhaus. The group exhibition brings together works on the body, reaction, and the constant in-between of control and loss of control. Among them is “Quick Reaction” by Katharina Reinsbach. On an advertising column, she lines up endless blind drawings, echoing the short-lived Instagram stories of a single weekend. No risk, no art! If you miss the feeling of dough on your hands after Christmas, join the Sourdough Workshop on Monday (20.01.). For tourists and locals alike, the recipe is slow, together, hands-on. Bread baking as an antidote to constant noise. Learn the basics of sourdough, fermentation, and a few little tricks. No prior knowledge required! On Tuesday and Wednesday (20.-21.01.), things get pleasantly uncomfortable: a piece of furniture with worldly intentions. A melancholic horse. The uncomfortable exhibition at Backhaus Projects brings together situations and moods that refuse to soothe. It’s about friction, about the feeling of not sitting right — in the room, in the system, in your own body. On Wednesday, a performance by Annita Sleep rounds off the evening. A week to warm up, for hands and hearts.

Text: Emma Zylla / Credit: Alexander Haas, Annita Sleep, Eric Tschernow, Katharina Reinsbach, Marjorie Brunet Plaza, Savannah van der Niet, Ruby Watt

Gelegenheiten, Weserstr. 50, 12047 Berlin–Neukölln; map
Issue #10 Release Party 16.01.2026 19h.

@purgatorymagazine
@gelegenheiten

Desi Diner, Thiemannstr. 1, 12059 Berlin–Neukölln; map 
Swap Market 17.01.2026 13–17h. You can register here. 

@desidinerberlin

Neumanns Bäckerei, Weichselstr. 32, 10247 Berlin–Friedrichshain; map
Strick Café 18.01.2026 16h30–19h. 

@neumanns.berlin

Galerienhaus, Lindenstr.35, 10969 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Sunday Get Together 18.01.2025 12–15h. 

@katsophier

Keit, Grünberger Str. 75, 10245 Berlin–Friedrichshain; map
Sourdough Workshop 19.01.2026 18-21h. You can reserve your spot here.

@tourist.official
@keit.berlin

Backhaus Projects, Weserstr. 168, 12045 Berlin–Neukölln; map
The uncomfortable exhibition 20.01.2026 from 19h. 21.01.2026 from 11h.

@backhaus_projects
@annitasleepbitte

The second most important question after “Have you got all your presents yet?” is: “Where can I find them at short notice?” Both questions can be answered this weekend. And for those spending New Year’s Eve in the city, there is hope away from the noisy streets. Here are the CC Calendar tips with the most beautiful markets and best refuges for the end of the year. Between Ku’damm and pre-Christmas exhaustion, the 032c Gallery is hosting a small exhibition loop by Fine Hunting on the theme of aesthetics until Saturday (20.12.). At the intersection of fashion, art, and theory, works by Maria Koch, Reiner Becker, Vasylyna Vrubel, and others come together here — as an invitation to take a closer look, find beauty, and rethink. Well suited for a winter detour off the beaten track. On Sunday (21.12.2025) in Graefekiez, Helka Ceramics is gathering some of the city’s most talented craftspeople at The Gift Shop for a final gift-giving session. Between mulled wine and friendly faces, you can discover glass objects, ceramics, textile works, jewelry, and vintage pieces—including items from The Case Studies, Etna Glass, YCCIJ, and others. Many shops in the neighborhood will also be open, making gift shopping even more relaxed. Also on Sunday (21.12.), Kleistone, the studio for conscious pottery, invites you into its creative halls one last time before the winter break. The Winter Market is ideal for anyone looking for something tangible and valuable to give — or to keep for themselves: ceramics from the studio, samples, and second-choice pieces, plus matching gift wrap and twine. If you work with pottery yourself, you can drop off your pieces to be fired or stock up on clay.

Those who prefer to hide away in the dark over the holidays can do so in some of the Yorck Group’s cinemas. The Delphi Filmpalast, Cinema Paris, and other theaters are showing special programs. On Christmas Eve (24.12.), for example, you can watch The Holdovers, a Christmas film without any kitsch, or previews of new works by François Ozon or Jafar Panahi. On New Year’s Eve (31.12.), the program continues with Hamnet by Chloé Zhao or a classic sneak preview. And of course, there will be popcorn. Those who want to challenge their palates at the end of the year (31.12.) can book a spot at Aerde for their New Year’s Eve celebration. The Lokdepot offers a six-course menu focused on local producers and seasonal harvests, available in vegetarian or omnivorous options. No explosive effects, but precise flavors and clear plates, accompanied by fine wines or non-alcoholic pairings. Or how about New Year’s Eve (31.12.) at Stoke? The NYE menu builds on familiar Stoke classics while still managing to surprise. Early arrivals can enjoy a relaxed meal, while those who come later can slip seamlessly into the party – live DJ from 23h30. Those who prefer to celebrate New Year’s Eve à la carte can stop by Kanal61 on Wednesday (31.12.). New Year’s Eve at Kanal61 means a sharing menu and special wines by the glass that are otherwise only available by the bottle. The kitchen offers meat, fish, or vegetarian options – you choose when making your reservation. Meanwhile, things will be convivial and spicy on 31.12. at Boii Boii in Neukölln. There will also be a four-course New Year’s Eve dinner to share. Highlights include oysters with spicy cucumber foam or Thai curry arancini, followed by main courses of fish, meat, or vegetables – always accompanied by champagne and a live DJ. You can experience one of the most indulgent New Year’s Eves at Nobelhart & Schmutzig. As always, it’s impossible to know in advance exactly what will be served – something seasonal, fermented, and of the highest quality. To drink, there’s rare champagne from La Closerie or natural wine from a magnum bottle. Caution: these pleasures come at a price. Whether at the table or in a cinema seat, we hope you find a safe hiding place—and let your hair down (just not on the street).

Text: Emma Zylla / Photos: Daniel Horn, Helka Ceramics, James Nelson, Kanal61, Kleistone, Raaago, Robyn Steffen, Soga Store, Stoke, YCCIJ

032c Gallery, Kurfürstendamm 178, 10707 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
Fine Hunting Exhibition, until 20.12.2025 12–18h.

@fine_hunting
@032c.gallery

Helka Ceramics, Böckhstr.12, 10967 Berlin–Neukölln; map
The Gift Shop 21.12.2025 12–18h.

@helkagram

Kleistone Studio, Katzbachstr.29, 10965 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Kleistone Studio Market 21.12.2025 13–18h.

@kleistonestudio

Yorck Kinos
Heiligabend und Silvester 24.12.2025 & 31.12.2025. You can book tickets here.

@yorck.kinogruppe

Nobelhart & Schmutzig, Friedrichstr.218, 10969 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map

Silvester, 31.12.2025 start is 18h, 19h, 19h30. You can make a reservation here.

@nobelhartundschmutzig

Aerde, Am Lokdepot 6, 10965 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
New Year’s Eve, 31.12.2025 from 17h45. You can book it here.

@aerde.berlin

Stoke, Lindenstraße.34, 10969 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
New Year’s Eve 31.12.2025 from 19h. You can reserve a spot here.

@stoke.berlin

Kanal 61, Erkelenzdamm 61, 10999 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Silvester at Kanal 61, 31.12.2025 from 18h. You can book a spot here. For groups of 8 or more people, you must make a reservation by email.

@kanal__61

Boii Boii, Lausitzer Str.25, 10999 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
New Year’s Eve, 31.12.2025 18h30 & 21h.

@boiiboiiberlin