What began in 2021 has long been an integral part of the Mitte summer. Durchlüften, the open-air music festival in the Schlüterhof of the Humboldt Forum, is entering its fifth round and will once again bring fresh air and new sounds to the heart of the city. Over four weekends (17.07.-09.08.2025), Thursdays to Saturdays, 24 live acts and 12 DJs from all over the world will transform the historic courtyard into a vibrating sound space. The musical program is a cross-genre festival — easy to dance to, deeply rooted, and open to all. Admission? Free of charge. The festival is curated by music expert Melissa Perales, who is again creating a stage for artists from Africa, South America, and Asia, and for sounds that speak to identity, exile, decolonization, cultural transmission, and community. Odd Okoddo (Kenya/Germany), for example, combines “Dodo Blues” with the rhythms of Sven Kacirek; and Jeano Elong (Cameroon/Germany) brings the dance of the Mkoum to the stage as part of his musical escape story.
More highlights include the Minyo Crusaders (Japan/Colombia) fusing Japanese folk songs with Cumbia. Charif Megarbane lets his sound wander between Beirut, Nairobi, and Lisbon. And duo, Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly, bring together Brazilian, Bolivian, and Puerto Rican influences to create a musical experience between resistance and ritual. Aeration creates space for encounters, for exchange, for stories. For music that grows out of the realities of its makers. Come along, listen, and dance the night away.
Text: Leo Sandmann / Photos: Frank Sperling, Lucho Vildales, Yukitaka Amemiya
Schlüterhof of the Humboldt Forum, Schloßplatz, 10178 Berlin–Mitte; map
Durchlüften 17.07.–09.08.2025, every Thursday–Saturday (free admission).
@humboldtforum
