The Bearpit Karaoke- An Unusual Attraction of Berlin

The Bearpit Karaoke is an unusual attraction in Berlin and usually does not figure in a tourist’s itinerary but it is well worth a visit. The Bearpit Karaoke is quite a unique feature of Berlin, it is free of cost, there are no charges involved but if one wishes then he or she can donate on their own accord.

The Bearpit Karaoke takes place every Sunday afternoon at the Mauerpark. Mauerpark is also known as the wall park as it is a section of the former border from Behmstrasse to Bernauer Strasse, which has been transformed into a park. One can also walk past the existing traces of the wall and pay a visit to the Berlin Wall Memorial. Admissions and tours to the Berlin wall memorial are free of cost. This strip is a constant reminder of the unfair partition in post war Germany.

The strip is well known for its food stalls and flea market, but thousands of people go there every afternoon on a Sunday. The main attraction – the Bearpit karaoke starts at around 3 o’ clock in the afternoon in the amphitheatre. The show is basically run by a man by the name of Joe Hatchiban. He has a mobile sound system and declares the opening of the Bearpit Karaoke. He uses a battery powered portable sound music that acts as the background music score to those who want to feel the limelight on them. One can sing any song he or she wishes but if Hatchiban does not like the song, he has the final veto and then one can’t sing it. Hatchiban is also known to make comments and criticism between singers.

This can be an amazing experience especially if you decide to go up there and sing. The crowd is usually very supportive of the singers even if they are not very good but seem like nice people. Their sound system might seem to be custom made for Mauerpark though it might look like a shabby transformer. However, it is very well designed to suit the acoustics of Mauerpark’s amphitheatre. As a result you might actually sound a lot better on the mike than you actually are. However if you do not like criticism and are weak hearted then it would be best not to attempt it as the crowd is also known to boo singers off the stage. Joe is always very helpful to the singers and if he feels the scene is getting dull, he often gives good advice like asking the singer to take off the shirt or do a cartwheel on the stage. Bearpit Karaoke has a few faithful singers who turn up almost every Sunday and sing their heart out but everyone is welcome to sing and feel like a rockstar.