Theatre and Cinema in Berlin Germany

Musicals, Reviews And Cabarets

There are three main musical theatres in Berlin, in addition to the many small venues which fit musicals into their more general repertoire.

Friedrichstadtpalast and Admiralspalast, in the eastern part of the city, stage many of the new major shows, while the Theater des Westens in Charlottenburg tends to be more traditional. In addition to these is the Theater am Potsdamer Platz, a modern theatre which was established in the newly built Potsdamer Platz in 1999 and shows recent musical hits.

As for cabaret, there are probably as many acts in Berlin today as there were in the 1920s. Distel, in Friedrichstrasse, continues its success from GDR times, and Die Stachelschweine celebrates its popularity in western Berlin. Other great venues for lively musicals, reviews and cabarets include Bar jeder Vernunft, Chamäleon Variété, Scheinbar, Wintergarten Variété and Wühlmäuse.

Big Screens And Big Films

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, many new multiplex cinemas were built, the biggest being the CinemaxX Potsdamer Platz and the Cinestar Sony Center.

Mainstream Anglo-American movies tend to be dubbed rather than subtitled.

For a breath-taking cinematic experience, try the IMAX on Potsdamer Platz – it is Germany’s biggest screen.

Studio Cinema

There are plenty of small studio cinemas scattered across town which show a number of new independent films. Hackesche Höfe Kino or Central, situated near Hackescher Markt, offer a pleasant break from city life and have bars of their own.

The Arsenal, on Potsdamer Platz, shows German film classics while, if you are interested in original language films, Berlin has its fair share of options. Cinéma Paris in Charlottenburg is the place to go for French films, while the Odeon in Schureberg specializes in English and American films.

Open-Air Cinema

Open-air cinemas start operating as soon as the weather allows. The biggest is Waldbühne – a concert hall with seating for an audience of 20,000. Others can be found in Hasenheide, Kurstler Haus Bethanien garden in Friedrichshain or in UFA-Fabrik. The films shown are a mixture of new releases and old classics, and showings tend to start at around 9pm.