Name: #125StundenChor — Choir World Record for the Anniversary of the Berlin Choir Association 2026
Start: 2026-09-21T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-09-26T00:00:00+00:00
Location: ATZE Musiktheater

#125StundenChor

About #125StundenChor

For its 125th anniversary, the Berlin Choir Association is attempting a world record in September 2026: 125 hours of uninterrupted choral singing. From September 21 to 26, 2026, choirs will take turns at the ATZE Musiktheater in Wedding, each performing for 30 minutes, for five days and five hours. Over 200 Berlin choirs are registered, joined by guest choirs from the German and international association network. The attempt is open to all choirs, whether members of the association or not — and the record will be officially certified.

Dates 21 Sep — 26 Sep 2026

Venue Berlin (11000)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

#125StundenChor — edition 2026

Tickets →

Inaugural edition: 125 hours of uninterrupted choral singing for the world record. Starts September 21 at 1:00 PM, finale September 26 around 6:00 PM. Over 200 choirs will take turns in 30-minute slots. Free admission, the hall is open continuously. Venue: ATZE Musiktheater, Wedding.

The world record attempt will be officially certified and lasts 5 days and 5 hours — exactly 125 hours. Each choir sings a 30-minute slot; during each handover, at least one voice must remain audible continuously so that the sound does not stop.

Over 200 Berlin choirs have registered, joined by guest choirs from the German association network and some international formations. The exact order will be published in the summer of 2026.

Highlights #125StundenChor 2026

The opening on Monday at 1:00 PM and the final 30-minute slot on Saturday afternoon with the official record announcement are the most attended slots. On the night from Wednesday to Thursday, the international guest choirs are scheduled.

Programme #125StundenChor 2026

Overview

Mon, Sept 21, 1:00 PM — Opening and start of the 125-hour marathon
Tue, Sept 22 — continuous operation (Berlin choirs)
Wed, Sept 23 — focus on association choirs from the federal states
Thu, Sept 24 — international guest choirs
Fri, Sept 25 — Berlin youth and school choirs
Sat, Sept 26, approx. 6:00 PM — Closing and official announcement of the record

The slot-by-slot program will be published in late summer 2026 at chorverband-berlin.de. Live streaming of the entire 125 hours is planned.

Prices #125StundenChor 2026

Free admission. Donations for the promotion of Berlin's youth choirs are expressly welcome. Catering available on-site at usual theater prices.

Practical information

Practical information — #125StundenChor

Getting There

ATZE Musiktheater, Luxemburger Straße 20, 13353 Berlin (Wedding district, Mitte borough). U-Bahn U9 Amrumer Straße approx. 5 min. walk. S-Bahn S41/S42 Westhafen approx. 10 min. walk. Bus 142, 247, 327 nearby.

Admission

Admission to #125StundenChor is free. Donations for the promotion of youth choirs are expressly welcome. Registration as a choir was possible until spring 2026; no registration required for spectators.

During the 125 Hours

The hall is open continuously, with break areas for rest and refreshments. Catering is available on-site. Day visitors can come and go as they please. The exact schedule of choirs will be published in the summer of 2026.

Berlin Sings for 125 Hours Straight

With over 200 member choirs, the Berlin Choir Association is one of the oldest and largest choral associations in Germany. Founded in 1901, it turns 125 years old in 2026 — and is celebrating not just with a classic ceremony, but with a unique, globally recognized format: a choir world record attempt. 125 hours of uninterrupted singing, starting September 21, 2026, at 1:00 PM, until September 26, around 6:00 PM. Five days and five hours.

Format: 30-Minute Slots, Choir Relays Choir

The principle is simple and logistically demanding: Each participating choir gets a 30-minute slot during which they sing without interruption. During the handover, at least one singer must be audible continuously — the sound must not stop at any point. Over 200 Berlin choirs have registered, along with association choirs from Swabia, Brandenburg, Hesse, Bavaria, and international guests. Registration was open to all choirs — association membership was not required.

Venue: ATZE Musiktheater in Wedding

The venue is the ATZE Musiktheater at Luxemburger Straße 20 in the Wedding district (Mitte borough). ATZE is one of the largest stages for children's and family theater in Berlin and has the necessary stage and sound technology to handle 24-hour operation. The stage is freely accessible to the public for the entire 125 hours — day slots, multi-day visits, or the whole week, if you have the stamina.

In Context: A Full Anniversary Year

The world record attempt is the main attraction, but not the only event. The anniversary program spans the entire year 2026: in April, the third edition of the festival Vielstimmig takes place at the Humboldt Forum, and on June 22 — exactly 125 years after the first founding meeting — the association invites you to a ceremony at the Rotes Rathaus. Concerts, competitions, and open-air performances fill the Berlin choral season from January to December.

Berlin and German Choral Tradition

Berlin is a city of choirs: from the Berliner Knabenchor to the Rundfunkchor and hundreds of amateur choirs in church communities, neighborhoods, and schools, singing in the capital is of high quality and great diversity. The #125StundenChor aims to make this diversity visible — from Bach cantatas to Swabian folk songs, Berlin pop choirs, and queer a cappella formations.