Choirs in Körnerpark – Sunday Matinées in May

The Körnerpark – a Baroque Garden in Neukölln

Körnerpark in the Neukölln district (North, bordering the Schillerkiez) is one of Berlin's most unusual parks. It was laid out in the early 20th century on a former gravel pit as a baroque show garden – with water features, an orangery, a gallery building, and a grand staircase leading down to the sunken main garden. The gallery in Körnerpark is now an exhibition hall for contemporary art operated by the Neukölln district.

Five Sundays, Ten Choirs

The 'Choirs in Körnerpark' format has been stable for years: on the five Sundays in May, two Berlin choirs perform, each for about 30 minutes. This results in an unusually dense snapshot of the Berlin choir scene over the month – from ambitious amateur ensembles to professionalized projects, from women's choirs to intergenerational, inclusive formats.

Genre Breadth: Pop, Soul, Jazz, Gospel, World Music, Classical

The 2026 programming is deliberately broad. The opening on May 3 features the intergenerational choir 'Gebrannte Mandeln' and the ambitious amateur women's choir 'Clara Schumann Frauenchor'. Later in the month, GrooveChoir I, Just CHOIRed, and FröSi – an inclusive, cross-generational choir – will perform, among others. The spectrum ranges from Gospel and Soul, Pop and Jazz, to World Music and classical works. Anyone who attends all five Sundays will have experienced ten highly diverse choral performances.

Format: 30 Minutes, Free Seating, Voluntary

The concerts start at 12:00 PM on Sundays. They are performed open-air in front of the gallery in Körnerpark – seating is available on the steps, the lawn, and on blankets brought by visitors. Free admission. In case of rain, the concerts will be cancelled without replacement, as the gallery itself remains exhibition space and is not covered.

In the Neukölln District and the State of Berlin

Neukölln is one of Berlin's most diverse and socially differentiated districts. The Neukölln District Office of Culture has been one of the city's most experimental district cultural departments for decades. The Choirs in Körnerpark are part of a broader summer program that uses the park from May onwards – with Sunday concerts ('Summer in Körnerpark'), exhibitions, and children's programs. In the festival calendar of the state of Berlin, they mark the quiet start to an intensive open-air season.