Citadel Music Festival

The Spandau Citadel as a Stage

The Spandau Citadel is one of the best-preserved Renaissance fortresses in Europe. Built between 1559 and 1594 on an island between the Havel and Spree rivers, it served for centuries as a military structure, later as a powder magazine, and today as a museum and open-air venue. The inner courtyard with its thick brick walls, the 13th-century Julius Tower, and its acoustically surprisingly good arrangement has been a concert stage since 2007: the Citadel Music Festival.

20 Years of Citadel

In 2026, the festival celebrates its 20th edition. Since 2007, Trinity Concerts GmbH has brought top-class acts to the Citadel courtyard summer after summer – Patti Smith, Sting, Bryan Ferry, ZZ Top, Massive Attack, Pet Shop Boys, Iggy Pop, Diana Krall, Tom Jones, and many others. The programming covers a wide spectrum: classics of rock, indie, soul, pop, hip-hop, electronic, world music. On average, around 20 concerts take place over the season, with each evening having its own admission ticket.

What's Special in 2026

The festival has already confirmed a number of prominent acts for 2026:

• Massive Attack – Trip-hop pioneers from Bristol
• Kings of Leon – US indie rock
• Pixies – Alternative rock legends
• Mac DeMarco – Canadian indie pop
• Morrissey – ex-Smiths frontman
• A Perfect Circle – Maynard James Keenan
• The B-52's – New wave classics
• Culcha Candela – Berlin dancehall/hip-hop
• Fat Freddy's Drop – New Zealand soul/reggae collective

Further acts will be confirmed in spring 2026. Around 150,000 visitors are expected over the season.

Spandau – Berlin's Other West

The Spandau district in the far west of Berlin has its own identity: for a long time it was run as an independent town, only incorporated into Greater Berlin in 1920, with an old town, the Havel river, a fortress, and an industrial structure that differs from the rest of the city. The Haselhorst district, where the Citadel is located, is easily accessible via the U7 subway line (end station Zitadelle) – a five-minute walk, and you're standing in front of the moat.