Festa Junina Berlin

Volksfest with Roots in Northeast Brazil

In Brazil, Festa Junina is one of the most important festivals of the year. Originally religious in origin – it honors Saints Anthony, John, and Peter between June 13th and 29th – it has long since become a secular Volksfest, celebrated primarily in the rural northeast of the country (Bahia, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Ceará). In Berlin, Paula Daunt co-founded the festival and has been bringing it to Festsaal Kreuzberg ever since.

Forró, Quadrilha, and Costumes

What's on the program: Forró. This typical northeastern Brazilian music, played with accordion, triangle, and zabumba drum, gets the dance floor shaking. Alongside, there's the 'Quadrilha' – a choreographed group choreography that tells the story of a country wedding: bride and groom, father, priest, a nervous groom. Everyone wears typical costumes: checkered shirts for the men, colorful skirts and fabric flowers in their hair for the women, painted freckles and straw hats for everyone.

Brazilian Cuisine for the Festival

Culinary delights include the classics of a Festa Junina: Pamonha and Curau (corn puree specialties), Quentão (mulled wine made from sugarcane schnapps with ginger and cinnamon), Pé-de-moleque (peanut brittle), Canjica (corn dessert with coconut milk). Beer and Caipirinha round off the evening. The cuisine at Festsaal Kreuzberg offers these specialties as authentically as one could hope for in wintery Berlin.

Festsaal Kreuzberg – by the Flutgraben

Festsaal Kreuzberg is located on Treptower Ufer, directly on the Spree bend, in the Treptow-Köpenick district. Despite the name 'Kreuzberg', the venue is actually in Alt-Treptow – a typical Berlin district joke. The building is one of the city's most traditional event venues: concerts, readings, dance parties, communities of all kinds. The large hall is perfect for Festa Junina – space for the Quadrilha, a stage for the Forró band, a bar for Caipirinhas.