Festliche Frauenversammlung mit FETE #5

Berlin Festival for International Women's Day

The Festliche Frauenversammlung mit FETE is Berlin's festival for International Women's Day (March 8th). In 2026, the 5th edition will take place – one day before the international women's strike on March 9th, 2026 – at the Forum Factory in Berlin-Kreuzberg. The organizer is Berlin-based cultural producer Mahide Lein with her agency AHOI artists & events & tunes, which has been producing queer and feminist Berlin stage projects for decades.

What Makes Festliche Frauenversammlung a Festival

The evening is more than just a concert. The concept explicitly puts women* (cis, trans, inter) on stage – musically, performatively, literarily, politically – and invites an open, mixed audience. The program combines:

• Concerts: Beatriz Ferreira (Reggae/Soul from Brazil), Lotus (Rap), Carmel Zoum (Drum'n'Bass and Diaspora Dance Music)
• Film: Contributions from filmmakers, curated for the edition
• Poetry: Rosemarie Ebner (Poem for my Mother)
• Lectures and City Tour: Justice Mvemba (decolonial city walk), Laura Méritt (Women's Bodies Revisited)
• Political Voice: Töchter Kollektiv (on the significance of the women's strike on March 9th, 2026)
• Exhibition: Comic drawings by Rocky Josi
• Light Installation: Lazy Liu
• Wish Tree, Buffet and Diversity Meeting Point
• Party from 10 PM with DJ set

Forum Factory Kreuzberg

The Forum Factory at Besselstraße 13-14 is an industrial multi-purpose space on the edge of Mehringplatz – well-connected via the U-Bahn line U6 Kochstraße and accessible for people with disabilities. The venue has established itself in recent years as a regular spot for queer and feminist Berlin festivals (including Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, smaller Pride acts, diaspora concerts).

Politics and Stage

FFV mit FETE sees itself as a platform for FLINTA* artists from various diasporas and political movements in Berlin. The 5th edition in 2026 coincides with the call for the international women's strike on the following day – the speeches and contributions will address this context without reducing the festival to a mere rally. Mahide Lein has been combining stage culture and political self-understanding since her work for the Berlin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival – FFV is one of her most prominent formats.