MaerzMusik — Festival for Contemporary Music
Berlin's most important festival for contemporary music — 25th edition 2026
About MaerzMusik
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25 Years of Contemporary Music in Berlin
MaerzMusik was founded in 2002 as an annual festival for contemporary music by the Stiftung Berliner Festspiele — today, in its 25th anniversary edition in 2026, it is the most important format of its kind in Berlin. In late winter (typically the last week of March), the festival showcases the entire spectrum of contemporary sound art for 10 days: from avant-garde composition and sound art to live electronics, sound installations, and experimental improvisation.
Eight Venues — Berlin's Sound Geography
MaerzMusik uses not one, but eight venues simultaneously: the Haus der Berliner Festspiele in Charlottenburg (main venue), the Akademie der Künste on Pariser Platz, the Radialsystem on the Spree riverbank, silent green in Wedding, the MaHalla in Oberschöneweide, the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, SAVVY Contemporary, and the Spore Haus of UdK Berlin. Each location has its specific acoustics — the festival is both a program and a city exploration.
- 2026: March 20th to 29th, 2026 (25th edition)
- Curator: Kamila Metwaly
- Venues: 8 Berlin locations (Charlottenburg, Mitte, Friedrichshain, Wedding, Oberschöneweide, among others)
- Program: 28 concerts, 16 world premieres
- Opening: Georg Friedrich Haas “11,000 Strings” at MaHalla
Voices, Strings, Spaces — The 2026 Program
The 2026 program focuses on the human voice: Meredith Monk (Berlin Grand Art Prize 2026) and vocalist and composer Juliet Fraser present new works. Ellen Fullman brings her Long String Instrument, together with the JACK Quartet. A commissioned composition by Laure M. Hiendl for Klangforum Wien will have its premiere. The French ensemble Dedalus and KNM Berlin explore hybrid spaces between instrumental and electronic music. Louis Chude-Sokei and Jan St. Werner present “No Nation Left But the Imagination” — an audiophile essay on listening, migration, and social boundaries. The festival finale “I AM ALL EARS,” co-curated by Wojtek Blecharz, transforms the Haus der Berliner Festspiele into a walk-through sound architecture, questioning the linear concert format.
MaerzMusik — edition 2026
Programme MaerzMusik 2026
Program for the 25th anniversary edition of MaerzMusik (based on the program announcement by Berliner Festspiele on berlinerfestspiele.de/en/maerzmusik):
Opening — Friday, March 20, 2026 at MaHalla Oberschöneweide
- Georg Friedrich Haas — “11,000 Strings”: immersive sound composition, opening of the 25th anniversary edition
- Industrial hall in Oberschöneweide as a spatial sound backdrop
Focus: The Human Voice
- Meredith Monk (Berlin Grand Art Prize 2026) — concerts and performances
- Juliet Fraser — vocalist and composer with a new program
Sound Architecture and String Works
- Ellen Fullman with her Long String Instrument
- Collaborations with the JACK Quartet
- Commissioned composition by Laure M. Hiendl for Klangforum Wien, world premiere
Hybrid Spaces — Instrumental Meets Electronic
- French ensemble Dedalus with KNM Berlin
Political Sound Work
- Louis Chude-Sokei and Jan St. Werner: “No Nation Left But the Imagination” — audiophile essay on listening, migration, and social boundaries
Festival Finale — “I AM ALL EARS”
- Co-curated by Wojtek Blecharz
- Transformation of the Haus der Berliner Festspiele into a walk-through sound architecture
- Radical questioning of the linear concert format
Eight Venues
- Haus der Berliner Festspiele — Main venue (Schaperstraße 24, Charlottenburg)
- MaHalla — Oberschöneweide (Industrial Hall)
- Akademie der Künste — Pariser Platz
- Radialsystem — Friedrichshain
- silent green — Wedding
- KW Institute for Contemporary Art — Mitte
- SAVVY Contemporary — Wedding
- Spore Haus — UdK Berlin
Highlights MaerzMusik 2026
- 25th anniversary edition with 28 concerts and 16 world premieres
- Opening: Georg Friedrich Haas “11,000 Strings” at MaHalla Oberschöneweide
- Berlin Grand Art Prize 2026 awarded to Meredith Monk
- Ellen Fullman, JACK Quartet, Klangforum Wien, Dedalus
- Festival finale “I AM ALL EARS” as a walk-through sound architecture
- 8 venues across Berlin
Prices MaerzMusik 2026
Individual tickets per concert and venue. Festival passes with discounts available. Advance booking and all details at berlinerfestspiele.de/en/maerzmusik.
Practical information — MaerzMusik
Getting There
Haus der Berliner Festspiele: U-Bahn U9 to U Spichernstraße (3-minute walk). Other venues depend on the location — all easily accessible by public transport. Map and route planner on the festival website.
Tickets
Individual tickets per concert. Festival passes with discounts available. Advance booking at berlinerfestspiele.de/maerzmusik.
Program
Full program on the website. Concerts in the evening, workshops and performances during the day.
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Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a MaerzMusik al mejor precio.
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Where it takes place MaerzMusik
Haus der Berliner Festspiele und weitere Berliner Spielstätten
Schaperstraße 24, 10719 Berlin