MaerzMusik — Festival for Questions of Our Time
Festival of the Berliner Festspiele for Contemporary Music and Sound Art
About MaerzMusik
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One of the Most Important Platforms for New Music
MaerzMusik is among the most important international festivals for contemporary music. The organizer is the Berliner Festspiele, a festival association of the German Federal Cultural Foundation based in Berlin-Charlottenburg. The festival has existed since 2002 and has repeatedly reinvented itself conceptually — from "Festival for Current Music" to "Festival for Questions of Our Time" to interdisciplinary formats that combine music, sound art, performance, and discourse.
Artistic Direction Kamila Metwaly
Kamila Metwaly has been the artistic director of the festival since 2024. Under her aegis, MaerzMusik has broadened its geographical and aesthetic horizons far beyond the classical Western avant-garde: composers from the Global South, decolonial perspectives, and experimental sound art formats shape the programming. The 2026 edition continues this line.
Decentralized Venues Across Berlin
The main venue is the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, a theatre and concert hall on Schaperstraße in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district. In addition, venues distributed throughout the city are used: Akademie der Künste am Hanseatenweg, daadgalerie, Radialsystem in Friedrichshain, silent green in Wedding, SAVVY Contemporary, Universität der Künste, St. Elisabeth-Kirche in Mitte, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Parochialkirche, Spore Haus, and MaHalla — a former factory hall in Oberschöneweide, which will be used for the opening in 2026. This distribution makes the festival a city-wide journey.
MaerzMusik — edition 2026
MaerzMusik 2026 opens its venues from March 20 to 29 for 10 festival days, spanning Charlottenburg, Mitte, Friedrichshain, and Oberschöneweide. 28 concerts, including 16 world premieres, are complemented by symposia, installations, and experimental formats. Under the artistic direction of Kamila Metwaly, the program brings together music, sound art, performance, and discourse. The festival opens with Klangforum Wien and Georg Friedrich Haas's expansive composition "11,000 Strings" in the former factory hall MaHalla in Oberschöneweide.
Programme MaerzMusik 2026
The full program and schedule are available at berlinerfestspiele.de/maerzmusik. Selected program highlights:
Opening — Friday, March 20, 2026
- Klangforum Wien performs Georg Friedrich Haas's "11,000 Strings" — at MaHalla, a former factory hall in Oberschöneweide. Large-scale sound composition for 50 musicians.
Highlights from the Programming
- Meredith Monk — Award winners' concert with Katie Geissinger and Allison Sniffin on March 21, 2026, at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele
- Dedalus Ensemble — Festival debut with works by Éliane Radigue and Catherine Lamb
- Ellen Fullman — World premiere of a new work for her Long String Instrument and the JACK Quartet
- Laure M. Hiendl — Commissioned composition for Klangforum Wien
- 14 additional world premieres throughout the festival
Venues
- Haus der Berliner Festspiele (Charlottenburg) — Main stage
- MaHalla (Oberschöneweide) — Opening night, large-scale performances
- Akademie der Künste (Hanseatenweg)
- daadgalerie
- Radialsystem (Friedrichshain)
- silent green Kulturquartier (Wedding)
- SAVVY Contemporary
- Universität der Künste (Charlottenburg)
- St. Elisabeth-Kirche (Mitte)
- Spore Haus
- KW Institute for Contemporary Art
- Parochialkirche
Formats
- Concerts and performances
- Sound installations (several multi-day accessible)
- Music theatre and projections
- Interpretations of reconstructed works
- Symposium and artist talks
Highlights MaerzMusik 2026
- 28 concerts in 10 festival days
- 16 world premieres, including works by Ellen Fullman and Laure M. Hiendl
- Opening with Klangforum Wien (Haas "11,000 Strings") at MaHalla
- Meredith Monk award winners' concert with Katie Geissinger and Allison Sniffin
- Dedalus Ensemble with Éliane Radigue and Catherine Lamb
- 12 distributed Berlin venues
Prices MaerzMusik 2026
Individual concert and festival pass prices available at berlinerfestspiele.de. Discounts for students, trainees, and people with disabilities. Online sales and advance purchase at the Gropius Bau counter.
Practical information — MaerzMusik
Getting There
Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Schaperstraße 24, 10719 Berlin (Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district). U-Bahn U3/U9 to Spichernstraße, approx. 5 minutes walk. Other venues are distributed throughout the city — public transport is recommended.
Tickets
Online via berlinerfestspiele.de or at the ticket counter at Gropius Bau. Discounts available for students and people with disabilities. Individual concert tickets and festival passes are available.
Good to Know
Program languages are German and English; concerts often include accompanying talks. Accessible venues at several locations — details on the festival website.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place MaerzMusik
Haus der Berliner Festspiele
Schaperstraße 24, 10719 Berlin