Marzahn-Hellersdorf Choir Festival in Wuhlgarten

29 Editions of Choral Music in Wuhlgarten

Since the late 1990s, the Marzahn-Hellersdorf Choir Festival has invited visitors every summer to the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district on the eastern outskirts of Berlin. In 2026, the 29th edition will take place on Saturday, June 27—as it did recently in the historic Wuhlgarten in the Biesdorf locality. The former psychiatric hospital is now a listed clinic complex and cultural site; the red brick hospital church, with its bright hall, is acoustically suited for choral singing like few other venues in Berlin.

Ten Choirs from Berlin and Brandenburg

The core of the festival is a showcase of the regional choral scene: around ten ensembles from Berlin and its surroundings—from male voice choirs and mixed choirs to pop formations—perform their repertoire one after another. Over the years, it has become a reliable reunion for the capital's choirs, bundling the diversity of the East Berlin choral tradition.

More Than Singing: Petting Zoo, Hands-on Stalls, Catering

While singing takes place inside, the surrounding park transforms into a family festival: a petting zoo with guinea pigs, rabbits, goats, and even a llama last year, plus hands-on activities from the district centers, face painting, sports activities, and stands from the volunteer fire department. The audience is catered for by the kitchens of the district meeting places—wholesome, affordable, communal.

A Project of Community Work

The choir festival is organized by the Senior Service Office of the Marzahn-Hellersdorf District Office together with the Association of District Centers, the Hospital Church, and the Wuhlgarten e. V. support association—driven by a lot of volunteer commitment from the district. The responsible district councilor regularly acts as patron; the event is considered an intergenerational community festival that highlights senior facilities, kindergartens, and associations.

Eastern District, Lots of Green, Free Admission

Marzahn-Hellersdorf is located in the far east of Berlin, in the state of Berlin as a city-state. Wuhlgarten, with its old trees, is one of the quietest corners of the district—far from the hustle and bustle of the city center, but easily accessible by U-Bahn and S-Bahn. Free admission makes the festival a low-threshold summer event in Berlin's festival calendar, also financially.