Open-Air Cinema Summer at Waschhaus Potsdam

Cinema under the open sky on the Havel

The Open-Air Cinema Summer at Waschhaus Potsdam is one of the most beautiful summer formats in the state capital: Films are shown on an open-air screen directly on the bank of the Havel, the audience sits on deck chairs, with drinks, snacks, and on some evenings, live concerts or film discussions. The organizers are Waschhaus Potsdam and Thalia Programmkino Babelsberg, jointly managed.

Program — Arthouse Cinema Highlights

Current arthouse cinema highlights from the genres of comedy, drama, musical film, and documentary are shown. The selection is based on the program of the Thalia Programmkino in Babelsberg, which is known in Potsdam for its carefully curated programming line. Classics, German independent productions, international festival hits, and musical films all find a place.

More than Cinema — Live Music and Film Discussions

The cinema summer is not just a film program: Between film screenings, there are live concerts, poetry slams, filmmaker discussions, and themed social events. This makes the open-air summer a meeting point for Potsdam's cultural scene and Berlin weekenders.

Schiffbauergasse — Potsdam's Cultural Area

The Waschhaus is located at Schiffbauergasse 6, Potsdam's cultural area directly on Tiefen See / the Havel. Nearby are the Hans Otto Theater, the fabrik Potsdam (with the Potsdam Dance Festival), the T-Werk, and several galleries. The former industrial use — hence the name "Waschhaus" (wash house) — was transformed into a cultural venue after reunification. Today, the Waschhaus is one of Brandenburg's most important alternative event venues with concerts, club nights, readings, and theater.

Season Period

The season traditionally starts in early July and ends in late August — in the 2025 season, the open-air cinema ran from July 2nd to August 30th. The exact program and dates for 2026 will be published in early summer on waschhaus.de/open-air-kino.