Queer Slam Berlin at SO36
Berlin's largest regular queer poetry slam
About Queer Slam Berlin
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Queer Slam Berlin al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
SO36 as a Home — A Political Self-Positioning
Since the late 1970s, SO36 at Oranienstraße 190 has been one of Berlin's most important left-alternative cultural centers. Punk, hardcore, dance events, performances, queer events — the venue in Kreuzberg-SO36 (hence the name, an old Berlin postal code abbreviation for Süd-Ost 36) hosts a dense program. Choosing SO36 as the venue for Queer Slam Berlin is therefore a statement in itself: queer texts belong in a politically charged space, not a sterile performance spot.
Every Edition a Competition
Format: 7 slam poets — invited regulars and guests — each present a text of maximum 6 minutes. An audience jury (sometimes called a "mini-jury" of 5 randomly selected spectators) judges, and the winner receives a Golden Prosecco. Texts must be original works. Costumes and props are allowed — the performance aspect is explicitly part of the format. Long singing passages are prohibited; the focus is on the spoken word.
- Where: SO36, Oranienstraße 190, 10999 Berlin
- District: Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Kreuzberg district (SO36)
- Format: Monthly, seven slam poets per edition
- Dates 2026: January 21, February 24, April 15, May 20, July 2 (CSD Edition), August 9 (Open Air Edition)
- Tickets: €15 advance, €20 door
Community and Visibility
Queer Slam Berlin has existed since 2019 — making it one of the oldest regular queer poetry slams in Germany. Unlike Berlin's mainstream slams (Kookoo Slam, Trampolin Slam), Queer Slam is explicitly for the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies — acts must identify as queer. This is not exclusion, but rather reserving stage space for voices that are underrepresented in most other slam formats.
Queer Slam Berlin — edition 2026
In 2026, Queer Slam Berlin offers six dates at SO36 plus an open-air event. Each edition brings together seven slam poets, each with six minutes for their original text on stage. An audience jury selects the winner of the "Golden Prosecco." Costumes and props are allowed; long singing passages are not. Christian Ritter typically hosts the events. Doors open at 7:00 PM, start at 8:00 PM. Tickets: €15 advance, €20 at the door. The May edition marks the 45th installment of the series.
Programme Queer Slam Berlin 2026
Dates and full programs for the 2026 Queer Slam series, based on organizer announcements at queerslamberlin.de and SO36 Ticketing:
2026 Dates at SO36
- January 21, 2026 — Season opener
- February 24, 2026
- April 15, 2026
- May 20, 2026 — 45th Edition (Confirmed: Chio Schumacher / Berlin, Andy Eckardt / Jena, Elena Markelova / Berlin, Anna Clara Hermsdorf / Berlin, Klara Györbiro / Hamburg, Einfach Else / Leipzig, Ajana / Berlin)
- July 2, 2026 — CSD Edition with special guests from the queer slam scene
Open-Air Edition
- August 9, 2026 — Open-air event with an expanded stage (venue to be confirmed before the edition)
Format of Each Edition
- Doors open 7:00 PM, start 8:00 PM
- 7 slam poets, each with max. 6 minutes of original text
- Host: Christian Ritter (resident host)
- Special guests for individual editions (musicians, singer-songwriters)
- Audience jury selects the winner ("Golden Prosecco")
- Intermission after 3–4 slams
- Final round with the 2 strongest slam poets
Participant Selection
- Self-identification as queer is required
- Two original texts, each under 6 minutes
- Long singing passages prohibited; costumes and props allowed
- Applications via the organizer's website or Telegram channel
Highlights Queer Slam Berlin 2026
- Berlin's largest regular queer poetry slam, founded in 2019
- Six dates at SO36 (Kreuzberg) plus an open-air edition in August
- Seven slam poets per edition with 6 minutes of stage time
- Audience jury, "Golden Prosecco" prize
- CSD edition in July with special guests
Prices Queer Slam Berlin 2026
€15 in advance, €20 at the door. Tickets via the official website and Eventbrite. Events often sell out — advance purchase recommended.
Practical information — Queer Slam Berlin
Getting There
Subway U1/U3 to U Görlitzer Bahnhof (3 min walk) or U Kottbusser Tor (5 min walk). Bus M29 to Heinrichplatz.
Tickets
€15 advance, €20 door. Events often sell out — advance purchase is highly recommended. Tickets available via the official website and Eventbrite.
Format
Doors typically open at 7:00 PM, start at 8:00 PM. Duration approx. 3 hours with one intermission.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
Max. 5 photos, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Each suggestion is reviewed by our team before being published.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Queer Slam Berlin al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Where it takes place Queer Slam Berlin
SO36
Oranienstraße 190, 10999 Berlin