Name: Vielstimmig – Choral Festival at the Humboldt Forum 2026
Start: 2026-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-04-19T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Humboldt Forum

Vielstimmig

About Vielstimmig

Over one weekend, the Berlin Choir Association transforms the Humboldt Forum into a soundscape for nine Berlin choirs and over 200 voices. Vielstimmig III in 2026 runs under the annual theme «Beziehungsweise Familie» and fills the spectacular rooms and collections from around the world with concerts, joint performances in the foyer, and open workshops in the Mechanical Arena. The festival is part of the anniversary year: the Berlin Choir Association celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2026.

Dates 18 Apr — 19 Apr 2026

Venue Berlin (11000)

Prices 0.00€ — 9.00€

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Vielstimmig — edition 2026

Vielstimmig III takes place on April 18 and 19, 2026, at the Humboldt Forum. Nine Berlin choirs with over 200 voices will fill the foyer, galleries, and collection rooms under the annual theme «Beziehungsweise Familie». Foyer concerts with free admission; collection visit €9 (reduced). Overall direction: Johanna Brüll. Organiser: Berlin Choir Association as part of its 125th anniversary.

The third edition of Vielstimmig builds on the format established in 2024: nine participating choirs, parallel concert venues within the building, and joint foyer performances as the highlight. Programmatically, the event aligns with the Humboldt Forum's annual theme «Beziehungsweise Familie» – the choirs interpret the motif from their stylistic perspectives.

The participating ensembles represent the musical diversity of Berlin: from the classical Berliner Oratorien-Chor, to the folk-influenced Bulgarian Voices Berlin and Joliba Friendship Chor, to the queer-feminist voices of SIREN and Women in Harmony, the Gospel-Soul performances of Spirited, and the Pop-Jazz contributions of Pet Shop Bears. The Singing Shrinks (a choir of Berlin psychotherapists) represent a unique Berlin phenomenon.

Highlights Vielstimmig 2026

Over 200 voices from nine Berlin choirs; joint foyer concerts repeated four times; annual theme «Beziehungsweise Familie»; part of the 125th anniversary of the Berlin Choir Association.

Programme Vielstimmig 2026

Saturday, April 18, 2026 — 1 PM–6 PM

Individual concerts by the nine participating choirs in the galleries and collection rooms
Joint foyer concerts with all 200+ voices – repeated twice daily
Open workshops in the Mechanical Arena (audience participation)

Sunday, April 19, 2026 — 12 PM–5 PM

Individual concerts as on Saturday, in a different rotation
Joint foyer concerts – two more repetitions
Open workshops in the Mechanical Arena

Participating Choirs 2026

Berliner Oratorien-Chor — classical sacred repertoire
Bulgarian Voices Berlin — Bulgarian and Eastern European folk music
Coro Contrapunto — Italian choral tradition
Joliba Friendship Chor — African repertoire
Pet Shop Bears — Pop-Jazz repertoire
Singing Shrinks — Choir of Berlin psychotherapists
SIREN — queer-feminist repertoire
Spirited — Gospel and Soul
Women in Harmony — feminist choir

Overall direction of foyer concerts: Johanna Brüll. Detailed programme and schedule for individual concerts: humboldtforum.org.

Prices Vielstimmig 2026

Foyer concerts: Free admission. Collection visit during the festival: €9 regular, reduced rates available. Open workshops in the Mechanical Arena: freely accessible to festival visitors.

Practical information

Practical information — Vielstimmig

Getting There

U-Bahn (subway) U5 to Museumsinsel (direct entrance) or to Rotes Rathaus. S-Bahn (urban rail) S5/S7/S9 to Hackescher Markt, then a ten-minute walk across the Spree Island. Buses 100, 245, 300 nearby.

Admission

Concerts in the Foyer: Free admission. Collection visit during the festival: €9 (reduced). Workshops in the Mechanical Arena: freely accessible to festival visitors.

Times

Saturday 1 PM–6 PM, Sunday 12 PM–5 PM. The joint foyer concerts will be repeated four times over the two days – the exact schedule will be published by the Humboldt Forum shortly before the festival.

Berlin Sings in the Palace

Since its opening in 2020/21, the Humboldt Forum on Schlossplatz in the Mitte district has been one of the city's most ambitious cultural addresses – featuring the Ethnological Collections, the Museum of Asian Art, and a dense programme of events encompassing concerts, discourse, and performance. Vielstimmig is the house's choral format: a cooperation with the Berlin Choir Association, which has grown annually since its premiere in 2024. 2026 marks the third edition, with nine participating choirs.

«Beziehungsweise Familie» – The 2026 Annual Theme

The Humboldt Forum has declared «Beziehungsweise Familie» as its annual theme for 2026 – an exploration of kinship, community, and social bonds in a world where traditional family models are in flux. The participating choirs interpret the theme from their respective perspectives: Berliner Oratorien-Chor (classical sacred), Bulgarian Voices Berlin (Eastern European folk music), Coro Contrapunto (Italian tradition), Joliba Friendship Chor (African repertoire), Pet Shop Bears (Pop-Jazz), Singing Shrinks (professionals from psychotherapy), SIREN (queer-feminist), Spirited (Gospel-Soul), and Women in Harmony (feminist). The range is programmatic.

Format: Foyer, Collections, Mechanical Arena

The nine choirs will perform in the galleries and collection rooms of the Humboldt Forum. Highlights include joint performances in the Great Foyer, repeated four times over the two days: over 200 singers will perform together under the direction of Johanna Brüll, who is musically responsible for the festival programme as overall director. Parallel to this, open workshops will take place in the Mechanical Arena, where the audience can sing along and participate.

125 Years of the Berlin Choir Association

Vielstimmig III is part of the anniversary programme of the Berlin Choir Association, which celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2026. With over 200 member choirs, the Choir Association is one of the oldest and largest choral organisations in Germany. Its anniversary programme runs throughout the year; Vielstimmig at the Humboldt Forum is one of its most visible formats.