Vielstimmig – Choral Festival at the Humboldt Forum
Nine Berlin choirs fill the Humboldt Forum with the theme «Beziehungsweise Familie» (Relationships, Family)
About Vielstimmig
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Vielstimmig al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
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.
Vielstimmig — edition 2026
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.
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.
Highlights Vielstimmig 2026
Prices Vielstimmig 2026
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.
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 Vielstimmig al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Where it takes place Vielstimmig
Humboldt Forum
Schlossplatz, 10178 Berlin