Weißensee Summer of Culture

District Festival with a Long Season

The Weißensee Summer of Culture has been the annual district festival of the Berlin district of Weißensee in the Pankow borough since 2021. Instead of a compact weekend format, it is spread over two full months – from the end of July to the end of September – and bundles the entire cultural life of the district under one common roof.

Four Thematic Areas

The events are divided into four thematic strands:

• History – Guided tours of district history, the Jewish Cemetery, Bauhaus architecture, GDR past
• Culture – Concerts, film screenings, readings, theater
• Encounters – District festivals, neighborhood festivals, community formats
• Environment – Walks, nature tours, ecological workshops

Venues

The Summer of Culture uses several central locations in Weißensee:

• Pistoriusstraße 23 District Center – central district hub with stage and rooms
• Weißensee Open-Air Stage at Große Seestraße 10 – open-air concerts
• Jewish Cemetery Berlin-Weißensee – one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe, guided tours and concerts
• Kino Toni – art-house cinema with festival participation
• Library and galleries in the district

Community-Driven

Unlike institutional large festivals, the Weißensee Summer of Culture is organized by the community. Around 60 local actors – associations, artists, small galleries, church communities, and district initiatives – contribute to the program together. The framework is provided by the Weißensee Summer of Culture Initiative with the Pankow district office, and the patron is the district mayor Dr. Cordelia Koch.

Highlight: Neighborhood Festival on the Last Weekend

The event traditionally concludes with a neighborhood festival at the end of September on the Weißensee open-air stage and by the Weißer See – with music, street food, and many district initiatives.