May in Berlin has plenty of highlights in store for you! Berlin is blossoming – in the truest sense of the word – and everything is noticeably moving towards summer. The flowers are in full bloom, the trees are a lush green and even the otherwise gray skies are finally turning soft shades of blue again. Time for cafés, rooftops, park visits and more. To make sure you’re well prepared for this month, we’ve put together a list of the most exciting things to do.
Dark shadows in the merry month
Forget the cheerful spring days – May shows its dark side in Berlin. Visit the Hotel Dracula and get ready for an extra dose of goosebumps and thrills. Thanks to innovative VR and metaverse technology, you will be immersed in a horror adventure and experience moments of terror that will make your blood run cold. A new surprise lurks around every corner of the hotel’s huge corridors and halls. Will you be able to prove your courage and find a way out? This experience is for children aged 8 and over. Get the family together and find out who is the biggest scaredy-cat.
📍 Location: Spandau Arcaden, VREX SPACE, Klosterstraße 3, 13581 Berlin
Berlin Design Week
Berlin is known as a city of innovation and aesthetics – both come together every year in May at the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK. Designers, artists, companies and universities present their latest designs, ideas and perspectives here.
The program includes exhibitions, workshops, panels and guided tours that bring you closer to the state of the art in various disciplines. The motto 2025: COMMON SENSE – a call for clarity, orientation and humanity in the midst of innovation and global change.
⌚Dates: May 15 – 18
ℹ️Mehr InfoA journey to the legend of Pompeii
History up close – as you’ve never experienced it before. This captivating exhibition catapults you back to the year 79 AD, to the heart of what was once the most powerful metropolis in the ancient world. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, you can immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle of the city, stroll through the busy streets or feel the cheers of the crowd during a captivating gladiator fight. Experience Pompeii in its last lively moments – just before Vesuvius buries everything under ash and lava. An experience for the whole family that will give you unprecedented insights into the legend of Pompeii.
📍 Location: New Media Art Center, Revaler Straße 99, 10245 Berlin
Berlin Theatertreffen in May in Berlin
The Berliner Festspiele’s Theatertreffen is one of the most important theater festivals in Germany. In May, creative minds in front of and behind the stage, journalists and guests from all over the world come together in Berlin. The 2025 edition deals with the gloomy present – characterized by hopelessness and a feeling of “no escape”, as jury member Valeria Heintges aptly put it. At the heart of the festival, as every year, are ten remarkable productions selected by a jury from around 400 screened productions. They set powerful, hopeful accents and invite a critical examination of the status quo.
⌚Dates: May 2 – 18
ℹ️Mehr InfoA May full of ballet magic
Look forward to classical dance in May with “We call it Ballet”. The spectacular light and dance show will delight you with its artistic ballet aesthetics and impressive stage production. Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece “Sleeping Beauty” is brought to life in a modern interpretation – passionately danced by an ensemble of top-class ballet dancers. In sparkling LED costumes and with graceful turns, they transform the stage into a luminous work of art. Be enchanted by the unique fusion of classical ballet tradition and innovative technology.
📍 Venue: Theater im Delphi, Gustav-Adolf-Straße 2, 13086 Berlin
XJazz Festival
The XJazz Festival is Berlin’s largest jazz festival, presenting jazz in all its diversity with 80 acts and exploring the boundaries of the genre. In May 2025, the XJazz Festival is back with a fresh vibe and a hot line-up. It’s not just about classic jazz, but also electronic music, singer/songwriters and neo-classical music. The festival places a special focus on the Berlin music scene and presents artists who live and work in Berlin. The festival takes place at unique Berlin venues such as the Festsaal Kreuzberg, the Emmauskirche, the Oberhafen Kantine, the Marmorbar, the Oelgarten and more.
⌚Dates: May 14 – 18
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International Museum Day
There are many reasons for collecting in museums: scientific curiosity, the desire to preserve cultural assets or the need to document developments. This passion goes back to the early cabinets of curiosities and cabinets of curiosities and is reflected in today’s museum collections. Each collection tells its own story and creates a bridge between different cultures.
International Museum Day focuses on the thematic diversity of museum work and highlights the broad spectrum of the approximately 6,500 museums in Germany. Since it was founded in 1977, the day has provided a platform for museums worldwide to emphasize the importance of their work for cultural and social life.
⌚Dates: May 18
Re:publica
Re:publica is a major internet conference that brings together players from the online community, science, politics and culture to discuss current issues in digital society. As the largest conference of its kind in Europe, it attracts net activists, bloggers, creatives, artists, business people and company representatives. The event offers lectures and panel discussions on topics such as digital society, blogs, social media and net politics.
⌚Dates: May 18
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