See a Performance

With its wealth of world-renowned orchestras, theater, dance and opera companies, Berlin has a stunningly vibrant performing arts scene. Due to the fact that East and West both had their own dedicated venues, there’s a confusing number of places to see a performance.

There are three opera houses (the most famous and glamorous is the Staatsoper Unter den Linden); seven symphony orchestras, including the renowned Berlin Philharmonic (who perform at the Philharmonie Concert Hall); a wealth of private and public theater companies; and numerous dance companies, including the State Opera Ballet (they perform at the Deutsche Oper). For dance aficionados, it’s also always worth seeing if Sasha Waltz & Friends are performing. The contemporary dance group occasionally does site-specific pieces, like the stunning site-performance they did in 2009 at the then-newly unveiled Neues Museum. Ask your concierge for an updated cultural calendar when you know your travel dates. The city is a cultural hot spot and the most coveted performances book weeks in advance.