Berlin Stories

Roma Day Parade

The Roma Day Parade is taking place on 8 April. ROMADAY celebrates the resilience of the Sinti* and Roma* community, while also serving as a day of protest against racism and injustice. This event marks the conclusion of Romn*ja Power Month and is celebrated with a parade, as well as a four-day programme curated by Romatrial. The parade will start at 16:00 from the Memorial for the Sinti* and Roma* murdered under the National Social State–the period of Nazi rule, and will conclude at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. 

At Grüner Salon, a performance, exhibition, concert, and party will take place from 20:00. The four-day cultural programme includes panel talks, film screenings, a gala night, and a closing party on 11 April. The organizers are still looking for volunteers to support the parade and the programme - find more information here.

Palestine Talks

On 4 April, PA Allies is inviting you to a panel talk on Israel’s ongoing annexation of the West Bank and the resistance movement fighting back. The discussion is due to feature journalists, experts, and activists from the West Bank who will share strategies for international solidarity. The event takes place at bUM Berlin and starts at 18:00. Tickets are 5€, with all proceeds going toward supporting Palestinians in the West Bank.

On 10 April, join North African-Egyptian Muslim anarchist and interdisciplinary activist scholar Mohamed Abdou in his discussion of possible end-time scenarios playing out in occupied Palestine. The talk follows a historical analysis of the effects of settler colonialism and how it is inherently tied with Palestinian liberating, discussing Turtle Island, Indigenous sovereignty, and Black self-determination. The talk will also cover the scope of dreaming beyond the nation-state and capitalism through the intersection between Islam and anarchism. The talk will take place on HU Campus Mitte from 18:15. More info here. 

Soli Record Sale

Come by bUm Berlin at Paul-Lincke-Ufer for a solidarity record sale on 13 April from 13:00 to 21:00. The event is hosted by several local partners including Refuge Worldwide and organised by Refuge Worldwide resident Adam J. Cooke. There will be food, drinks, and over 1000 records on sale. The proceeds will be donated to organizations supporting people on the ground in Palestine, Sudan, and Congo like Focus Congo, Amos Trust, and the Sudanese American Physicians Association. More info here. Donate here.

Black Sex Worker Conference 

Look out for the 7th edition of the BSWC–Villanous: The Time is Now from 16-18 April which will feature workshops, healing spaces, skillshares, etc. Through a community and education-focused approach, BSWC represents a global radical call to action in response to housing, food, and healthcare injustice, etc, with discussions centred around the faults and alternatives for our current systems of care. The conference will take place both in person in Berlin, as well as online with pre-conference events from 14 April. More info here. 

Refuge Resident Round-Up

Pop by Schillerkiez on 09 April for Significant Others’ event featuring an intimate live set by Polish producer-harpist Marysia Osu, and live painting by Simon Finlay. On 12 April, dance to some soulful house with DJ Moxie at Ohm, brought to you by Life Classics. Be sure to also check out jazz hip-pop band Move 78’s new album “Game Four”, out on Friday 05 April!

Join the Sahra Party: Eid Edition for a night of electro SWANA sounds. The party takes place on 4 April at Badehaus Berlin, with doors opening at 23:59. The line-up is packed with local Berlin talent, including a live performance by Sharake and DJ sets by Rusnam, xanax_attax, and Soly. A secret act will also take the stage. You can get your tickets here.

Oona Bar this Weekend

Come hang out at Oona Bar to celebrate Einhundert’s Label launch on 04 April - expect some cross-genre grooves ranging from house to break to acid. Also, come hang out on 05 April for Mama Lior’s first ever EP release “In Your Head” – a soundscape of bass-heavy breaks and dub, ear candied with Mama Lior’s unique soundscapes. Weserstraße 166.

Soundwaves Georgia at Spore

Spore Initiative and United Tbilisi are hosting “Klangwellen Georgiens” – an evening of arts, culture, and resistance to support Georgia’s ongoing struggle for liberty. There will be talks, readings, workshops, performances, and live music celebrating Georgian culture. It also aims to raise awareness of the country’s current political situation, as the ruling party expands its ties to Russia and increases violent crackdowns on protestors fighting for freedom and democracy. Come by on Friday 4 April, from 16:00-21:00 to experience Georgian culture and food, and show solidarity with the resistance movement.

Bingo & Bling

In collaboration with Soundcloud, Lilipad brings a very special edition of Bingo. This evening will include lots of bling to win with prizes ranging anywhere from tattoos to Soundcloud DJ Workshops. The music lineup includes talents like Brazillian German DJ House of Grace and the Lilipad DJ crew. All funds raised in this event will go to funding for Lilipad, a Berlin and Morocco-based non-profit aiming to provide educational resources and spaces for children and young adults who are subject to social exclusion. This funding will help provide books for refugee children in Berlin in their native language, as well as contribute to building Lilipad’s libraries. Have fun for a good cause with Lilipad on 10 April evening. Grab your tickets and more info here. 

Help Joanna Get Gender-Affirming Surgery

Joanna, a Jordanian-Palestinian trans woman involved in activism around trans rights and liberation of the Global South, is raising funds for life-saving gender-affirming surgeries. Living in Germany as an asylum seeker, Joanna has dedicated her time and energy to community organizing in Berlin. However, to take care of herself as well, she needs 20.000€ to pay surgery costs, which German insurance companies do not cover. Gender-affirming surgeries would help Joanna alleviate dysphoria and discrimination in everyday life. You can donate here.

Moabit Hilft e.V is Losing its Location

The organization Moabit Hilft e.V. has been supporting refugees and asylum seekers for over ten years. This local initiative has been renting property from the city of Berlin and operates solely through donations and volunteer engagement. Now, they are set to lose their location in Moabit on 1 June 2025, which would mean the end of an essential initiative for people in Moabit. They have launched a petition calling on political actors to take responsibility and support the NGO. Sign it here. 

Queeres Trauercafé Grief Self-Help Group

The Queere Bereavement Cafe is a self-help group that meets a month, holding space for queer individuals whose sexual orientation lies beyond cisgender and heterosexual norms to explore their own grief experiences in a group setting, offering a place of community support, tool sharing, and empathy for those who have lost loved ones. Join the community for help when you need it on Sunday 13 April from 14:00-16:00 at Café Cralle. More info here. 

Poetry Slam at OYA

OYA bar and Resilient Voices, the queer working group of International Women* Space, are teaming up for an evening of poetry. The poetry slam takes place on 9 April at 19:00 at Kreuzberg’s OYA bar and is exclusively for FLINTA* people. It is an open mic event, so bring your own material if you’d like to perform.

Arab Film Festival April Kickoff 

Look forward to the 16th edition of Berlin’s Arab Film Festival from the 23-30th April for a selection of contemporary feature and short films, documentaries, panel discussions with filmmakers, masterclasses, etc. This exciting week will be opened with the feature film “To a Land of the Unknown”, premiering at the 77th Cannes Film Festiva, this unique genre of Palestinian film fusing raw social realism with thriller and surrealism follows the story of a Palestinian refugee in Athens as they navigate the existentialism in the limbo of escapism. Ticket info here. The weeklong program will feature a variety of fresh cinemas from the Arab World as well as community events. More info here. 

The Art of Listening Workshop

Join lev Berlin, a musician collective striving to provide electronic music education to the general public in their conversations on “experimental listening” – deep diving into the process of inner awareness that occurs during the act of listening itself to explore how electronic music operates as a language and new ways of listening to it. This event will take place from 17:00-19:00 at Pablo Neruda Library. The event is free; more info here. 

Home Away from Home Open Call 

Supersoft and Chaos Emblematic are looking for artists exploring migration, belonging, and spaces that feel like home for a multidisciplinary collaborative exhibition exploring these subjects that will take place at Pandora Gallery. Application deadline 1 June; more info here.

Becoming Lesbian in 10 Steps Book Launch

Join Louise Morel, French politician and author to discuss her recent book release, a personal narrative telling of her journey in exploring her sexuality at age 30. Through her own journey, Morel encourages women to explore their own deep emotional connections, explore desires, and navigate the journey toward authenticity. This discussion is in conversation with Dr. Emilia Roig, an award-winning, bestselling author and expert on intersectionality and systemic inequalities, and founder of the Center for Intersectional Justice (CIJ). Join the pair in their discussion of love on the 17 April from 19:15 at Heimathafen Neukölln. More info here.

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Photos by Romatrial and Charlotte Helwig