10 summer tips to discover Berlin's cultural scene

From June 14-16, spend 48 hours discovering art and performances of all kinds in Berlin's hip district of Neukölln. What makes this festival unique is that it's decentralized; you'll find happenings not only in official art spaces but in courtyards and private apartments. Pictured above is the Hochschulorchester, a project by students of the Berlin Weissensee art school.

If experimental art isn't your thing, you could head to the "Staatsoper für alle" (State Opera for Everyone) concert that same weekend, on June 16. Conducted by classical music star Daniel Barenboim, the concert is open to everyone and free of charge. It's held on Bebelplatz, the square next to the State Opera that's also known as the site of one of the infamous Nazi book burnings from 1933.

Every year on June 21, Fete de la Musique has musicians playing for fun in their neighborhoods and public spaces all over the world. In 1995, Berlin started celebrating the annual music event initiated in France. There are already over 600 events in the city's official program this year — and many more music lovers are bound to spontaneously start jamming outside that day.

You could see it as a summer-long film festival: Berlin's parks, such as the Volkspark Friedrichshain (pic), Hasenheide in Neukölln, or Rehberge in Wedding, offer different options to enjoy a movie outside on a warm night. More intimate spaces such as the Pompeji at Ostkreuz and the Central in Mitte are set in grungy locations that will also give you a feel for Berlin's underground subculture.

With their trashy puppets made from foam mattresses and their hilarious reenactments of literary works, the Helmi Puppet Theater has embodied Berlin's DIY creative spirit since 2001. They're part of the cultural program organized by the group Tropez at the Berlin public pool Sommerbad Humboldthain. From June 1 to September 1, you can catch performances and screenings in the unusual setting.

Walk around town and look for posters mentioning a "Hoffest" (yard party) or a "Strassenfest" (street party) and you'll have a summer filled with free events that'll introduce you to neighborhoods with well-established communities, such as the Choriner street in Prenzlauer Berg, or alternative projects linked to Berlin's former squatter scene, such as the Kreutziger street fest in Friedrichshain.

Europe's largest LGBTI street festival takes place in 2019 on July 20-21. Also known as the Motzstrassenfest, in reference to a street name, it has been held every year since 1993 in the area around Nollendorfplatz in Schöneberg. Renowned as a gay district for over a century, Christopher Isherwood immortalized the area's infamous Weimar-era nightlife in his "Berlin Stories."

Berlin's international festival of contemporary dance, Tanz im August, is a three-week event taking place from August 9-31. This year's program lists 31 productions, with 160 artists from 15 countries, including a retrospective of the works of US choreographer Deborah Hay, one of the most influential figures of post-modern dance. Pictured here is Zimbabwe-born artist Nora Chipaumire.

Fans of new pop music will head out to various festivals outside of Berlin throughout the summer. But back in Berlin, Pop-Kultur festival will also showcase international newcomers over three days from August 21 through 23, and also presents the latest work of noted performance artists such as CocoRosie, Mykki Blanco, or Berlin-based English electropop musician Planningtorock (pictured).

Berlin may be one of the techno capitals of the world, but it's also a mecca for classical music lovers. The Musikfest, which takes place August 30 - September 19, officially launches the fall concert season. Over the festival's 21 days, 22 international orchestras and ensembles will perform over 65 works. A Japanese Noh theater performance at the Berlin Philharmonie is just one of the highlights.