In just a couple of days, it’s on: the anniversary edition of the Pop-Kultur festival will take place from 28 to 30 August 2024 on the grounds of the Kulturbrauerei Berlin. We have put together a lineup with over 100 slots – including lots of live concerts, 15 commissioned works created exclusively for this festival, and a multifaceted »Pop-Kultur Diskurs« programme. Among the highly anticipated artists are Yemi Alade, Black Sherif, Christin Nichols, Arab Strap, Blumengarten, A Certain Ratio, Ivo Dimchev and Ilgen-Nur. On the occasion of our tenth anniversary, we’re looking back, but also ahead: Pop-Kultur will be honoured in an exhibition, a quiz and various talks.
Tickets are still available here – either for a full festival pass or individual day tickets for Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. And here you can find the timetable.
This year we are placing a special »Focus on Africa«, supported by Kulturprojekte Berlin. With acclaimed African pop stars such as Yemi Alade, Black Sherif, Lady Donli, and Blinky Bill, we’re bringing musical diversity from the African continent to Berlin.
We are also exploring the impact of post-migrant and queer artists and their work. Get ready for acts such as Austrian sibling duo EsRap with their ironic and captivating lyrics, the electronic style of James K, and the Anatolian rock of Gaye Su Akyol.
We have also wrangled veterans such as A Certain Ratio and post-punk duo The KVB to perform, as well as extraordinary talents like Anushka Chkheidze from Georgia and newcomer Kabeaushé from Kenya.
Promoting emerging talent has been very important to us from the very beginning of the festival. On Thursday and Friday, you can experience »Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs« acts Daada, Schnallo, and Sloe Noon live in the Frannz Garten. The Goethe Talents will also be playing a jam session on Thursday. Then, after the festival on Saturday, 31 August 2024, you can enjoy their expanded concert with group and solo formations at ACUD MACHT NEU. You can enter the Nachwuchs stage in the Frannz Garten free of charge.
Our tenth birthday is a major milestone for us. This year, three talks will take a close look at the origins and developments of Pop-Kultur. Pop-Kultur founder and former festival director Katja Lucker, now the managing director of Initiative Musik, will reflect on past festival editions without a hint of nostalgia, joined by Jens Balzer. Taking a decisive look ahead, meanwhile, will be a panel consisting of Katrine Friis Sønderby (Spot Festival), Muthoni Drummer Queen (Blankets & Wine) and Kristoffer Patrick Cornils (moderator), discussing the future of festivals from an international perspective. Norman Palm and Alexander Winkelmann from fertig design will explain the creation of the formative festival »artvertising« campaigns with their cute creatures or utopian worlds, now hanging on many living room walls. In the Hindsight exhibition, visitors can not only marvel at posters from the last ten years, but also browse through the digital works created during the pandemic as well as the music video library with accessible music clips and deaf performances commissioned by the festival. A pop quiz hosted by Yvonne Sembene will round off the anniversary focus. The Pop-Kultur Hindsight programme is also accessible free of charge.
Click here for tickets for three days of Pop-Kultur!
The complete line-up:
Concerts and DJ-Sets:
505 / A Certain Ratio / Anni Porrasmäki (DJ-Set) / Anushka Chkheidze / Arab Strap / bangerfabrique / Bashar Murad / Black Boboi trifft Rosa Anschütz & Eddna (Tokyo-Berlin Residency) / Black Sherif / Blinky Bill / Blumengarten / Cheap Wedding / Daada / douniah / Eden Derso / Emo Rugene (DJ-Set) / Esfand / EsRAP / EuroEyez / Evija Vēbere / Fee Aviv / futurebae / FÜR ELISE / Gaye Su Akyol / Goethe Talents Jam-up / GHOSTWOMAN / hotgirl / Ilgen-Nur / Ivo Dimchev / Jaakko Eino Kalevi / James K / Jenys / Kabeaushé / Keeley Forsyth / Krista Papista (DJ-Set) / Lady Donli / Levente (DJ-Set) / LUCIDVOX / Mary Ocher / Melenas / MOLHAM / MPC Lafote / Ms Nina / Neta Weiner und Samira Saraya (System Ali) & Hoyah (Tel Aviv-Berlin Residency) / OG LU / Olympia Bukkakis & Friends / Pillow Fite / Plattenbau / Priya Ragu / Rachael Lavelle / Rasco / Rich Aucoin / Sam Karugu & Luna Vassarotti (Kampala-Berlin Residency) / Schnallo / Sextile / Sinem / Shawescape Renegade & Sara Miller (Detroit-Berlin Residency) / Sloe Noon / Sorry the Hedgehog / Stereotype / Susan Augustt & Dumama (Accra-Berlin Residency) / Swell Maps C21 / Tarwater / Taylah Elaine / The KVB / The Morning Stars / Twin Flame / VÍZ / VV & The Void / What Are People For? / Yemi Alade / Zebra Katz / ZIMBRU / Zuzanna Czebatul (DJ-Set)
Commissioned Works:
21 downbeat / Christin Nichols / »MY CIRCLE« – Dance Battle / Hope & Emma Critchley / Künstler*innenkollektiv parallelgesellschaft + Philo Tsoungui / Martina Stock / Melanie Jame Wolf & friends / Otis Mensah / Pari Eskandari / Schneider TM & Lillevan + guests / Steve Mekoudja / Ulla / »HINDSIGHT – Ausstellung 10 Jahre Pop-Kultur«
»Pop-Kultur Diskurs«::
10 Jahre Pop-Kultur: »10 Jahre Artvertising«: Norman Palm, Alexander Winkelmann / 10 Jahre Pop-Kultur: »Pop-Kultur: Wie alles begann …«: Katja Lucker, Jens Balzer / 10 Jahre Pop-Kultur: »The Future of Festivals – An International Perspective«: Katrine Friis Sønderby, Muthoni Drummer Queen, Mod.: Kristoffer Patrick Cornils / »Echos musikalischer Erinnerungen aus der DDR«: Vincent Bababoutilabo, Robert Mießner, Mod.: Sandra Teitge / »Festivals, Events und DisCo (disabled community): Wie sind die Infrastrukturen?«: Martin Vahemäe-Zierold, Xenia Dürr, Inna Shparber, Mod.: Ulrich Hartmann / »Inkarnation und Intuition: Inszenierung von rechter Esoterik«: Talk mit Fashion The Gaze / »KI – Chance oder Risiko?«: FLOSS, Marina Guz, Mod.: Claudia Schwarz / Kulturpodcast »Lakonisch Elegant« meets Pop-Kultur: Kinder, ich muss kreativ sein! – Parenthood in Music: Jorin Zschiesche, Steffi von Kannemann, MC Fitti, Johanna Amelie, Mod.: Christine Watty / »Menstruation hört auf einem Festival nicht auf«: Franka Frei, Lena Olvedi, Katharina Müller, Mod.: Rike van Kleef / »Metal im ›Osten‹, Fantum, Rechtsrock, Gatekeeping und Gender«: Lukas Juretko, Luca Schuldt, Mod.: Julia Boxler / »Poptism – Remembrance in Music Culture«: Ariel Efraim Ashbel, Imran Ayata, Sanaz Azimipour, Mod.: Carmen Herold / »Releases & Strategies mit Amy Zayed«: Anton Teichmann, Denitza Todorova, John Moods, Mod.: Amy Zayed / Row Zero: Gewalt und Machtmissbrauch in der Musikindustrie Lesung & Talk mit Lena Kampf und Daniel Drepper / »Sounds of the Revolution«: Bahar Roshanai & Matthias Koch / »Testcard – Rechtspop: Über rechtsradikale Memes und rechte Frauen in der Popkultur«: Viola Nordsieck, Veronika Kracher, Mod.: Ariana Zustra / »What Do You Meme By?« mit Sveamaus & Galerie Arschgeweih, Mod.: Yvonne Sembene / »Wir sind die Türken von morgen«: Lesung mit Ulrich Gutmair