The festival, which runs from 24 - 30 August, will open in Wedding with talks and emerging talent showcases before shifting to Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg across the week. The expanded structure follows the success of last year’s decentralised programme, which saw the event spread across multiple venues rather than a single site .
The live programme kicks off on Wednesday, 26 August at silent green’s Betonhalle: LA-via-NYC artist Ray Lozano opens with R’n’B-inflected storytelling, followed by Avalon Emerson & the Charm, whose work has shifted from club-focused production towards art pop and electronica-informed songwriting. Bar Italia close the evening with a high-energy set drawing on post-punk, shoegaze and indie rock .
Pop-Kultur continues to occupy a unique space among Europe’s experimental arts scene, with a series of commissioned works created especially for the festival. The intimate concert Hall Pierre Boulez Saal is used for the first time as Icelandic legends múm present , a new performative work conceived and performed by founding members Gunnar Tynes and Örvar Smárason. blends new compositions with specially reworked versions of selected, more introspective pieces from the band and brings together a string quartet, electronic and acoustic instruments.
Alongside the main event, the festival is also helping a new generation build and sustain a career in pop music. Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs connects 150 emerging talents from around the world with artists from Pop-Kultur’s live programme and professionals across the music industry, politics, and creative economy. The programme creates meaningful exchanges and real connections between young musicians, producers, DJs, and creatives in all fields of pop culture – from management, booking, and labels. This year’s edition takes place from 24–25 August at silent green in Berlin-Wedding and on 28 August, participants will also come together for an additional evening of networking and live music at the Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs stage at Frannz Biergarten (Kulturbrauerei).
Looking deep into festival's programming, here's our own highlights that justify Pop-Kultur's reputation as curator and envelope-pusher.