Poesiefestival Berlin 2026

Dante encounters a heavy metal logo, a hair straightener hovers above monsters from South American creation myths, and the sea goddess Leucothea appears before a butterfly framed by antlers – what is going on here?

This year’s festival motifs of Poesiefestival Berlin follow a poetic logic of layering: ancient figures appear alongside pop-cultural symbols, mythical bodies are reflected in contemporary forms, meanings shift, multiply, contradict one another. A visual field emerges in which different times, systems of knowledge, and aesthetic registers are present simultaneously.

At the center of this year’s programme are three major themes that unfold throughout the festival and to which three evenings are explicitly dedicated: Myth, Grief, and a critical Re-writing of a predominantly white and male European literary “Canon”. All themes productively disrupt systems of representation, make power relations visible, and continually find new forms of poetic speech via discourse and dissent. They run through the entire programme of the festival, which takes place from May 15 to June 14.

Starting on June 2, the programme at silent green will feature numerous readings and conversations alongside major thematic evenings—such as Writing Myth and Writing Grief. Highlights include Weltklang – Nacht der Poesie with seven international poets, as well as the Berliner Rede zur Poesie, which this year will be delivered by the Belarusian poet Valzhyna Mort.

On two weekends, we also look forward to free readings by more than 50 poets on the lawn.

The Early-Bird-Presale with a limited ticket contingent for selected events has already begun. The complete programme, including tickets, will be released in April 2026.

Tuesday, June 2 - Sunday, June 14
Kuppelhalle
Early-Bird-Presale