What’s Happening in Berlin this November?

The writing is on the wall: Berlin winter is fast approaching. And before you decide to cancel all your meetings, stay in bed, and drown your sorrows in a Netflix binge, listen up to these cool November events happening around the city!

Berlin Jazz Festival (Jazzfest)

Now that it’s starting to get darker and colder in Berlin (don’t panic, just remember to take your vitamin D,) we’re all looking for any chance to feel cozy. And what better way to escape the oppressive gloom than by enjoying Berlin’s 60th annual Jazz Festival (also known as Jazzfest.) Now, before you start saying that you don’t like jazz, let us tell you why this festival deserves your attention. Founded in 1964, Jazzfest is one of Europe’s oldest festivals of its kind! It brings a diverse lineup featuring musicians from around the world, from legendary jazz heroes to emerging artists. Jazzfest showcases a little bit of everything, be that traditional jazz, contemporary improvisations, or groundbreaking experimental sounds. This year's line-up features musicians like Henry Threadgill, Susana Santos, and Aki Takase. If the love of jazz doesn’t get you hyped, maybe the fact that you can follow the festival throughout Berlin’s many iconic venues will. This year Jazzfest will take place from November 2nd to November 5th, so make sure to check it out!

Berlin Science Week

If you lean more towards the nerdy side, then Berlin Science Week is the event for you! This annual festival brings over 500 speakers, 150 organizations, and more than 20,000 participants together to explore the vast world of science together. Stimulate your temporal cortex by listening to talks on topics like “The Science of Storytelling”, “Nuclear Fusion for a Decarbonized Future”, and “Building (with) Nature.” Plus, for the first time ever, Berlin Science Week is finishing off the week of festivities with a Club Night: Berlin Science Week Closing Party at Holzmarkt 25. The night will start with talks focused on the science of partying (yes, there are actually people studying partying,) and will end with a collection of DJ sets and dancing that will go on throughout the night. It doesn’t get more Berlin than this! Berlin Science Week runs from November 1st to November 10th, with the club night taking place on the final evening.

The Start of Berlin’s Christmas Markets

As November draws to a close, attention shifts to the holiday season in Berlin. Some people say that the Christmas markets are the only redeeming quality to the Berlin winter (besides raving in some nondescript bunker), and they very well may be right. At the end of the month, the city becomes dotted with these markets, which in German are called Weihnachtsmärkte. Different streets and squares transform into festive locations, complete with twinkling lights, open fire pits, and the delicious aroma of Glühwein (more commonly known as mulled wine) wafting through the air. The Christmas markets are the perfect place to find handmade holiday gifts, enjoy Christmas carols and performances, or just stuff yourself full of Bratwurst, Lebkuchen (gingerbread cookies), Käsespätzle (German egg noodles with cheese), and cups upon cups of Glüwien (you have to stay warm somehow after all). In Berlin, the Christmas market season kicks off on November 17th and continues until the 30th of December. So there you have it. Three solid reasons not to fall into a seasonal depression slump this month. Even in the dreariest of times, Berlin always has something up its sleeve!