Long Night of Museums: When the City Stays Awake for Art
Long Night of Museums: When the City Stays Awake for Art
20.08.25 – Maria Plexida
I hope you know the movie “A Night in the Museum” with Ben Stiller. Be ready to experience this at the end of August. Well, minus the living dinosaurs of course!
The Long Night of Museums (Lange nacht der museen) will take place on the 30th of August, from 6pm to 2 am, including 75 museums and 750 events, all with 1 ticket.
During Berlin’s Long Night of Museums, museums, galleries, planetariums and memorials across the city stay open late, welcoming visitors to explore a vibrant program of tours, interactive workshops, concerts, readings, artist talks, performances and DJ sets.
Our Favorite Finds
1. Mori-Ôgai-Gedenkstätte
The Mori Ōgai Memorial is dedicated to fostering cultural exchange and education, with a special focus on the life and work of Japanese author and physician Mori Ōgai (1862–1922) and the era in which he lived. To mark the 30th anniversary of the Tokyo–Berlin city partnership, a special exhibition explores how travelers viewed the Japanese capital at the turn of the 20th century, featuring rare historical aluminum prints.
Suggestion: Zeichen der Liebe: Kalligrafie-Workshop mit Sugano Matsusaki, at 23:00
Sugano Matsusaki is a young calligrapher from Okinawa, Japan. In her workshop, she guides participants to explore Japanese script and try their hand at traditional calligraphy using brush, ink, and paper. The session focuses on four characters connected to the theme of “love.”
2. Bauhaus-Archiv / Museum für Gestaltung
While the museum building is undergoing renovation and expansion, the project space “The Temporary” hosts a rotating program that engages with the Bauhaus Archive’s collection and explores current questions in design, architecture and society.
Suggestion: Bauhaus-Tour: “It’s a love hate thing”, at 18:00
The guided tour explores post-war modernist architecture and ideas in Charlottenburg. It covers everything from ambitious plans for car-friendly city design to thoughtful additions featuring elegantly curved office buildings, as well as university structures. The architectural walk takes visitors from the Temporary Bauhaus Archive to the Amerika Haus.
3. Akademie der Künste
As one of Europe’s oldest cultural institutions, the Akademie der Künste brings together around 400 members across various artistic disciplines and houses more than 1,000 artists’ estates alongside a significant art collection. In 2005, a new building designed by Günther Behnisch opened its doors on Pariser Platz.
Suggestion: Wechselstrom – Eine Nacht mit elektronischen Dialogen zum Thema Liebe, from 22:00 until 01:30
Composer Arnold Dreyblatt, together with the Studio for Electroacoustic Music and international guests, presents a musical night program. Enjoy live music, live electronics, improvisation and sound art, featuring duos that blend existing, new, and improvised sounds. Performers include Arnold Dreyblatt and Werner Durand, Zero Beam, and Carla Boregas.
4. URBAN NATION
Founded in 2017, the Urban Art Museum is dedicated to the fleeting and ephemeral art of the streets, bringing the history of this global creative movement to life. It connects international artists, through a residency program and leaves its mark on the city itself: the Berliner Leben Foundation of Gewobag, which runs the museum, regularly commissions large-scale murals along Bülowstraße.
Suggestion: Love Letters to the City, from 18:00 until 23:00
The exhibition “Love Letters to the City” features works by over 50 international street artists: a tribute and love letter to urban spaces. It critically examines themes such as gentrification, the environment, social inequality and the changing cityscape. Discover how art transforms public spaces and invites us to see the city in a new light.
5. Fotografiska Berlin
Housed in the former Kunsthaus Tacheles, the museum showcases contemporary photography and new media. Following locations in Stockholm, New York and Tallinn, Berlin is the fourth branch. Spread across three floors, it offers special exhibitions alongside inviting restaurants, cafés and bars where visitors can relax and socialize.
Suggestion: Führungen bei Fotografiska Berlin, from 18:00 until 21:00
This is a one-hour guided tour at Fotografiska Berlin. Explore captivating exhibitions and the unique architecture of the building. The guides will share insights and the stories behind the images.
Why accessibility in museums matter
Museums are places filled with art, history and interesting stories. So consequently they should be accessible to all. The Long night of Museums is a day exactly for this purpose. A single ticket provides entry to multiple venues, making art and education more affordable and less intimidating. These events create a unique atmosphere that encourages even first-time visitors to engage with exhibitions, while offering workshops, guided tours and artist talks that make art, history and science accessible for all ages.
By keeping doors open late and highlighting both local and international talent, museums foster community engagement, expose visitors to diverse perspectives and break down barriers, showing that cultural spaces are for everyone to explore, learn from and be inspired by.
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