Classical Music & Opera in Berlin: Advent, Christmas & New Year 2026/27 – Dates, Tickets, Hotels

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No city in Germany has as many great orchestras and opera houses as Berlin. Between the first Sunday of Advent and Epiphany, the Philharmonie, the Konzerthaus, three opera houses and Berlin Cathedral put on a programme that is well worth a weekend in the capital – from Bach's Christmas Oratorio to the New Year's Eve concert. Here are the highlights from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, the venues and how to get there, and where to stay.

Live: the next classical dates in Berlin

New Year's Eve & New Year: the big concerts

• Berliner Philharmoniker – New Year's Eve concert (Philharmonie, main hall): Tue 29 Dec and Wed 30 Dec at 8 pm, Thu 31 Dec at 5:30 pm. Kirill Petrenko conducts; Alexander Malofeev (piano) and David Guerrier (trumpet) play Shostakovich's Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, alongside Nicolai, Prokofiev's “Classical” Symphony, Strauss's “Till Eulenspiegel” and the overture to “The Gypsy Baron”. The 31 December concert is also streamed live in the Digital Concert Hall.
• Staatsoper Unter den Linden – New Year concert: 31 Dec 2026 and 1 Jan 2027. Christian Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin in “From Babelsberg to Hollywood”, with film music by Huppertz, Korngold and others.
• Konzerthaus Berlin: New Year's Eve concert on Thu 31 Dec at 7 pm and New Year's concert on Fri 1 Jan at 4 pm – Konzerthausorchester conducted by Anja Bihlmaier, with Bruce Liu at the piano (including Rachmaninoff's Paganini Rhapsody, Kodály and Johann Strauss).
• Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom): Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on 29 and 30 Dec; organ concerts at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm on New Year's Eve.
• Opera on New Year's Eve: “La traviata” at the Deutsche Oper (31 Dec, 6 pm) and “Orpheus in the Underworld” at the Komische Oper in the Schillertheater (31 Dec, 6 pm).

Our advice: the Philharmoniker's December sale opened on 10 October. New Year's Eve in Berlin sells fast – if you're flexible, 29 or 30 December often has more seats. Buy from the venues themselves or official sellers only.

Advent & Christmas: oratorio, fairy-tale opera, Nutcracker

Christmas Oratorio and choral concerts

• Konzerthaus: Bach's Christmas Oratorio with the Thomanerchor Leipzig and the Konzerthausorchester under Thomaskantor Andreas Reize – Sat 5 Dec (7 pm) and Sun 6 Dec (4 pm). More performances with Berlin choirs on 22 and 26 Dec, Handel's “Messiah” on 23 Dec and the Vienna Boys' Choir on 20 Dec.
• Berlin Cathedral: Christmas Oratorio (cantatas I–III) on 18 and 19 Dec, and on 26 Dec in the historic 1857 version with the Staats- und Domchor. Plus a packed Advent programme – organ recitals, a sing-along “Jauchzet, frohlocket!” (20 Dec) and festive brass music on 25 Dec.
• Philharmonie: Berlioz's “L'Enfance du Christ” with the Rundfunkchor Berlin (17–19 Dec) and, in the chamber music hall, “Heavenly Night” with Christmas music by Scarlatti and Corelli (8 Dec).

Opera and ballet for the holidays

• Hansel and Gretel is on twice: at the Deutsche Oper (23 Dec, 27 Dec and 3 Jan) and at the Komische Oper (from 6 Dec, including 21 and 29 Dec).
• The Nutcracker by Staatsballett Berlin at the Deutsche Oper: performances until 29 December, including Christmas Day. Some dates are already sold out (as of 4 Nov); others still have a few tickets.
• Staatsoper Unter den Linden: “The Magic Flute” (including 26 and 29 Dec, with René Pape as Sarastro) and “La Bohème” (including 25 and 27 Dec). The December “Nabucco” performances with Anna Netrebko are sold out.
• Komische Oper: “Orpheus in the Underworld” – Offenbach's operetta is perfect for the days between Christmas and New Year.

The venues: location & getting there

Philharmonie Berlin

Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße 1 at the Kulturforum. S+U Potsdamer Platz (U2, S1/S2/S25/S26), then a few minutes on foot; buses 200 and 300 stop right at “Philharmonie”.

Konzerthaus Berlin

On Gendarmenmarkt in Mitte. U2/U6 Stadtmitte or U2 Hausvogteiplatz – both a short walk away.

Staatsoper Unter den Linden

Unter den Linden 7, opposite Humboldt University. U5 Museumsinsel or Unter den Linden (U5/U6), buses 100 and 300 “Staatsoper”.

Deutsche Oper Berlin

Bismarckstraße 35 in Charlottenburg. The U2 station “Deutsche Oper” is right outside.

Komische Oper at the Schillertheater

While its home on Behrenstraße is being renovated, the Komische Oper performs at the Schillertheater, Bismarckstraße 110 – a few steps from Ernst-Reuter-Platz (U2) or Bismarckstraße (U2/U7).

Berlin Cathedral

Am Lustgarten on Museum Island. U5 Museumsinsel, S-Bahn Hackescher Markt or buses 100/300.

Where to stay & getting there

• Mitte (around Gendarmenmarkt, Friedrichstraße, Unter den Linden): walk to the Konzerthaus, the Staatsoper and the cathedral.
• Potsdamer Platz / Tiergarten: short trips to the Philharmonie.
• Charlottenburg (Bismarckstraße, Kurfürstendamm): ideal for the Deutsche Oper and the Komische Oper at the Schillertheater.
• By train: Berlin Hauptbahnhof has direct trains from most major German cities; the S-Bahn or U5 takes you into Mitte in minutes.

Our tips

• Combine: on the weekend of 5/6 December you can hear the Christmas Oratorio in the afternoon and go to the opera in the evening.
• Families: “Hansel and Gretel”, the Nutcracker and the family concert “Nussknacker und Puderzucker” at the Konzerthaus (19 Dec) are great with children.
• Plan New Year's Eve: the city centre gets very busy after the concerts and there are road closures around the Brandenburg Gate. A hotel within walking distance saves a lot of stress.

Find more on our Classical & opera page and in our guide to Christmas and New Year's Eve concerts.

As of 4 November 2026. Dates and casts according to berliner-philharmoniker.de, staatsoper-berlin.de, deutscheoperberlin.de, komische-oper-berlin.de, konzerthaus.de, berlinerdom.de and staatsballett-berlin.de. Venues may make changes – the details on your ticket are what count.