Deutsche Oper Berlin opens for full weekend as Aviel Cahn begins tenure

A continuous opening weekend

Deutsche Oper Berlin opens its doors at noon on Saturday, 29 August 2026, launching an around-the-clock opening weekend that runs uninterrupted until Sunday evening. The multi-day event marks the start of Aviel Cahn's tenure as the company's new general director. To begin his tenure at the institution, Cahn has organized a weekend program that keeps the opera house active throughout Saturday night and into the following day. The public schedule begins at midday on Saturday and continues through the evening of Sunday, 30 August 2026. This extended format allows visitors to explore the venue, attend live events, and spend the night inside one of the city's central cultural venues.

Artistic curation and public participation

Artist Rirkrit Tiravanija curates the full weekend of programming, bringing together interactive art projects, musical presentations, and family activities across the building. A central feature of the schedule is an open costume parade designed by artists Petrit Halilaj and Álvaro Urbano. Members of the audience are invited to select and borrow authentic theatrical costumes directly from the opera house's wardrobe department. Dressed in these garments from the fundus, visitors take part in the procession directly alongside professional opera singers who walk and perform with the crowd. Beyond the costume parade, the weekend schedule includes a selection of live artistic performances, visual art installations, and musical concerts, alongside activities for younger visitors such as children's face painting.

Night club transition

During the late-night hours between Saturday and Sunday, the operational setting of the venue shifts as the opera house transforms into a club. While daytime access focuses on exhibitions, stage performances, and community participation, the building transitions after dark into a venue for nightlife entertainment. Admission to the night club phase requires a separate entry fee, whereas other portions of the weekend emphasize open public access. The club format operates throughout the night before the daytime schedule resumes on Sunday morning. The entire opening weekend reaches its formal conclusion on Sunday evening, 30 August 2026, ending more than thirty hours of continuous cultural programming.

New leadership at the opera house

The weekend program formalizes the leadership transition at Deutsche Oper, where Aviel Cahn succeeds outgoing chief Dietmar Schwarz. Deutsche Oper is one of three large opera houses in Berlin. Cahn arrives in Berlin after directing the Grand Théâtre in Geneva, Switzerland. His administrative background in the performing arts also includes serving as the general director of Opera Vlaanderen in Belgium. In addition to his leadership roles in Geneva and Belgium, Cahn has worked professionally in opera production and artistic management across Beijing, Helsinki, and Bern. His new appointment at the Berlin institution begins with this continuous public gathering.