Waldbühne

Waldbühne is Berlin’s 22,290-capacity open-air amphitheatre, set in the Murellenschlucht valley beside the Olympic Park. Its defining feature is structural: a natural bowl with rising, Greek-theatre-inspired tiers, giving a huge audience a direct view toward the stage and helping carry sound through the seating banks. The scale suits major summer bills, while the wooded setting keeps the experience distinctly outdoors.

Built for 1936, reshaped by one night

Constructed for the 1936 Olympic Games as the Dietrich-Eckart open-air stage, Waldbühne was designed under architect Werner March from plans by Conrad Heidenreich. After the Second World War it took its current name and served first as an open-air cinema, including Berlinale screenings, then as a boxing venue; concerts became its principal use from 1962. On September 15, 1965, a Rolling Stones show ended in severe disorder. Fans stormed the stage during the performance, and the aftermath destroyed large sections of seating; Berlin’s district archive records clashes with police extending for over four hours. The damage put the venue through a long fallow period, with regular concert programming returning in 1978. Promoter Peter Schwenkow took on the site in 1981, and the stage received its present tented roof in 1982.

The room today

Waldbühne programs a seasonal, large-format open-air calendar, concentrated from May through September and spanning rock, pop and classical concerts. Expect an amphitheatre arrangement: 19,640 bench seats rise around the stage, while 2,650 standing places occupy the interior. That geometry creates broad, elevated sightlines from the banks, with the trade-off of distance at the highest rows. Food and drink stands operate on site, and card payment is available at permanent catering points.