Berlin

This year, the Berlin-based Pop-Kultur Festival celebrates its 11th edition. Next to carefully curated concerts and commissioned works, the event is steeped in conversations around pop and culture, expanding its thematic offerings with talks and listening event. Here is what OFFKEY is looking forward to at Pop-Kultur 2025.

After a public outcry and a petition signed by many influential people from the radio scene and beyond, RBB backtracked on their plans of taking COSMO completely off the airwaves. However, a new proposal could restrict the multilingual radio station in its broadcasting region of Berlin and Brandenburg. OFFKEY editor Felicia Ete Aghaye shares their take on the on-going developments.

Otis Mensah oscilates between genres drawing on influences from rap, jazz and beyond. Since moving to Berlin, they have found their place in the local music scene and recently released their EP "small town otis". In conversation with Anna Grubauer, Otis chats about their musical approach and reflects on their experience of searching a home in Berlin.

Music is a language of protest and creates networks of solidarity. That is the ethos behind Sarkash سرکش Underground, a festival for hip-hop, rap, trap, and experimental sounds from Afghanistan, Balochistan, and Kashmir taking place in Berlin on August 1st at Marmorbar & Oelgarten. We spoke to organizer Armeghan Taheri about what it means to host a festival for the diaspora of a region where music is banned.