On March 5, 2025, at 8 PM, host and moderator Arnulf Rating invites you to the 21st Political Ash Wednesday of sharp tongues in the capital. With Katie Freudenschuss, FIL, Abdelkarim, The Death and Andreas Rebers, he will once again host a selection of quick-witted artists to celebrate this day of reckoning and new beginnings live. As in the previous year, the Political Ash Wednesday takes place in the stylish concert hall of the University of the Arts (UdK Berlin). Musical guests Die Gabys will rock the evening. Tickets start at 24 euros (incl. service fees) and will be available from November 11, 2024, at https://aschermittwoch-berlin.de/, via ticket hotline (030) 40 818 824 (local rates) at Ticketmaster and at all known advance booking offices.

Once a year, our political leadership escapes from elections to engage with the voters. This is their Political Ash Wednesday in the provinces. Plenty of beer flows under the pretext of serving the electorate pure wine. What sounds sharp is often stale and hard to bear in sobriety. This proves that we have a shortage of skilled workers – even in the political personnel. A global trend.

Politics is increasingly becoming like the climate: overheated and unpredictable. Europe finds itself sandwiched between Trump and Putin. The division of society is reflected in the elections. Not only in the USA and the EU has the promised values of the West shifted alarmingly to the right. In Germany, many seem to act just like in road traffic: When the traffic light is out, the rule is right before left.

The Political Ash Wednesday Berlin fills the vacuum in the capital on this day. In times of growing filter bubbles and lobby-driven infotainment, clear words are a refreshing necessity. As a counterpart to the parties’ mood-boosting events, the Political Ash Wednesday in Berlin has now become a good tradition.

The Political Ash Wednesday in Berlin presents year after year a handful of selected artists who come together especially for this occasion. So far, participants have included: Dieter Hildebrandt, Hagen Rether, Rainald Grebe, Florian Schroeder, Lisa Fitz, Marc-Uwe Kling, Volker Pispers, Luise Kinseher, Wilfried Schmickler, Urban Priol, Georg Schramm, and many others.

The Political Ash Wednesday Berlin captivates not only over a thousand spectators live each year but is also broadcasted by several major radio stations in Germany and is increasingly reaching more fans through the internet.