The summer festival on the HKW roof terrace starting soon
12.6.2025
Sonic Pluriverse Festival: Bass Cultures
Concerts, DJs, Lectures
27.6.–2.8.2025
Concerts 23 €, discounted 19 €, DJ sets and lectures entry free now available at hkw.de/tickets
From June to August, the third edition of the music festival brings bass, beats and stories of resistance and solidarity to the HKW roof terrace.
Thunder from a bass drum soundin'
Lightnin' from a trumpet and a organ
Bass and rythm and trumpet double up
Keep up with drums for a deep pound searchin'
– Linton Kwesi Johnson
Sonic Pluriverse Festival: Bass Cultures explores the culture of sound systems as a global phenomenon. From rich reggae beats to powerful dubstep drops, the program combines experiences, dialogues and sound practices in an international exchange. In live performances, musicians deeply rooted in bass cultures mix rhythms and melodies to create stories of resistance and solidarity. Throughout the summer of 2025, Sonic Pluriverse Festival: Bass Cultures will present various programs in the afternoons as well as concerts and DJ sets in the evenings. The festival stands as a space for cultural exchange and community dialog, as a meeting place for voices, rhythms and stories.
Alongside concerts and DJ sets, this year's programme will also feature lectures, keynotes and poetry readings.
With Ana Tijoux, André Marie Tala & The Tchamassi Band, Boukman Eksperyans, Jowee Omicil, Kumbia Boruka, Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Manou Gallo, Mohini Dey, Mokoomba, Mykaell Riley, Novalima, Perera Elsewhere, Queen Omega & The Royal Souls, The Congos, The Dhol Foundation, Ti Moris et al.
and DJ sets by
Feminine Hi-Fi, Harry Kalsi, Roots Daughters, Sammy Dread, Sarah Farina, Selektor Bony & Calamidades Lola and Shiru
Programme
27 June
Poetry Reading, Concert, DJ Set
19:00-20:00 Linton Kwesi Johnson
20:30-22:00 Queen Omega & The Royal Souls
22:00-00:00 DJ set Roots Daughters
28 June
Lecture
16:00-17:00
Reasoning#4: Sound System Epistemologies@HKW
with Stefanie Alisch and Ilgaz Yalcinoglu
Keynote
17:00-18:00
From Museum Basements to Machine Learning: Is AI a Friend or Enemy of Black Music?
Mykaell Riley
Concerts
19:00-20:00 Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin
20:30-22:00 André Marie Tala & The Tchamassi Band
22:00-00:00 DJ set Feminine Hi-Fi
4 July
Concerts
19:00-20:00 Manou Gallo
20:30-22:00 The Congos
22:00-00:00 DJ set Sammy Dread
5 July
Lecture
17:00-18:00
Archiving the Afrosonic
Safia Siad, Afro Sonic Innovation Lab, Department of Arts, Culture & Media, University of Toronto Scarborough
Concerts
19:00-20:00 Mohini Dey
20:30-22:00 Ana Tijoux
22:00-00:00 DJ set Sarah Farina
11 July
Concerts
19:00-20:00 Perera Elsewhere
20:30-22:00 Kumbia Boruka
22:00-00:00 DJ set Selektor Bony & Calamidades Lola
12 July
Lecture
17:00-18:00
Rebuilding Archives: A Mixtape Methodology
Onkar Singh Kular
Concerts
19:00–20:00 Ti Moris
20:30–22:00 Mokoomba
22:00-00:00 DJ set Shiru
18 July
Concerts
19:00–20:00 Novalima
20:30–22:00 The Dhol Foundation
22:00-00:00 DJ set Harry Kalsi
2 August
Concerts
19:00–20:00 Jowee Omicil
20:30–22:00 Boukman Eksperyans
Press photos Sonic Pluriverse Festival: Bass Cultures | HKW Haus der Kulturen der Welt
Accreditation and Interview Requests: Presse@hkw.de
Visit Information
Opening Times
Wed.–Mon. 12:00–19:00
Free admission on Mondays
Extended opening hours during evening programmes
Childcare
HKW offers free childcare for many of its programmes. For further information visit hkw.de.
Current information about visiting and accessibility.
Weltwirtschaft Restaurant is open daily, from 12:00–00:00.
Contact
Jan Trautmann
Pressesprecher
Lead Communications Officer
Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW)
John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10 10557
Berlin
T: + 49 (0) 30 397 87 157