PEOPLE Festival 2026

After eight years, the PEOPLE Festival is returning to the historic Funkhaus Berlin. On October 10 and 11, 2026, the doors will open to a unique experience that focuses not on finished shows, but on the creative processes themselves.

A NEW CHAPTER FOR PEOPLE AT THE FUNKHAUS

For one week, 180 international musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds will come together in 40 studios to improvise, compose, and create new musical worlds. No one knows in advance what will emerge from this collaboration. We promise nothing and expect everything.

During the festival weekend, this collaborative work will be shared with the audience for the first time: Over 200 concerts on 11 stages will unfold over a period of twelve hours each. Live music in its most authentic form, performed in intimate studios as well as in the large concert halls of the historic GDR broadcasting center.

MUSIC WITHOUT THE MACHINE.
UP CLOSE AND RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.

PEOPLE deliberately operates without a traditional lineup or a pre-announced schedule. Visitors don’t find out who’s taking the stage until the moment the concert begins. This creates encounters free of preconceived plans or expectations—open to surprises, new favorite artists, and one-of-a-kind musical moments.

The festival eschews hierarchies, commercial logic, and profit-driven motives. All ticket proceeds are used exclusively to cover costs, creating an independent space for artistic freedom and genuine collaboration.

ORIGINS

PEOPLE was founded by a circle of friends centered around Aaron and Bryce Dessner, Justin Vernon, Ryan Olson, and Nadine and Tom Michelberger. Their shared vision: to create a place where music can emerge beyond algorithms, marketing, and festival routines.

The focus is not on a perfectly rehearsed performance, but on collaborative creation. New bands come together, songs emerge spontaneously, and musical boundaries dissolve. Every performance is a premiere and will never happen again exactly the same way.

LOCATION

The Funkhaus Berlin offers a unique setting for this: the legendary broadcast studios and their exceptional acoustics transform the former East Berlin broadcasting center into a place where music can be experienced anew in a labyrinth of small and large studios.

PEOPLE is for everyone who doesn’t just want to listen to music, but also wants to witness its creation live. Those who embrace the unknown will become part of a weekend full of inspiration, connection, and unforgettable encounters. We open our doors and hearts to what moves us and would like to invite you to share this weekend with us.
Expect a surprise, expect nothing from anyone, and in the end, find everything.