Techno music on the opera stage. For the Playground Festival the Deutsche Oper Berlin is transforming itself into a nightclub for an evening. And the last three editions of the Festival have been proof positive of the uniting force of genre crossover events, with opera fans and night crawlers partying to the early hours in a venue more used to stars singing arias against a backdrop of massive sets. Now a regular and popular event in the calendar, the Festival once again has a line-up of bands and DJs delivering their own dancefloor sounds. Hamburg producer Stimming, whose characteristic blend of sound in the borderlands of minimalist beats and complex sound architectures has earned him an international following, presents his new album “Friedrich” for the first time live in Berlin. Veronika und die Flammen are back with a set that’s longer than their tumultuous act in the quadrangle of the Tischlerei last September. KID BE KID adds her brilliant piano playing, sensitive singing and danceable beats to the mix and Berlin DJ and producer ACUD rounds off the opera house rave with his combination of humorous texts and melodic techno.

The acts

The Hamburg producer Stimming, with his mixture of emotional music and technical proficiency, has been influencing house music for over 15 years. Known for his meticulously composed tracks, he generates electronic dance music that exerts a pull on people around the world. Stimming has always been enthralled by musical tools and gadgets, using them to constantly expand his instrumental vocabulary. His realm of electronic sound is known for its multi-layered musical architecture – danceable, yet also compositionally complex, each note a vessel of meaning. In his words: “In every work that I create I’m trying to put my finger on the organic feeling obscured by computer technology.” His new album, “Friedrich”, is a unique blend of narration and experimental sound, a meditation on moments in life that combine ordinariness with profundity. At once danceable and introspective, “Friedrich” is yet another indication of the multi-faceted nature of Techno music.

It’s the mission of VERONIKA FERRARI UND DIE FLAMMEN to get the cream of German-language hits and chansons air time in the clubbing sub-culture – and garnish them with their own works. Appealing to fans of good music, the band stands out for its fusion of singing, jazz trumpet, clarinet, piano and electronic music and has a swiftly growing fan base. VERONIKA FERRARI UND DIE FLAMMEN have already graced the stages of big-name venues and events like the Nationaltheater Weimar, the ZENNER in Berlin, the Garbicz Festival and the Nation of Gondwana and are now set to follow up their rip-roaring opening act in the Tischlerei at the 2024 Playground Festival with a more extensive programme on the main stage of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

On one point everyone is in agreement: “Never seen anything like it!” Since the release of their debut album “Sold Out”, KID BE KID has featured at the biggest festivals and been touring to packed crowds, transfixing audiences with utter dedication and virtuosity: The Elbjazz in Hamburg, the legendary Fusion Festival, the Monument National as part of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal…, the list goes on. When KID BE KID sings, plays piano and synths and beat-boxes – all at the same time – it’s a breathtaking thing to behold. Jazzy piano, snappy R&B grooves, club-friendly sci-fi-synth sounds and electro patterns… all overlaid with her expressive soul singing.

Lasse Winkler, alias ACUD, has form going back to the beginning of Berlin’s techno scene and was involved in the creation of two clubs, Sisyphos and Keller. In 2012 he founded the “Keller” label and since then has been a producer of electronic dance music and worked as DJ and live act. In 2021 he set up his own production company, “Kiesel”, gathering a pool of talented producers around him. His first album, “Verdammt nochmal” (2024), also features his own vocals. This season at the Deutsche Oper Berlin he will also be appearing as composer and live act in IMMERSION/EMERSION, the two-part performance event that premiered in September 2024 in the Stadtbad Charlottenburg and whose sequel is scheduled for July 2025 in the Tischlerei.