VOLKSBAD
am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
7 August to 1 October 2026
Kicking off the new season under the theatre’s new artistic direction, the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz transforms into the VOLKSBAD AM ROSA-LUXEMBURG-PLATZ for eight weeks. No stage, no podium – instead a public swimming pool is mounted complete with fries stall and all. The street in front of this monumental, socialist-classical architecture is being transformed into a 25-metre-long swimming lane right in the heart of Mitte – free of charge and with no ID required. The VOLKSBAD is open to anyone who wants to cool off during Berlin’s increasingly hot summers, work on their crawl stroke, or just hang out with neighbours and enjoy some downtime.
In a city where infrastructure has been systematically cut back over the past few decades and public spaces are more and more commercialised and monitored, the VOLKSBAD is the first urban initiative under the new direction of the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, and a summer invitation to the people in the capital.
Opening Hours and Ticket Information
Tuesday to Saturday (except Thursday): 12:00 – 20:00
Thursday: 13:00 – 21:00
Monday, Sunday and holidays: day off
You can book a free time-slot ticket to access VOLKSBAD. These are released at 14:00, three days before the relevant swimming day. You’re welcome to drop by spontaneously during our opening hours. Short waiting times may occur if we reach capacity.
Programme Preview
-
–
Bathing Hours
-
VOLKSBAD Open Training: Crawling Crash Course
In the capital of a breaststroke nation, Elisa of Vorspiel – Queer Sports Club Berlin e. V. ventures into the unsayable: a crash course in front crawl! For all the holders of a Seepferdchen certificate with a stiff neck who’ve had enough of being overtaken on the right while doing laps. -
–
Bathing Hours
-
–
U16 votes x symbolic votes
Sunday 20 September is election day in Berlin. For those who are not allowed to vote due to their age or passport status: you are welcome to cast your vote at the VOLKSBAD on that day! Why? Because your voice is important! The Youth Office Mitte (Kinder- und Jugendbüro Mitte) will provide opportunities to ask questions and share your thoughts and ideas linked to voting and electoral matters. -
–
Bathing Hours
-
–
Bathing Hours
-
VOLKSBAD open training session: Like a dolphin in the water
If you’ve ever dreamed of experiencing that elevating sense of weightlessness while swimming but haven't quite gotten there yet – and if you’ve only ever seen dolphins on photo wallpaper – Petra from SEITENWECHSEL e. V. welcomes you to an open training session where we’ll take a playful approach to the supreme discipline of swimming styles: the dolphin stroke. Or maybe “dolphin jumps” – because by the end of this practice, everyone had hopped through a hoop at least once. -
–
Bathing Hours
-
VOLKSBAD Open Training: Intro to Water Polo
Today the VOLKSBAD turns into a playing field for one hour. Instead of legs — like in our synchronized swimming — balls will be flying through the air. Equipped with two goals, the water polo team from Vorspiel e. V. takes over the pool for one hour. After a short introduction by the pros, the open training begins, where everyone is invited to test their own accuracy. -
–
Day Off
Team VOLKSBAD
Technical Production Management
Dario Brinkmann
Florian Schneider
Programme
Friederike Kötter
Anna Yeboah
Architecture and Design
Simeon Melchior
Fries at VOLKSBAD
Jost Wiegand
With special thanks to
the VOLKSBAD build team, the stage technicians, the building services team, the electrical engineering team, IT, the box office, reception, the housekeeping team, and the Volksbühne’s evening duty staff, our lifeguards and the Flash Security team, as well as everyone who makes this project possible.
VOLKSBAD Open Training
Concept and realization: Elisa Calosi with Ina Blankers, Japhet Johnstone, Thomas D. In collaboration with the Berliner Regenbogenforellen swimming club, Vorspiel – Queer Sports Club Berlin e.V., and others.
Safety Concept and Technical Planning Support
Anke Ulbrich, plan + stage (event production agency)
Awareness and Security
Flash Security
Health and Safety
Fredi Simon, Danny de Heij (Asuk GmbH)
Communication Design
HIT
Accessibility Consulting
Berlinklusion e. V.
Artistic Director Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
Matthias Lilienthal
Dramaturgy Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
Anna Yeboah
Commercial Direction Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
Franziska Nordin
Norbert Hentschel
Deputy Technical Director Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
Jan Zanetti
Communications, Press and Media Relations Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
Vanessa Schaefer
Thanks to
Bezirksamt Mitte von Berlin, Berliner Festspiele, Carolina Brinkmann, Elisa Calosi, Helena Eckert, Marlene Engel, Each One Teach One EOTO e. V., GoPool, Florentina Holzinger, Flussbad e. V., IngGeo Baugrund Ingenieurbüro, Tarun Kade, Nikola Knežević, KWS for water treatment and testing, Ann-Sophie Reiser, Esra Sarioglu, Hannah Wahmes, Robert von Baudienstleistungen-Herbst and many others.
VOLKSBAD Open Training is supported by Speedo.