Shoppers of music and solidarity packed Berlin’s Columbiahalle for a sold‑out benefit concert organised by Baran Kok after the Islamist attack at this year’s CSD , 16 artists, fierce speeches and unexpected twerks made the evening feel like protest, therapy and party rolled into one.

Essential Takeaways

  • Sold out and diverse: Tickets sold out within hours; the crowd ranged from teenage Antifa to mums with sons, and drag fans.
  • Broad programme: Sixteen acts covered rap, techno, indie pop and ballads , expect shifts from gritty to tender in one set.
  • Political heat: Chants against politicians mixed with calls for wider solidarity; artists adapted lyrics to criticise the government.
  • Emotional moments: Drag openers and speeches about the July attack turned the music into a platform for grief and anger.
  • Community impact: Donations from ticket sales went to local queer groups and CSD organisers from rural eastern Germany.

A crowd that felt like a community , loud, sweaty and furious

The night began with hundreds waiting hours before doors opened, a cluster of police vans and security bollards standing sentinel outside Columbiahalle. Teenagers in Antifa shirts shuffled cardboard signs, and mothers hugged sons they’d brought to see their favourite acts. When the first queen took the stage, the roar was equal parts relief and release; the room felt both tender and combustible, like a pressure valve finally given a hand on the rim.

Backstory: organisers put the show together as a direct response to the July attack during Berlin’s Pride march, and tickets vanished within hours. That urgency was visible inside: flags, home‑made placards, and the odd chant turned concert routine into a political act.

Practical tip: if you want to catch similar benefit shows, expect sold‑out venues and bring cash , many events route donations directly to grassroots groups rather than running card terminals.

Music from OG Lu to Grönemeyer , a deliberate mix of tones

The bill deliberately mixed styles: OG Lu’s streetwise rap sat next to Mariybus’s techno‑leaning set and Blond’s indie pop, while Herbert Grönemeyer’s ballads landed like warm blankets between sharper edges. Each artist played two songs, so the evening moved briskly and kept the emotional tempo unpredictable.

Trend note: benefit gigs are increasingly genre‑fluid, mirroring how contemporary protest culture borrows from many musical languages. If you hate monotony, this format’s for you; if you wanted a straight pop night, you might be surprised.

Practical insight: when checking line‑ups for solidarity gigs, expect short sets , show up early to catch favourites and hang back to hear speeches between acts.

When fury met humour , drag, speeches and outright calls to action

Opening with Barbie Breakout, the programme blended comedy and confrontation. The drag performers didn’t just entertain; they named the attack, named the anger and trained it on policy and prejudice. A recurring theme was frustration with the government , chants and ad‑libs took aim at leadership, and artists rewrote lyrics mid‑song to make their point.

Context: organisers also invited local advocacy groups on stage to explain how concert proceeds would be used, so the event tied immediate emotion to concrete support. The energy swung between cathartic laughter and raw rage.

Practical tip: in politically charged gigs, expect chants and direct messages; if you’re attending with children, prepare for a louder, more confrontational atmosphere than a typical mainstream show.

Solidarity that stretched beyond queer issues

Speakers and performers broadened the evening’s lens. Rappers referenced the NSU murders, and artist statements connected queer rights with international struggles, including Kurdish and Palestinian solidarity. The message was clear: queer safety is linked to broader fights against racism and state neglect.

Reaction: the crowd responded in kind, offering unified choruses and cheers , this wasn’t a narrow identity event but a crossroads where movements met. It’s a reminder that modern solidarity often requires coalition politics rather than single‑issue campaigns.

Practical insight: if you support intersectional causes, these concerts are useful spaces to meet like‑minded people and discover grassroots groups to donate time or money to.

Grönemeyer, twerking and the night’s quieter moment

Herbert Grönemeyer provided a peak moment: a mixture of earnest speech and unexpected physical comedy as he sang and danced with unguarded joy. Ikkimel and Baran Kok matched him for enthusiasm , and twerking , and the hall responded with its loudest approval. The finale came when Baran Kok shared his coming‑out story and urged the crowd and the industry for “more attitude” in defence of queer freedom.

Outlook: such nights make headlines, but they’re also practice runs for longer campaigns. Artists asking for accountability and visibility can push cultural institutions to respond, and this event felt like one step in a broader cultural push.

Practical tip: if you take inspiration from the night, consider supporting small queer orgs directly , the ticket money here was routed to CSD organisers from rural areas, where support is often scarcer.

It's a small change that can make every stage and street safer.

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