C2C Berlin Guide
Next week we will be making our annual early morning commute to Heathrow Terminal 5 powered once again by a considerable amount of caffeine before boarding a plane (via a cheeky trip to JD Wetherspoon) to Berlin Brandenburg Airport for 4 nights in the German capital and our first weekend of this year's C2C: Country to Country festival.
This will be my third trip to the festival overseas and Ian's fourth so we wanted to give you a few tips and tricks that we have picked up along the way to hopefully make your festival experience as fulfilling as possible.
Arrival in Germany
If you are international visitors like we are, the journey through the airport in Germany may take a little longer than previous trips to the EU due to the initial implementation of the Entry-Exit System (EES) meaning that you may need to register your biometric details such as your fingerprints and a photograph at a booth before proceeding to the immigration desk. You do not need to register for this system prior to travelling and there is no charge to be levied. This process may take a little time and then the usual immigration queues can also require a bit of a wait where we expect our passports will still need to be stamped at the moment on both entry and exit from the Schengen area.
Journey to Uber Platz
Bar the Thursday night Bluebird Cafe show and more about that in a little while, everything takes place in the Uber Platz which is a plaza next to the River Spree and what remains of the Berlin Wall to the east of the city. The plaza has a number of hotels and a shopping centre adjacent to it, so there is a good chance that your hotel will be in this area. The easiest way to get to the plaza is by train and taking the S9 service (destined for S Spandau Bhf) from the airport to Warschauer Staße which takes around 35-40 minutes. Our best tip regarding the train ticket is using one of the machines at the top of the stairs before going down to the platform and changing the language to English (unless your German is up to scratch) then selecting a single ticket covering zones AB&C which costs €5. Head down to the platform with your ticket and unlike in London there are no barriers as the network operates on an honesty system but prior to boarding the train you need to put your ticket into a little red box on the platform to get a time stamp as there are staff that regularly come and check tickets on trains where being a tourist not knowing what to do won't prevent you from getting a fine. Board the train and ride it to Warschauer Staße and leave where again there are no barriers then it is just a short walk along the side of the shopping centre into the plaza.
Bluebird Cafe show on Thursday night
The weekend, similar to in London, starts off with a songwriters show which in Berlin is hosted by the Bluebird Cafe where Jackson Dean, Liam St John, Mae Estes and Tyler Braden will be performing. This is the only part of the festival which does not take place within the confounds of Uber Platz as it happens at the stunning Passionskirche in a different part of the city. The church is one of the most incredible places I have ever been for live music but it is a church so it is predominantly seated on a first come, first served basis as seats are not allocated. The church has a well-stocked bar where prices are very reasonable BUT it is cash only so at least one of your group will need some paper money for the night although it is the only place during the festival where you will NEED euros as everywhere else during the event takes card or is card only. The show has tended to start fairly promptly at 7pm and runs for around 2 hours so it is not too late a finish if you want to try and grab some drinks elsewhere after. This event requires a separate ticket and there may be a couple of last-minute tickets left but it is very popular and worth the admission price as it has always been a great evening. You can access the venue from Uber Platz using public transport which involves a change of trains and a journey taking around 30 minutes but we have always just jumped in an Uber as it is around 6km away and works out cheaper if there is a group of you. However, a lesson that we learned last year was getting a taxi from the plaza between 5 and 7pm involved quite a wait for one to pick us up so make sure you give yourself some time and don't leave it until 6:30 as you may end up being late but there are a couple of bars/restaurants around a 10 minute walk from the church if you do get there early and want to grab a drink beforehand.
Tickets and wristbands
Unlike in London, your evening ticket does not grant you entry to the daytime stages and apart from the stage in the Town Square (which is open to the public) you need to have purchased a separate daytime stages wristband or have a ticket covering it. If you need to collect your tickets and/or wristband you collect them from the Uber Eats Music Hall box office (on the right-hand side of the plaza if you look at the map from above) between 9am and 9pm on Friday and Saturday or 9am and 8pm on Sunday.
This will be my third trip to the festival overseas and Ian's fourth so we wanted to give you a few tips and tricks that we have picked up along the way to hopefully make your festival experience as fulfilling as possible.
Arrival in Germany
If you are international visitors like we are, the journey through the airport in Germany may take a little longer than previous trips to the EU due to the initial implementation of the Entry-Exit System (EES) meaning that you may need to register your biometric details such as your fingerprints and a photograph at a booth before proceeding to the immigration desk. You do not need to register for this system prior to travelling and there is no charge to be levied. This process may take a little time and then the usual immigration queues can also require a bit of a wait where we expect our passports will still need to be stamped at the moment on both entry and exit from the Schengen area.
Journey to Uber Platz
Bar the Thursday night Bluebird Cafe show and more about that in a little while, everything takes place in the Uber Platz which is a plaza next to the River Spree and what remains of the Berlin Wall to the east of the city. The plaza has a number of hotels and a shopping centre adjacent to it, so there is a good chance that your hotel will be in this area. The easiest way to get to the plaza is by train and taking the S9 service (destined for S Spandau Bhf) from the airport to Warschauer Staße which takes around 35-40 minutes. Our best tip regarding the train ticket is using one of the machines at the top of the stairs before going down to the platform and changing the language to English (unless your German is up to scratch) then selecting a single ticket covering zones AB&C which costs €5. Head down to the platform with your ticket and unlike in London there are no barriers as the network operates on an honesty system but prior to boarding the train you need to put your ticket into a little red box on the platform to get a time stamp as there are staff that regularly come and check tickets on trains where being a tourist not knowing what to do won't prevent you from getting a fine. Board the train and ride it to Warschauer Staße and leave where again there are no barriers then it is just a short walk along the side of the shopping centre into the plaza.
Bluebird Cafe show on Thursday night
The weekend, similar to in London, starts off with a songwriters show which in Berlin is hosted by the Bluebird Cafe where Jackson Dean, Liam St John, Mae Estes and Tyler Braden will be performing. This is the only part of the festival which does not take place within the confounds of Uber Platz as it happens at the stunning Passionskirche in a different part of the city. The church is one of the most incredible places I have ever been for live music but it is a church so it is predominantly seated on a first come, first served basis as seats are not allocated. The church has a well-stocked bar where prices are very reasonable BUT it is cash only so at least one of your group will need some paper money for the night although it is the only place during the festival where you will NEED euros as everywhere else during the event takes card or is card only. The show has tended to start fairly promptly at 7pm and runs for around 2 hours so it is not too late a finish if you want to try and grab some drinks elsewhere after. This event requires a separate ticket and there may be a couple of last-minute tickets left but it is very popular and worth the admission price as it has always been a great evening. You can access the venue from Uber Platz using public transport which involves a change of trains and a journey taking around 30 minutes but we have always just jumped in an Uber as it is around 6km away and works out cheaper if there is a group of you. However, a lesson that we learned last year was getting a taxi from the plaza between 5 and 7pm involved quite a wait for one to pick us up so make sure you give yourself some time and don't leave it until 6:30 as you may end up being late but there are a couple of bars/restaurants around a 10 minute walk from the church if you do get there early and want to grab a drink beforehand.
Tickets and wristbands
Unlike in London, your evening ticket does not grant you entry to the daytime stages and apart from the stage in the Town Square (which is open to the public) you need to have purchased a separate daytime stages wristband or have a ticket covering it. If you need to collect your tickets and/or wristband you collect them from the Uber Eats Music Hall box office (on the right-hand side of the plaza if you look at the map from above) between 9am and 9pm on Friday and Saturday or 9am and 8pm on Sunday.
Daytime stages
The programme operates daily between 10:35am and 4:25pm across 9 stages which are all within the plaza and no more than a minute or two walk between any of them. The majority of sets are 30 minutes long with a 15-minute changeover between them which gives you ample time to move between venues. The stages in Berlin are a little different to London and the settings are very varied.
Firstly, there is the Town Square Stage which is outside in the middle of the plaza and like in London there are bars, merch, meet & greets and market traders in this area where this is the only non-ticketed stage at the festival.
Then there is the Sound of Nashville Stage which takes place in a cinema theatre where there are 2 daily hour-long songwriters rounds and a half hour solo set to start the day.
The Pindeck Stage is a cool spot and is located in a nicely sized side room with the bowling alley (that we would probably associate as a room for children's parties) which is accessible on the left side of the plaza through the same entrance to the Sound of Nashville stage.
The Holler Stage & Rooftop Stage are both rooftop bars on opposite sides at the front of the plaza accessible by a lift and both of these stages are highly popular so there is often a wait to get into them as they quickly end up having a line outside that becomes one in and one out so similar to the Indigo in London, you often find these are stages where people remain for the majority of the day and you may struggle to get in later on or for some of the bigger artist sets.
Our favourite stage has been the Star FM Stage in the REDO XXL restaurant which in addition to incredible food and beer being available in 5litre towers, always provides a really nice and chilled vibe with a highly engaged audience with plenty of seating along really good sound and viewing. The other restaurant stage is the Alex Stage which is the latest starting stage at the festival and always seems one of the busiest venues where unless you are in for the day is not always the easiest to get a drink if you are just there to see one artist but the food in here is highly recommended even if it is not the best viewing stage in my opinion. However, this is also where the after parties are held where the vibe and atmosphere are a much better fit.
This year we will also see the addition of the Whiskey Barrel Stage in The Irish Pub Berlin and we are very excited to check this out in addition to the VIA Broadway Stage in L'Osteria which is one of the other restaurants on the square.
The programme operates daily between 10:35am and 4:25pm across 9 stages which are all within the plaza and no more than a minute or two walk between any of them. The majority of sets are 30 minutes long with a 15-minute changeover between them which gives you ample time to move between venues. The stages in Berlin are a little different to London and the settings are very varied.
Firstly, there is the Town Square Stage which is outside in the middle of the plaza and like in London there are bars, merch, meet & greets and market traders in this area where this is the only non-ticketed stage at the festival.
Then there is the Sound of Nashville Stage which takes place in a cinema theatre where there are 2 daily hour-long songwriters rounds and a half hour solo set to start the day.
The Pindeck Stage is a cool spot and is located in a nicely sized side room with the bowling alley (that we would probably associate as a room for children's parties) which is accessible on the left side of the plaza through the same entrance to the Sound of Nashville stage.
The Holler Stage & Rooftop Stage are both rooftop bars on opposite sides at the front of the plaza accessible by a lift and both of these stages are highly popular so there is often a wait to get into them as they quickly end up having a line outside that becomes one in and one out so similar to the Indigo in London, you often find these are stages where people remain for the majority of the day and you may struggle to get in later on or for some of the bigger artist sets.
Our favourite stage has been the Star FM Stage in the REDO XXL restaurant which in addition to incredible food and beer being available in 5litre towers, always provides a really nice and chilled vibe with a highly engaged audience with plenty of seating along really good sound and viewing. The other restaurant stage is the Alex Stage which is the latest starting stage at the festival and always seems one of the busiest venues where unless you are in for the day is not always the easiest to get a drink if you are just there to see one artist but the food in here is highly recommended even if it is not the best viewing stage in my opinion. However, this is also where the after parties are held where the vibe and atmosphere are a much better fit.
This year we will also see the addition of the Whiskey Barrel Stage in The Irish Pub Berlin and we are very excited to check this out in addition to the VIA Broadway Stage in L'Osteria which is one of the other restaurants on the square.
Main Stage/Spotlight Stage - evenings
The real party happens in the Uber Eats Music Hall on the right-hand side of the plaza with a capacity 4500 people with a large open flat standing space that reminds me of the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith in terms of size and seating upstairs. You enter off the plaza, have you tickets scanned and then the usual security checks then head upstairs to a long concourse with plenty of toilets and your usual array of venue food options, then there is also a vast terrace/smoking area overlooking the plaza which is perfect to watch the last act on the Town Square Stage from with a beer if you are in there earlier. The venue room has a bar on both sides which are card only and they also take a cup deposit (which is refundable) the first time you get a drink so it is worth remembering this each time you go to the bar so try to finish your pint first. As you face the stage, the bar on the right-hand side is behind the Spotlight Stage which is a lot closer to the Main Stage than where it is situated in London at the O2 so it is a lot easier to be able to see what is happening on here as this stage happens during the main stage changeovers. The show starts at 4:50pm each day and runs slightly later than we are permitted in the UK so is scheduled to end at 11:35pm on all 3 nights.
Other
Everything is much closer together than things are in London and there are a number of food options in the plaza, the arena and the adjacent shopping centre so eating is much easier to factor in and there is plenty to choose from. On the outside of the shopping centre are two places we visit very regularly: a Starbucks and a McDonalds which are very helpful for each morning and grabbing breakfast, even though like the rest of mainland Europe there are no much-needed hash browns available to accompany your breakfast main.
We have found that people in Berlin speak very good English, have a very good sense of humour and like us are very passionate about country music. One thing we have noticed is that German fans are a lot more respectful of artists playing and also very considerate of the people around them and their personal space which is very refreshing but also something to be mindful of particularly after a few drinks as they don't tend to barge their way through like you often see at gigs back at home.
Like a lot of countries in Europe, restaurants typically do table service rather than you going up to the bar like we do at home so during the daytime stages in restaurants or if you are out and about you don't really go up to the bar and ask for 4 beers expecting to get them there and them however you can find places that do.
This year once again has an incredible lineup and we cannot wait to be back in Berlin where we hope this has provided you with a little more information to help you take more from the weekend in Germany.
C2C: Country to Country will take place in Berlin over the weekend of March 6th to March 8th where you can further details on the festival WEBSITE or on INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK.
The real party happens in the Uber Eats Music Hall on the right-hand side of the plaza with a capacity 4500 people with a large open flat standing space that reminds me of the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith in terms of size and seating upstairs. You enter off the plaza, have you tickets scanned and then the usual security checks then head upstairs to a long concourse with plenty of toilets and your usual array of venue food options, then there is also a vast terrace/smoking area overlooking the plaza which is perfect to watch the last act on the Town Square Stage from with a beer if you are in there earlier. The venue room has a bar on both sides which are card only and they also take a cup deposit (which is refundable) the first time you get a drink so it is worth remembering this each time you go to the bar so try to finish your pint first. As you face the stage, the bar on the right-hand side is behind the Spotlight Stage which is a lot closer to the Main Stage than where it is situated in London at the O2 so it is a lot easier to be able to see what is happening on here as this stage happens during the main stage changeovers. The show starts at 4:50pm each day and runs slightly later than we are permitted in the UK so is scheduled to end at 11:35pm on all 3 nights.
Other
Everything is much closer together than things are in London and there are a number of food options in the plaza, the arena and the adjacent shopping centre so eating is much easier to factor in and there is plenty to choose from. On the outside of the shopping centre are two places we visit very regularly: a Starbucks and a McDonalds which are very helpful for each morning and grabbing breakfast, even though like the rest of mainland Europe there are no much-needed hash browns available to accompany your breakfast main.
We have found that people in Berlin speak very good English, have a very good sense of humour and like us are very passionate about country music. One thing we have noticed is that German fans are a lot more respectful of artists playing and also very considerate of the people around them and their personal space which is very refreshing but also something to be mindful of particularly after a few drinks as they don't tend to barge their way through like you often see at gigs back at home.
Like a lot of countries in Europe, restaurants typically do table service rather than you going up to the bar like we do at home so during the daytime stages in restaurants or if you are out and about you don't really go up to the bar and ask for 4 beers expecting to get them there and them however you can find places that do.
This year once again has an incredible lineup and we cannot wait to be back in Berlin where we hope this has provided you with a little more information to help you take more from the weekend in Germany.
C2C: Country to Country will take place in Berlin over the weekend of March 6th to March 8th where you can further details on the festival WEBSITE or on INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK.
