For 29–31 January 2027, Berlin offers an unusually neat overlap: Dark Matter’s KOLLEKTION and WINTERLIGHTS, the last weekend of CTM, and transmediale’s festival and exhibition. Light, sound and technology are the thread; the three events do very different things with them.
What are Dark Matter, CTM and transmediale?
Dark Matter is a light and media art museum in a former industrial site in Lichtenberg, east Berlin, where the artist Christopher Bauder shows a permanent exhibition of seven installations, KOLLEKTION, alongside seasonal works such as WINTERLIGHTS. CTM calls itself a festival for adventurous music and art: concerts, club nights and performances across Berlin in late January. transmediale is a festival and exhibition about art, technology and how people live with both. All three sell tickets to the public, so a curious visitor can do the lot without a trade badge.
Why is this weekend a big deal?
Because two long-running festivals line up with a museum that's open all year. CTM grew out of Berlin's DIY and club scenes in 1999 and counted 16,000 festival visitors and 15,000 exhibition visitors in 2026, with more than 230 participants from 40 countries; transmediale reaches its 40th-anniversary edition in 2027. The festivals are the lesser-known half in the UK: "dark matter berlin" is searched about 1,000 times a month, against 140 for "ctm festival" and 70 for "transmediale" (Google Keyword Planner, October 2026).
Why should you care about the dates?
Because the overlap is short. CTM runs 22–31 January and transmediale 27–31 January, so Friday 29 to Sunday 31 January is the one full weekend with both, and the festivals sell separate and joint passes with exclusions, which makes the cheapest plan depend on how many events you'll actually see. If the club side is what draws you, my UK electronic festivals guide covers the home-grown alternatives.
The short answer: make Dark Matter's KOLLEKTION and WINTERLIGHTS the Saturday evening anchor, choose one CTM performance for Friday night, give transmediale a daytime block, and stay around Warschauer Straße or the eastern Spree.
Why Dark Matter earns the trip
Dark Matter isn't a projection show you can glance at on the way to dinner. Christopher Bauder's permanent KOLLEKTION moves through seven chapters inside a former factory. LIQUID SKY uses hundreds of light points and mirrors; INVERSE suspends moving black spheres; POLYGON PLAYGROUND responds to your movement. Those differences are why I'd allow at least 90 minutes instead of treating the place as a photo stop. Explore the works and suggested visit length.
Image source and credit. This 2026 image shows the TRANSFORMATOR hall during FOREST SEASONS; the seven-room KOLLEKTION is a separate permanent exhibition.
Esra in Motion's 2025 walk-through covers KOLLEKTION and that year's WINTERLIGHTS in one tour. It's a useful way to judge whether you want both parts of the venue before buying a combo ticket.
Which Dark Matter ticket would I choose?
WINTERLIGHTS runs 4 November 2026–14 February 2027, with a separate installation in the TRANSFORMATOR hall. The official ticket information offers KOLLEKTION alone, WINTERLIGHTS alone and a combination ticket. I'd choose the combo if this is the centre of the weekend: you visit KOLLEKTION first, then WINTERLIGHTS. The venue allows two hours for both. If you're short of time, buy only the room or installation you actually want to see. A timed slot booked online is the safe route; on-site tickets aren't guaranteed. Ice-rink admission and skate rental have separate rules, so read those before promising anyone a skating night.
The Dark Matter ticket I'd check
KOLLEKTION + WINTERLIGHTS combination ticket
For a visit to both the permanent seven-room KOLLEKTION and the seasonal WINTERLIGHTS installation. Begin at KOLLEKTION and allow about two hours. The image shows FOREST SEASONS (2026) in the same hall, not the upcoming WINTERLIGHTS installation.
- Includes
- KOLLEKTION and WINTERLIGHTS
- Best for
- A full Dark Matter visit
- Booking
- Timed online entry; start at KOLLEKTION
Dark Matter BerlinCheck price
Dark Matter sits at Köpenicker Chaussee 46, away from the central museum circuit. The route from your hotel is worth working out before choosing a slot, especially with a CTM performance later that night. Opening hours, access and tickets are on the venue's visitor page.
CTM has an actual 2027 bill now
CTM's 2027 theme is Process…ing, and its first announcement already gives this weekend some shape. On Friday 29 January, the programme names Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith; Saturday 30 January includes Marina Herlop and Dumama; Sunday closes with the Resynthesising the Traditional finale and other events. I'd start with the dated CTM programme, choose one performance that genuinely interests me, then build the rest of the day around its venue and start time. A festival pass makes sense for several CTM events; one show calls for an individual ticket where offered.
2027 artwork source. This is the current festival graphic, not a photo of a specific performance; check the listing for the venue and format of your chosen event.
For a feel for CTM beyond a poster, the organiser's recap looks back at the 2026 Resynthesising the Traditional lab. The programme returns for a 2027 finale.
If the Friday bill catches your eye, start with Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith's own video for Into Your Eyes. The 2025 release lets you hear her work before choosing a CTM ticket.
Marina Herlop's recorded set at Listen Festival 2024 gives you a longer listen before considering her Saturday CTM appearance.
transmediale gives the weekend an argument
transmediale's 40th-anniversary edition separates a festival, groundstates, at silent green Kulturquartier from an exhibition, fragile currents, at Akademie der Künste on Hanseatenweg. The festival is about communities building their own technological spaces and languages; the exhibition looks at fragile infrastructure and the ways people organise when it fails. If music is the point of your trip, take one exhibition block. If those questions are the draw, give the festival most of Saturday and let CTM be the evening. The 2027 programme explains both strands.
2027 artwork source. This is the current festival graphic, not an installation view or a preview of fragile currents.
transmediale's 2026 documentation and audio recordings give you a taste of its discussions and installations. The 2027 programme takes up a different theme and lineup.
Would I buy a joint pass?
Only if I wanted several events at both festivals. The CTM and transmediale Connect Pass covers much of each programme but excludes some named performances and workshops. transmediale also offers its own festival pass, while some openings are free. If my plan is one CTM show plus one exhibition visit, I'd check individual admissions before paying for a joint pass. The exceptions and venue capacity terms are worth reading before you book.
Choose the pass for your actual plan
Compare side by side. Scroll across to see every option.
| What matters |  transmediale 2027 Festival Pass |  CTM + transmediale 2027 Connect Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Who it suits | For several transmediale events across the final festival weekend. Some tours, workshops and selected evening events need separate admission. The photo shows a 2024 exhibition. | For multiple events at both festivals. Named performances and workshops are excluded; compare its access rules with the events you want. The photo shows CTM in 2023. |
| Dates | 29–31 January 2027 pass period | CTM and transmediale 2027 festival period |
| Includes | transmediale festival and exhibition access, with exceptions | Most CTM and transmediale programme events |
| Best for | Several festival events and exhibition time | Several events across both festivals |
| Check | Capacity and separately ticketed events | Exclusions, timed entry and capacity |
| Price & retailer | Check current pricetransmedialeView product | Check current pricetransmedialeView product |
Check the exact model, availability and delivery at the retailer. Prices are shown for seven days after a check.
A Friday-to-Sunday route that leaves room to breathe
Friday 29 January: arrive, eat near the hotel and head to one CTM performance. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is among the announced Friday names; use the final event listing for the ticket and venue.
Saturday 30 January: take a transmediale block at silent green or the fragile currents exhibition at Akademie der Künste. After a real break, a late-afternoon or evening Dark Matter slot covers KOLLEKTION and WINTERLIGHTS. If the timing makes a second CTM event comfortable, add it. I wouldn't try to force one.
Sunday 31 January: pick up what you missed, or walk the East Side Gallery before travelling home. If your only useful Dark Matter slot is Sunday, swap it with Saturday. One major destination per half-day is enough in a city this spread out.
Photo source and licence. Resized from the original. It's an easy outdoor addition, not a reason to race through a ticketed exhibition.
Where to stay for a Berlin art weekend
Two characterful bases with straightforward public-transport access to the south-east Berlin art circuit. Rates and event-night inventory stay live.
2 stays picked for this weekend · Compare the location, character and journey back
- Independent
Michelberger Hotel
Warschauer Straße 39–40, 10243 Berlin
A lively Warschauer Straße base for a weekend built around contemporary culture and late nights.
Walking route to Dark Matter - nhow
nhow Berlin
Stralauer Allee 3, 10245 Berlin
A music-and-design hotel on the Spree, useful if the hotel should feel part of the weekend.
Walking route to Dark Matter
Book in this order
First choose the CTM performance you care about and check its exact venue, format and ticket. Next secure the Dark Matter slot that lets you see both exhibitions if that's your plan. Then choose your transmediale admission and hotel. The festivals' joint and separate pass rules are detailed enough that I'd compare them against my actual three-day route before buying.
If you're weighing Berlin against other trips, the European event city-break guide puts the dates together. For light art in another season, see Amsterdam Light Festival or Lux Helsinki.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best Berlin art weekend in 2027?
Friday 29 to Sunday 31 January gives you CTM's final weekend, transmediale's festival and exhibition, and Dark Matter's KOLLEKTION plus WINTERLIGHTS. The wider overlap starts on 28 January.
Is Dark Matter Berlin a club night?
No. KOLLEKTION is a permanent audiovisual exhibition and WINTERLIGHTS is a separate seasonal installation. CTM has concerts, performances and club events, so check each event's format and venue before buying.
Is the CTM and transmediale Connect Pass worth it?
It can be if you're attending several events at both festivals. It has exclusions, including some named performances and workshops. For one CTM performance and one transmediale visit, check individual tickets first.
How long should I allow for Dark Matter?
At least 90 minutes for KOLLEKTION. The venue advises allowing two hours if you're combining it with WINTERLIGHTS, and says to visit KOLLEKTION first.
Where should I stay for this Berlin weekend?
Warschauer Straße and the eastern Spree work well for a route with Dark Matter and a late CTM event. Michelberger is a characterful independent base; nhow Berlin suits travellers who want a music-and-design hotel. The return journey from your chosen CTM venue is the thing to work out before booking either.
