Berlin Folk Festival was born from three passionate founders: Dan Oz, Marie Sauerbrei, and later Kathrin Adams, who wanted to bring Woodstock-inspired gatherings and music back to the heart of Berlin. What started as a shared dream slowly grew into reality: a longing for the sense of community and openness that legendary festivals like Woodstock once created. “After the challenging years everyone has faced recently, it felt more important than ever to revive that optimistic, playful energy, with a touch of Beatles-esque nostalgia.”, the team shares. 
From early conversations about colors, folk vibes, psychedelic sounds, vintage fashion, and LPs, the festival gradually took shape. It was a bold, risky idea, but the team followed their gut, and the result is something they truly believe in and that we’re proud to support.
When it came to choosing a partner, they were looking for an organization that genuinely shares their belief in the power of music and art to empower people and foster community. For them, Hejmo felt like a natural fit.Through our work with Berlin’s creative scene, especially via the Open Music School and Open Music Lab, they felt our values and approach strongly aligned with theirs.
The team hopes that the Berlin Folk Festival fills a unique space in the city’s music scene. “Berlin is incredibly diverse, but its music often leans toward the heavier, darker side. We felt there was something missing: a space for lighter tones, psychedelic sounds, vintage aesthetics, and a more joyful mindset. The scene exists, but spaces to explore it are rare and often small-scale - Berlin Folk Festival aims to fill that gap.”
Beyond nostalgia, the vision is to revive the spirit of the late ’60s, as something lived and shared. Through collective moments in sound and spontaneous creative exchange, the festival creates an open space where music, art, and community naturally intersect, including collaborative drawing and painting stations that invite everyone to take part.
We are incredibly grateful for their support and for the community that surrounds them. Together, we’re celebrating how creativity can bring people together, make spaces more joyful, and foster connection.
You can get your tickets here to join the festival (and support us!) here.