#490: Public transport, May Day, Olympics in Berlin?

We're having a party!

May 05, 2026

Dear 20% Berlin

We’re turning 500 in early June but we’ll be celebrating our 495th issue in style on May 22 at the cozy Geist im Glas in Neukölln.

We’ll start with a live recording of our podcast at 7pm followed by just a great party.

It’s free to attend. But there’s just space for 100, so RSVP right now!

Two days before the party, I’ll be hosting the last 20% Berlin News Quiz before the summer break! It costs a piddling €4 — score your tickets here!

Maurice

🎙️Episode #33 of The 20% Berlin Podcast is out (sponsored by Inner Circle and apologies for the errant e-mail to some of our subscribers Monday)!

And big thank you to today’s newsletter sponsor, Feather Insurance. More from them below!

Beh vau meh?

Last week we reported that BVG had boosted its punctuality rate to 98.6% up from 94% in 2025. Despite that improvement, according to a new survey from infratest dimap, just 47% of Berliners are satisfied with public transport in the city; 46% are dissatisfied. Attitudes change depending on your political affiliation: 69% of Green voters are satisfied with public transport; just 31% of AfD supporters are satisfied. Other fun facts: for 54% of Berliners, trains, buses and trams are their main way of getting around. 30% drive or ride a motorcycle, while 13% use a bike as their main mode of transport. A majority answered that they hadn’t noticed much difference between the Kai Wegner government’s transport policy and the previous ones.

May Day cray-cray

First of May passed relatively peacefully. Very little fighting between demonstrators and police was reported — around 11pm, there were scuffles between cops and some folks at the Revolutionary May 1 Demo. 15 officers suffered light injuries. BSR picked up 350m³ of trash — much more than last year. Leftwing party Die Linke held a party at Mariannenplatz featuring the insanely popular rapper from Tempelhof Ikkemel. The show became so big that it ended up blocking the protest march. Of course, certain lefties accused Die Linke of turning their sacred May Day into another street party because there’s nothing lefties love more than infighting!

Olympics, schlympics

Berlin presents its pitch to host the Summer Olympics in 2036, 2040 or 2044 today. One thing that stands out: The city government wants to do the opening ceremony on Tempelhofer Feld. Which means they’ve already lost the support of Kreuzbergers, Neuköllners and Tempelhofers. In September the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) decides which German city or region will submit a bid internationally. Apart from Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and the Rhine-Ruhr region are working on bids. Don’t worry, Berlin’s not going to win, folks. That’s my prediction, at least. Die Linke, who are almost certain to play an important role in the city government after the September election, are opposed. They’re even supporting the “NOlympia” anti-Games referendum campaign. I predict the DOSB will want to keep the Olympics away from the rowdy, dirty, grinchy, poor capital and therefore won’t chose us to represent Germany.

Winged wurst

Since May 1, airline Eurowings has been selling currywurst on its European flights for €8.90. The classic Berlin street food dish is made according to a fancy recipe developed by Michelin chef and ex-Kreuzberg gangster Tim Raue. Personally I find currywurst stomach-churning but if anyone knows how to cook one, it’s him. The celebrity chef recently took over the restaurant in the TV Tower.

Events this week, curated by The Next Day Berlin

🍑 Peaches
Tue-Wed, 05–06.05, 8 pm. Astra Kulturhaus, Revaler Str. 99, Friedrichshain. €46.
Thirty years making work that refuses to separate politics from the body. Loud, confrontational, funny. 🎧 No Lube So Rude

🪩 ULTRABOOTH Pt. 1 & 2
7 - 11:30 pm · Thu 07.05 · €16 / Fri 08.05 · €18 · Panke, Gerichtstr. 23, Wedding
Two nights, two different logics. Thursday: Robert Henke performs new Monolake material live. Friday: Errorsmith plays breakcore and dubstep, Homāyun gives his first live show, ltfll from Alexandria fuses sub-bass with Arabic syncopated percussion.

📷 Opening Party: Anton Corbijn
Friday · 7 pm · Fotografiska · Oranienburger Str. 54 · €39
The opening of Corbijn’s retrospective, with an artist talk and live sets from Anika, Drangsal, Isolation Berlin and Sally Dige. DJ Hell and Daisy Weweh on the decks at Bar Veronika dancefloor.

♀️ Misogyny Symposium
Saturday · 2–9 pm · n.b.k., Chaussestraße 128–129 · Free · No registration needed · EN
Full-day symposium on misogynistic backlash in the art world: anti-feminist representation, the female body as projection surface, feminist strategies under changing conditions. Speakers include Tala Madani, Lucy McKenzie, Nicole Wermers and Alison M. Gingeras.

🎤 Silvana Estrada
Sunday, 8 pm · Heimathafen Neukölln · €38
Mexican singer on Nonesuch. Folk, jazz, a voice that doesn't rush anywhere. 🎧 Tiny Desk Concert

🍺 🥨 Germany-wide news 🥨 🍺

😢 Two killed and many injured after car driven into crowd in German city of Leipzig

📆 Germany’s Merz marks a year in office facing deep transatlantic crisis

🖥️ Nazi database takes Germans on personal journey into their families’ dark pasts

⏰ Can Merz reform Germany?

Factoid

E-scooter accidents are on the rise. The Berlin police registered 1,400 accidents in 2025, 27% more than in 2024. Half of the victims are 25 or younger. According to one study, half of e-scooter accidents do not involve a collision with another vehicle or person. Alcohol is a factor — as are the scooters’ small wheels that can get caught on obstacles. In mid-April, a 14-year-old girl was killed while riding a scooter with a friend. She rode across a red pedestrian light and was hit by a driver who’d been drinking. Be careful out there!

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