Berliner Philharmoniker: How to Get Tickets

The Berliner Philharmoniker are regularly voted the best orchestra in the world — the Gramophone survey and similar polls among conductors and music critics have reached the same conclusion for decades. This creates a practical problem: tickets are hard to come by. But not impossible.

The Building: Architecture as a Statement

Before getting into tickets, the venue itself deserves a closer look. Hans Scharoun designed the Philharmonie, which opened in 1963 at Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße 1, around a principle that was radical at the time: the music comes from the centre, not the front. The stage sits in the middle, with the audience seating surrounding the orchestra in terraced rings at different heights — the so-called Weinberg principle. No seat is more than 30 metres from the conductor.

The result is a sound that feels different from a traditional concert hall. The acoustics come from all directions, and the separation between audience and stage dissolves. Scharoun did not build it this way by accident — he wanted a democratic concert hall where nobody has a bad seat. The foyer is freely accessible to visitors even without a concert ticket. Those looking for guided tours will find free architecture tours listed on the website.

Online Tickets: Book Early or Miss Out

The Berliner Philharmoniker season is announced every year in spring, typically in April. Anyone hoping to attend a specific concert — particularly programmes featuring well-known soloists or popular works — should mark that date in their calendar. Popular concerts sell out within minutes; that is not an exaggeration.

Tickets are available at berliner-philharmoniker.de. Prices start at around €35 depending on category and programme, rising to €160 for the best seats. Those with flexibility who have no particular concert in mind will still find availability during the ongoing season — just not for the sold-out highlights.

Box Office on the Night: The Honest Approach

The box office opens one hour before the concert begins and sells returned or uncollected tickets. The price is the same as online, and cash is preferred. Anyone wanting to be sure of a ticket should queue 90 minutes before the start — the line forms early, especially for well-known programmes.

This method works. It is uncomfortable because there are no guarantees, but many people queue this way regularly. On an ordinary Tuesday evening with a less prominent programme, there might be ten people in line. For a Brahms symphony with an international star conductor, there could be fifty. You quickly learn which evenings are realistic.

Choir Seats: The Insider Tip Worth Taking Seriously

The Chorsitze are the seats behind the orchestra, on the side directly opposite the conductor. You see the stage from behind, look into the faces of the musicians, and watch the conductor from the back. The sightlines are limited — the acoustics are not. Some regulars maintain this is the best acoustic position in the entire hall.

Choir seats cost between €15 and €25 and are often still available long after the regular categories have sold out. For first-time visitors who want to experience the orchestra without planning months in advance, they are the most reliable option.

Digital Concert Hall: Being There from Home

The Digital Concert Hall at berlinphil.com/dch streams concerts live in HD and provides an extensive archive of past performances. A monthly subscription costs €7.90, a single concert around €14.90, and there is a free 7-day trial period.

This is not a substitute for an evening in the hall. But it is a worthwhile option for the day before a concert — to familiarise yourself with a programme, hear a conductor for the first time, or simply experience the orchestra when no tickets were available. The recording quality is exceptional.

Chamber Music: Smaller, More Accessible

In the Kammermusiksaal next door, members of the Philharmoniker perform in smaller ensembles. The intimacy is of a different character, tickets are easier to obtain and start at around €12. Those who have never heard a string quartet live, or who have previously considered chamber music less spectacular than orchestral concerts, often discover the opposite here.

Anyone planning a Berlin stay around a Philharmoniker evening should book accommodation early — just as they would the ticket. BevoFlats has apartments in central locations from which the Philharmonie is reachable by public transport in just a few minutes.