Berlin Theater Hosts Overnight Stay to Protest Cultural Budget Cuts

A couple spent the night on the Berliner Ensemble stage as part of a creative protest against significant funding reductions for Berlin's cultural sector.

Stefanie and Christoph Siegmann paid €1,500 to spend the night on the Berliner Ensemble stage, an auctioned experience aimed at drawing attention to cultural budget cuts.
The Berliner Ensemble faces a €1 million reduction in 2025, part of €130 million in cuts to Berlin's cultural funding, representing nearly 12% of the sector's budget.
The overnight package included a theater performance, a goodnight poem, and breakfast with theater director Oliver Reese, who described the event as a mix of performance and political statement.
Reese emphasized that Berlin's cultural institutions are disproportionately affected by the city's €3 billion overall budget reductions, despite already operating at high efficiency levels.
The Siegmanns, longtime theater enthusiasts, expressed their shock at the funding cuts, highlighting the importance of culture to Berlin's identity and community.