Pop-Kultur Festival to addresses streaming exploitation and gender pay gap; adds mùm to lineup

The festival opens 24-25 August at silent green Kulturquartier with a keynote discussion featuring festival director Marie von der Heydt alongside contributors from journalism, music and cultural institutions, examining the state of the cultural sector and visions for its future sustainability.

Among the sessions is a panel exploring the involvement of Wasserman Music Agency in the Epstein files, featuring Kaput magazine editor-in-chief Thomas Venker in conversation with label manager Noura Labbani, publisher Daniel Meteo, musician and actress Christin Nichols, and lawyer Reinher Karl. The discussion will examine how artists are responding to the revelations.

Feminist perspectives on pop culture feature prominently, with Sonja Eismann and Rike van Kleef drawing on their books Candy Girls and Billige Plätze to explore gender, power, female fan cultures and sexism within the industry. A separate session on the gender pay gap will examine pathways toward a fairer music economy, featuring trade union secretary Lisa Mangold, musician Mine, and Anne Haffmans from Domino Records.

The exploitative mechanisms of streaming services come under scrutiny in a discussion with musician Dee Sada, Cashmere Radio's Judith Wajsgrus, and curator and promoter Melissa Perales, who will present practical alternatives to current industry models.

The programme also features a reading from Alexander Hacke, bassist of Einstürzende Neubauten, who will discuss his book Krach – Verzerrte Erinnerungen with Frank Spilker of Hamburg band Die Sterne, offering insight into life between West Berlin's underground scene and pop culture.

Running parallel to the talks, the Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs programme returns from 24-25 August, bringing together 150 emerging talents from around the world with industry professionals for workshops, networking events and discussions. Programme director Sonja Lunau notes the format's growing relevance: "It's fantastic to see how strongly the Nachwuchs programme and the live programme enrich one another – for example, former participants such as Dornika appearing on the main stage this year."

She adds: "We received more applications for 2026 than ever before – a strong indication that the programme is truly in tune with the current moment. In uncertain times, connecting with one another becomes all the more important."

Following the discursive opening, the festival moves into a packed weekend across multiple venues with newly confirmed acts including DIY activist punks GRENZKONTROLLE, their queer feminist punk counterparts Deutsche Laichen. Sweden's Boko Yout, Montreal club favourites deBasement, and post-rock duo Dana Schechter & Paul Wallfisch.

The festival concludes with Icelandic experimentalists múm presenting a new work conceived for the occasion titled Sonnenuhr, combining string quartet with electronic and acoustic instruments.

The full line-up includes performances from Automatic, Bar Italia, Beaks, Dis Fig, PVA, The Notwist and Sophia Kennedy, alongside commissioned works from artists including Tekla Valy and Réka Csiszér, Alejandra Cárdenas & La Full Moon Ensemble, and Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys.