Welcome to 2025! This January is packed with events highlighting culture, design, and creativity in Vienna, Berlin,London, and beyond. With a range of vibrant festivals and thought-provoking exhibitions, here’s your guide to the essential happenings of the month.

 

DEMO Festival

 

 

Founded by Studio Dumbar/DEPT® and Global, DEMO Festival has evolved into one of the most important festivals for motion design worldwide. 

 

The 2025 edition on January 30th shows the world’s best motion design on outdoor screens in the public space. Works by over 370 creatives will be shown in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Tilburg, Eindhoven and Utrecht. A special selection will also be shown on XL and spectacular screens in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Cardiff, Leeds, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan and Vancouver. 

 

HARD FACTS

30 January 2025
for 24h
15+ cities
Free entrance 

Find more info HERE.

 

CTM Festival

 

 

The CTM Festival has been a hub for experimental music and performance art since 1999, showcasing international artists who challenge the boundaries of the familiar. Each year, a new motto inspires fresh, often unconventional perspectives on music and art, shining a spotlight on talents outside the mainstream. 

 

With venues like Berghain and Haus der Kulturen der Welt, the festival’s locations are as eclectic as its program. A standout feature is its partnership with Transmediale, blending media art and digital culture into unforgettable interdisciplinary events.

 

HARD FACTS

23 January – 2 February 2025
various locations across Berlin 

Find more info HERE. 

 

Transmediale Festival 

 

 

Transmediale 2025 at Haus der Kulturen der Welt dives into the intricate relationship between technology, culture, and society. This year’s theme, “(near) near but – far,” examines how digital technologies reshape our connections and redefine intimacy. Through an engaging mix of exhibitions, panel discussions, and performances, the festival tackles the pressing questions of today and tomorrow. 

 

HARD FACTS

29 January – 2 February 2025
Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin 

Find more info HERE. 

 

Unknown Pleasures #15: Independent Film Festival 

 

 

The 15th edition of Unknown Pleasures highlights debut works by emerging filmmakers exploring themes of existential loss and profound change. Through stories of grief, transience, and hope, these films showcase inventive approaches to transforming pain and uncertainty into art.

 

This year’s film selection centers on debut works by young filmmakers and artists, connected not only by their origins but also by shared experiences of loss and transformative personal, historical, or political events. Each film approaches these themes in its own distinct way, offering a diverse array of responses to the impermanence of life.

 

HARD FACTS

2 – 12 January 2025
Wolf Kino, Berlin 

Find more info HERE.

 

FM4 Geburtstagsfest 

 

 

Austrian radio station FM4 marks its 30th anniversary with its legendary Geburtstagsfest at Vienna’s Ottakringer Brauerei. Featuring live performances from artists like Avec, Sofie Royer, and Antilopen Gang, along with an array of DJ sets, the celebration promises an unforgettable experience.

 

HARD FACTS

25 January 2025 from 8 PM
Ottakringer Brauerei, Vienna

Find more info HERE. 

 

New performances at Tanzquartier Wien

 

 

Rethinking Masculinity: This January, Crip Choreography visionary Michael Turinsky explores the rise of masculinist ideologies in working-class culture with his latest piece, “Work Body.” Meanwhile, Luca Bonamore’s “Heavy Duty” delves into the performance of masculinity, with a sharp focus on its nuances within queer communities. Together, these works offer a bold and thought-provoking take on modern masculinity.

 

HARD FACTS

Work Body 
24 – 25 January 2025 at 7:30 PM
Tanzquartier Wien

Heavy Duty 
31 January 2025 at 7:30 PM
Tanzquartier Wien

Find more info HERE. 

 

London Art Fair

 

The renowned London Art Fair returns this winter, showcasing over 120 galleries with an impressive array of modern art, photography, sculpture, and more. This year’s edition features large-scale installations and curated group exhibitions by influential artists like Tracey Emin and Francis Bacon. A new collaboration with the Sainsbury Centre brings the immersive *‘Living Art’* experience, inviting visitors to reimagine their connection to art.

 

HARD FACTS

22 – 26 January 2025
Business Design Centre, London 

Find more info HERE. 

 

Image Credits:

© DEMO, 2022
© CTM key visual variant 2025, Design: Vojd
© Transmediale key visual 2025
© Tenda Berry, Haley Elizabeth Anderson
© Radio FM4
© Michael Loizenbauer