Thousands of techno fans celebrated a concert with Paul Kalkbrenner in Park Sanssouci on Saturday evening. The 48-year-old musician presented his ninth studio album The Essence in front of the Neues Palais. The palace has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1990.
Brandenburg Culture Minister Manja Schüle highlighted the unique mix of electronic beats and historic surroundings. She credited the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg for preparing the site. The sold-out show turned the colonnades into a large stage for the performance.
This was not the first major event at the location. The band Die Prinzen and Chris de Burgh performed there in 2007. The colonnades were renovated until autumn 2014, enabling further events since then.
Kalkbrenner's album The Essence was released in October 2025 and features 13 tracks. It is described as his most personal work and includes a tribute to Depeche Mode. He last performed in September 2025 at Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace.