Berlin's Big Sports Weekend: WWE, NBA, and Hidden Art Gems

Welcome, listeners, to Things to Do in Berlin with your globe‑trotting sports nut Oly Bennet, coming to you from the German capital on Friday, January 9, 2026. Berlin’s in full winter mode today: cold, crisp, and perfect for dashing between museums, arenas, and late‑night adventures with a hot Glühwein pit stop as your halftime break.

The city’s vibe? Big‑event energy. Tonight, WWE Friday Night SmackDown slams into the Uber Arena at 7:30 p.m., turning Berlin into suplex city for one night. Athlon Sports reports it’s being promoted as a major show, with top stars on the card, so expect jerseys, signs, and a lot of very dramatic entrance music swirling through Friedrichshain.

Just next door, hoops fans score big at NBA House in the Uber Eats Music Hall, running January 9–11. VisitBerlin describes it as a free, interactive NBA fan festival packed with games, photo ops, and chances to test your jump shot without embarrassing yourself on live TV. Perfect for families, sports geeks, and anyone who’s ever yelled “And one!” at a pickup game.

Culture lovers, Berlin has you covered too. Berlin.de lists the exhibition “Uni Form: Broken Twill – Berlin Edition” at P61 Gallery, blending painting, fashion, data, and AI into one stylish fever dream. Over on Museum Island, VisitBerlin highlights heavyweight exhibitions like “Grundstein Antike” at the Altes Museum and the dinosaur blockbuster at Museum für Naturkunde, where you can stare down a real T‑Rex skeleton and question your position on the food chain.

For a more intimate evening, Berlin.de’s event calendar features “Der Zweite Kirschgarten” at Neuköllner Oper tonight at 8 p.m., a contemporary musical twist in one of the city’s most creative neighborhoods—ideal if you want theater with local flavor and a post‑show drink on buzzing Karl‑Marx‑Straße.

On the newsy side, EMEC reports Berlin is celebrating its Vietnamese community by renaming a tram stop “Dong Xuan” after the famous Dong Xuan Center in Lichtenberg, a huge hub of Vietnamese culture, food, and shopping. It’s a perfect excuse to ride out there, inhale a bowl of pho, and experience a different slice of the city. As always, check BVG for any day‑of tram or U‑Bahn delays, especially in winter.

So, what should you absolutely do today? Hit NBA House by day, then choose your night final: WWE chaos at Uber Arena, avant‑garde vibes at Neuköllner Oper, or a museum power‑hour starring dinosaurs or ancient bronzes. If you want a hidden‑gem wander, explore Lichtenberg’s Dong Xuan Center for food and fabric markets, or duck into a gallery in Mitte—Art@Berlin lists tons of small shows that feel like secret missions.

Local tip from Oly: in Berlin, Spätis—those late‑night corner shops—are your real MVP. You can grab a drink, a snack, and sometimes even join an impromptu sidewalk hangout. Before a concert or after a wrestling show, swing by a Späti near Warschauer Straße, and you’ll instantly feel like you’ve joined the home team.

Tomorrow, Berlin keeps the pace with more NBA House action, stacked exhibitions, and fresh nightlife to explore—so tune in again as we scout the best plays for your Saturday in the capital.

Thanks for listening, please subscribe, and remember—this episode was brought to you by Quiet Please podcast networks. For more content like this, please go to Quiet Please dot Ai.

For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/

and make sure to jump on these great deals https://amzn.to/3V0gjPt

For more on Oly check out https://www.instagram.com/olybennet/

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI