Girli at Säälchen Berlin 2026: hot takes, a pink mic and a book swap

Girli brought the opinionated tour to Berlin's Säälchen on Wednesday 7 October with a kaleidoscope of pink hues, hot takes and queer joy.

Before Girli

Upon entering the venue, a merch stand welcomed concertgoers with various signed memorabilia, Girli merch, and a book swap table featuring titles like "Some Girls Do" by Jennifer Dugan and "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller.

The music for the evening kicked off with support from Leipzig-native Hanna Rautzenberg, who took to the stage solo with a mesmerising indie-pop set that included a rendition of "I Kissed a Girl", firmly establishing the sapphic tone for the night.

Girli then emerged in all of her high-energy glory, opening the show with "Blue Sky", the first track from her "it's just my opinion" record, captivating the audience from the very start.

Amid queer anthems including her viral hit "More Than a Friend" and "Bones", Girli took breaks in the set for various audience interactions.

Hot takes on a pink mic

After inviting a fan on stage to award a ribbon for the best slogan t-shirt of the night, "Eat P*ssy, Not Meat", Girli went on to pass around an inflatable pink microphone to invite audience members to share their own hot takes, which included calls for better lesbian representation in media and expressions of solidarity with trans youth.

Drumsticks, pay what you can

To conclude her set, Girli brought out some of her best-loved tunes including "Matriarchy", the title track of her 2024 album and a reclamation of sapphic desire in a patriarchal world, and "Slap on the Wrist", a pop-rock anthem about sexual harassment and lack of accountability for perpetrators, prompting some of the highest-energy dancing and loudest singalongs of the night.

As a final expression of queer solidarity, audience members were invited to collect signed drumsticks from the night's performance on a pay-what-you-can basis to raise funds in support of Girli's partner to afford top surgery. It ended the night on a community-based note and sent a predominantly queer audience home with a feeling of euphoria, acceptance and safety.