All You’ll Ever Need to Know about Berghain

Berghain is known as one of the most exclusive clubs in the world, it has the strictest door policy of all Berlin clubs, but also the strongest community behind it.

There are two main reasons for Berghain’s immense success:

1. It has created the perfect environment in which Techno should be presented and

2. They provide a space of absolute privacy and no judgement (inside).

How to get in?

There are a few unwritten rules which you should follow when you are not familiar with the Berlin club scene. These rules don’t only apply to Berghain, but to any of the top clubs in Berlin. There is a very good reason for the strict door policy.

The clubs want to create a welcoming environment inside and balance the types of people they let in. The job of the bouncers is it to foster that balance and make sure they reject people who seem unfamiliar with the scene, look narrow minded, or aggressive.

Clothing

The music which is being played at Berghain is mostly dark industrial techno, the interior of the building is raw and hard. People wearing posh outfits or normal street clothing just would stand out like some aliens. It really doesn’t matter too much what you are wearing, it just shouldn’t be too normal. Still, the general trend is black, so here are some style recommendations..

High chance of success:

Absolute No-Go’s:

Behavior / Groups

Berlin’s clubs don’t like big groups, usually a group of more than 4 people will always be rejected. If you are more, you need to split up and take your chances. Two other things to avoid are being on your phone in proximity to the bouncer and being loud in the queue in general. It also doesn’t help being drunk. 

When is the best time to go?

Berghain is usually open from Thursday to Monday, but the day you choose will make a big difference. The Berghain is a massive building, inside there are three dance floors: Panorama Bar, Berghain floor and Säule. But all 3 of them will only be open simultaneously on Saturday and Sunday. Thursday’s is reserved for Säule and Friday’s only for Panorama Bar. So if you want to see the whole club as it shimmers and shines, you have to go on the last two days of the week. For some special events they even open up more spaces like the Lab.oratory.

The longest queue’s will be Saturday night until 6 am. the queue will get long again around 6 pm on Sunday’s. So it would be best to avoid those times, except you enjoy waiting 3+ hours in line.

How did it become so famous?

Berlin’s club history is one of a kind. Most clubs were founded just after the fall of the wall and the reunification of Germany. People wanted to celebrate the new found freedom and Berlin, back then without any rules, made the perfect setting for it. Watch the full story:

 What most people don’t know

Did you know that there is an ice cream bar inside? Who doesn’t, but here are some facts that even long lasting Berghain veterans couldn’t tell you.

Even though it’s not allowed to take pictures in Berghain, there are pictures of every single room online, publicly visible on the studio that designed the interior of Berghain: Studio Karhard.

Train for the Moment of Truth with Berghaintrainer

If you miss the experience of getting rejected at the door or if you want to train for your next attempt, there is a website called Berghaintrainer giving you that opportunity.

Answer the bouncer’s questions and find out if you can make it inside.