One of the world's most legendary nightclubs is set to reopen this week as Berlin raises the curtain on Berghain and more of the city's indoor dance venues after months of pandemic-induced shutdowns.
Berghain will reopen on Friday, October 2 as more nightclubs in Berlin reopen to people who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 within the last six months. The nightlife scene is one of the last sectors of the German capital to reopen to the public, as the state government recently agreed to drop its mask mandate and open indoor areas of the venues to people who are fully immunized.
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Earlier this year, outdoor areas of clubs were allowed to reopen to people who were vaccinated, recovered or had recently tested negative for COVID-19—provided they wore a mask. Then in August, Berlin's Senate Department for Culture and Europe launched a trial to test whether PCR tests would be adequate to keep clubbers safe in order to start up indoor club events again. However, before the results were released, a local court ruled in favor of a venue owner who sued the government over its COVID-19 rules.
While the Berlin court said the pandemic rules were fair and sensible, it agreed they were "likely to be disproportionate" for those who have been vaccinated or recently recovered, according to a report by Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg. The Berlin Senate then moved to allow clubs to reopen but decided a negative COVID-19 test would not be enough to get past the bouncers and on to the dancefloor; people would have to show proof of immunization.
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Most clubs, such as KitKat and Salon zur wilden Renate, reopened their dancefloors to the public on September 3 following the government's ruling.
Berghain said it was looking forward to reopening on Friday for its first club night in almost 19 months with a message on its website that read: "let the bass kick, see you on the dancefloor!" Its opening night will include sets from Ben Klock, Marcel Dettman, Tama Sumo and Lakuti.
Elsewhere in Berlin, restaurants, bars, museums, theaters and cultural attractions are also open to people who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19. Children under 12 are exempt from vaccination requirements for now.
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