From BZ/dpa
Hopes for the summer were high. This summer, for the first time since 2020, the clubs were able to play their program without having to stop due to Corona restrictions. Now in the fall the disappointment sets in.
After the first almost corona-free summer, the Berlin club scene has still not recovered from the economic consequences of the pandemic. “It’s a very bad year and the summer hasn’t helped change that,” said club commission spokesman Lutz Leichsenring to the German Press Agency.
“You still notice that people are holding back when it comes to consumption.” Ultimately, this means less sales per capita. That prompted some clubs to raise prices. “This is a double-edged sword because it means certain groups can no longer afford to visit.”
Lutz Leichsenring, board member of the Berlin Club Commission Photo: Annette Riedl/dpa
Fight against the poor economic situation
For example, the Remise club has to close, as was announced in September. Other clubs are practicing resilience and planning alternative ways of using their areas in winter. For example, an ice skating rink for ice skating fans with an Afro-Caribbean Christmas market is being built at the Yaam cultural site (short for “Young African Art Market”), as the operators announce on their website.
However, the plans for many other cultural locations are not yet ready for decision, as Leichsenring explained. As in other industries, the small establishments would have it the hardest. “If we want to protect niche cultures in Berlin, we have to think about how we can support this with funding.” For Leichsenring, these niches are “incredibly important to promote innovation.”
Conference for the future of nightlife
Next week the industry will meet in Berlin for the three-day conference “City after Eight” under the motto “Night Fever”. Solutions for nightlife should be discussed, says Leichsenring. “There is a feverish mood that is worrying.”