Not many cities in the world can compete with the Berlin nightlife. With its extreme opening-hours, reasonable prices and awesome line-ups the city is a great destination for anyone who loves to party. This post serves as a nightlife guide for Berlin. It summarises all you need to know when you are planning to party in Berlin.
Why you should party in Berlin
A couple of years ago, CNN listed Berlin as the second best city to party in the world. Based on factors like people, music, hours and experience Berlin scored 35 out of 40 points (source). Obviously we totally agree with this high rating. Below we have listed some of the main reasons why Berlin is an attractive city to party:
- Reasonable prices: Usually the entrance to Berliner clubs costs between 5 and 15€ and a beer can be bought for 3-4€ most of the time
- More than hundred clubs: You can choose between a wide range of different clubs and parties
- Famous DJs: German DJs like DJs like Sven Väth, Monika Kruse, Len Faki and Oliver Koletzki perform in Berliner parties on a regular basis. Besides that you can also enjoy international stars like Carl Cox, Adam Beyer and Solomun play here for time to time.
- Berlin never sleeps: Some parties start on Friday and keep going until Monday without closing. Besides that most clubs also open their doors for you to party during the week.
What kind of parties does Berlin have to offer?
Berlin offers a versatile mix of parties. Prices differ between free entrance and expensive parties with a ticket of 50€ and more. But usually you pay between 5-15€ to get into a proper club. Depending on your preferences it can be helpful to get an overview of what the nightlife of Berlin has to offer. Below you can find the main types of parties and some clubs we recommend.
1. Techno Clubs
Berlin and techno are inseparable. The majority of clubs in Berlin play techno music. Techno parties usually start late: Most clubs open their doors around midnight and do not get crowded until 02:30. The good thing is you can party till 08:00 at least and some even stay open for 3 days straight. Clubs like Sisyphos and Berghain are notorious for their tough door-policy. In our monthly party-calendar you can find the best techno-parties in Berlin this month.
Price: Usually around 15€
Opening Hours: Midnight – 08.00 at least
Clubs: Sisyphos, Wilde Renate, Tresor, Berghain, Watergate, About:Blank, Kater Blau, Ritter Butzke
2. Clubs with pop & versatile music (non-electronic music)
Not everybody likes electronic music. If you want to party in Berlin with a wide range of music styles, you could consider visiting one of the clubs listed below. These clubs offer several floors with music styles like pop, hip-hop, rock and some all time favourites. Usually the door-policy is not as hard as the techno clubs and the entrance fee is a bit lower.
Price: 5-10€
Opening Hours: 22:00 – 06.00
Clubs: Sage Club, Alte Kantine, Franzz Club, Prince Charles, Kesselhaus, Weekend, Cassiopeia
3. Indie Rock Clubs & Live Bands
Berlin also has a large amount of Indie Rock Clubs. We personally used to love the Rosi’s because it offered both electronic music and Indie Rock. Unfortunately that place closed down a few years ago. The great thing about these parties is the friendly vibe and the fact that you will have more contact with other party-people. On techno-party people are more or less in their own bubble. If you are lucky you can even enjoy some live bands playing in the clubs below.
Price: Around 10€
Opening Hours: 22:00 – 06.00
Clubs: Lido, Bi Nuu, Sage Club, Duncker Club
4. Dance Bars
Berlin also offers plenty of places which offer a place to sit and have a drink and also dance (usually after enough drinks). We call them dance bars but also hostels and restaurants can turn into a great place to dance. They usually do not have several huge dance-floors but its nice and cosy and people are usually open. Dance bars are great for a spontaneous night. You just have a drink or two and see what happens afterwards. The entrance is usually for free or just a few euros.
Price: 0-10€
Opening Hours: 13:00 – 05.00
Clubs: Mein Haus am See (Cosmic Kaspar), Crack Bellmer, Süß war Gestern, Bohnengold, Klunkerkranich
5. Gay & LGBTQ Parties
Many people feel that the best parties in Berlin are gay (LGBTQ) parties. It is definitely true that the atmosphere is extraordinary and the music will get you dancing without a doubt. In Berlin you can find some dedicated gay clubs and there are also some clubs who have regular events for this community. A while ago we published a post with the best gay parties in Berlin and that sums up all you need to know.
Price: 5 – 10€
Opening Hours: 23:00 – 06.00
Clubs: SchwuZ, Bar Zum schmutzigen Hobby, Die Busche, several places in the area called Nollendorf Kiez
6. Outdoor Events – Open Airs
When you visit Berlin in the summer, you should visit an open air by all means. The majority are electronic music but usually a lot more melodic than techno. The entrance fee is usually very reasonable (5-10€) and it’s just awesome to be outdoor when you are dancing. Some recommended outdoor events can be found in our blogpost about open-airs in Berlin.
By the way: The ultimate outdoor event would be visiting one of the great German festivals.
Price: 5 – 10€
Opening Hours: 12:00 – 23.00
Clubs: Mein Haus am See (Cosmic Kaspar), Crack Bellmer, Süß war Gestern, Bohnengold, Klunkerkranich
7. Sex parties in Berlin
Besides techno, Berlin is also famous for its sex parties. The nightlife in Berlin is very open minded and there are plenty of clubs for people who do not only want to dance but also want to share the erotic side of the night. The sex parties in Berlin range from a parties with some naked people and fetish parties to parties with the main purpose of having (all sorts of) intercourse. The entrance fee differs quite a bit depending on the type of party.
Price: 5 – 30€
Opening Hours: 22:00 – 06.00
Clubs: Lab.oratory, KitKatClub, Certain parties in Berghain and Wilde Renate
8. Other parties
Obviously there are still many different types of parties in Berlin. There are dedicated parties for every single music style but it’s best to use Google to find them.
Besides that, there are the yearly events like Karneval der Kulturen, Zug der Liebe, Holi Festival, First of May and of course the NYE-Parties at the end of the year. If you are looking for a specific kind of party, feel free to leave a comment under this post and we will do our best to get you a party which fits you.
Party Hotspots – Areas in Berlin with many clubs
There are clubs all over town. Still there are some areas in Berlin which offer a large amount. of fun places to go. This can be interesting for visitors from outside Berlin because they might ask themselves “Where should I stay when I want to party in Berlin?”. Below we have listed a few areas which offer a bunch of clubs close together:
1. Revaler Straße/RAW Gelände
One of the best areas to party in Berlin is the Revaler Straße and the so called RAW-Gelände. The station to reach this area is called Warschauer Straße. Every Sunday you can find a flea market here but at night it’s party-time. Some of the clubs are Suicide Circus, Crack Bellmer, Haubentaucher, die Busche, Cassiopeia and Bar Zum schmutzigen Hobby.
2. Between Schlesisches Tor and Treptower Tor
A great area to party in Berlin is Schlesisches Tor. Here you can find clubs like Birgit, Watergate, Bi Nuu, Aeden and the Arena Club. This area has plenty of bars and restaurants too and you can also visit great concerts at Lido and Festsaal Kreuzberg.
3. The area around station Ostkreuz
Only one station away from station Warschauer Straße you can find Ostkreuz. It’s not like there are 20 clubs around here but it’s the station to reach About:Blank, Wilde Renate, Sisyphos and Club Ost. These are all great clubs if you like electronic music so finding an accommodation here if you like to party in Berlin is a great choice.
4. The northern part of Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg is a great area to stay. If you really want to go clubbing in Berlin, you should consider staying in the northern part near the stations Moritzplatz and Jannowitzbrücke. You can find the Ritter Butzke, Tresor, Sage Club and Kitkat Club over here.
Tips for smooth partying in Berlin
Especially if you are not from Berlin it can be an adventure to party in the capital of Germany. After reading this Berlin nightlife guide you should be able to decide on the club you want to visit. But it is still important to know what to keep in mind when you are going to party in Berlin. Here are some tips:
- You are allowed to drink alcohol in public in Berlin. This is especially great in the summer. No need to get some drinks in at home or in your hotel-room, just go out there and drink in the open with other Berliners.
- The public transport in Berlin is great and during the weekends the underground also drives throughout the night. It’s usually good to buy a 24-hours ticket (about 9€)
- If you visit a techno club, make sure you blend in: Do not arrive too early, do not dress up too much (black is fine) and do not try to get in with a huge group of people.
- Get a stamp if you leave a club. Usually you are allowed to get back in at a later stage.
- If you are planning to buy drugs, it’s best to buy it beforehand instead of in the club. It’s harder to judge things in a club and stay in control of the situation.
- Have a plan B: Especially on Friday and Saturday some clubs are crowded and not everybody will get in. Do not let this ruin your night but have a back-up plan in place. Pop-Clubs and Dance Bars are usually more easy to get into than techno clubs.
Wanna party in Berlin tonight?
Are you planning to party in Berlin tonight but you do not know where to go yet? If this nightlife guide has not helped you to find a party yet, check out the following options:
- The best techno parties in Berlin on Friday & Saturday (including guestlist-spots giveaways)
- The best parties during the week
- Check the website Resident Advisor and find an event for tonight in Berlin
If you have any questions or suggestions for this nightlife guide of Berlin, let us know in the comments.
