There are more myths about the Berghain door than about any other bar in the world. The truth is simpler and less comforting: there is no formula.
Since 2004 people have queued at weekends outside a former power station in Friedrichshain to get into a club whose doormen are world famous. There are apps that claim to predict admission, forums with clothing tips and instructions for the question about how many you are. Almost all of it is nonsense.
What really counts
The door looks for people who come for the music and fit into the club. It recognises that by attitude, not by clothes: calm, sober enough, not in a loud group, not with a phone in hand, not dressed up as a tourist. Black does not help because it is black, but because it is inconspicuous. And if you do not understand the question about your group size in German, you get it in English.
What does not count
Age, nationality, gender, fame. Models stand in the queue next to pensioners, and both get in or not. Anyone who thinks lederhosen improve their chances has not understood the club.
The best time
Saturday night at 2 am the queue is longest. Sunday afternoon between 2 and 6 pm it is short, the mood inside is better, and the Panorama Bar opens its blinds to the sun. If you want to see the club, go on Sunday.
Inside
Phone cameras are taped over, which is why the club works. Two floors, Berghain downstairs with techno, Panorama Bar upstairs with house. Drinks are cheap for Berlin, cash is compulsory, and the cloakroom is the best place for a plan: where do we meet if we lose each other?
Why it does not matter
Berlin has more than one club. Sisyphos in Rummelsburg is a festival with a lake and a sunrise, ://about blank has a garden, Kater Blau sits on the Spree, Tresor is history. If you are turned away at Berghain, you have a whole Berlin night ahead of you, and it is better than the queue in any case.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time for Berghain?
Sunday afternoon: short queue, best mood, open blinds in the Panorama Bar.
Can you take photos in Berghain?
No. Your phone camera is taped over at the door.
