According to Berliner Morgenpost, the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office emailed attendees of Berghain’s October 10th event to inform them of their potential exposure to the virus. A contact list made the outreach possible; health authorities reported having emailed 2,500 of the 3,300 entrants as of Thursday.

The outbreak occurred in spite of Berghain requiring proof of vaccination or recent recovery from COVID-19 since reopening its doors. The 2G rules, as they’re called, are stricter than the 3G limitations introduced in August. Previously, entrants to bars and clubs could also furnish proof of a negative test.

News of the outbreak arrives as Germany grapples with a significant increase in case counts. The Local reports that the Robert Koch Institute recorded 17,015 new cases in a single day on Wednesday. For comparison, on the same day a week prior 11,903 cases had been recorded. German lawmakers yet to specify a threshold at which restrictions should be reimposed.

Berghain has yet to issue a public statement on the COVID-19 outbreak at the time of writing.

Among others, Ben Klock B2B Marcel Dettmann, Héctor Oaks, and DJ Stingray will take over Berghain’s main hall during the first gathering. Chris Cruse, Tama Sumo B2B Lakuti, and Virginia, and many more will perform at the upstairs Panorama Bar.

FJAAK, SPFDJ, Luke Slater, and Palms Trax are among the headliners of upcoming Klubnacht events.

“We are looking forward to our first club night after 19 months, which we can celebrate with you and our artists at Berghain and Panorama Bar,” reads a statement. “We will be reuniting with some of our residents and longtime friends of the house, as well as for the first time indoors with the two artists Gabrielle Kwarteng and Vale Budino, who have already thrilled us with their sets in the Klubgarten.”

On top of Berghain’s famously strict door policy, entry is only allowed for either recovered or vaccinated guests. Entrants are also required to present ID and either the German Corona warning app, CovPass app, or digital EU COVID-19 certificate. This follows the Berlin Administrative Court’s decision to lift a dancing ban in August.

Berghain is one of the most famous techno clubs around the world. Throughout the pandemic, the venue reinvented itself by holding garden events and functioning as a gallery. There have been several exhibitions including Christian and Karen Boros‘ Studio Berlin as well as Jakob Kudsk Steensen’s Berl-Berl.

Information on upcoming Klubnacht gatherings is available on the Berghain website.

European public service channel Arte will host the stream. Since 1992, Arte’s mission has been to promote culturally significant French and German programming.

Founded in 2005 by Berghain resident DJ Nick Hoppner, Ostgut Ton specializes in experimental house and techno. The label’s trademark sound was birthed in Berghain’s Panorama Bar. One of the legendary club’s smaller areas, Panorama Bar encourages artists to explore their sound in an intimate setting.

Ostgut Ton originally had plans to celebrate its 15-year anniversary with a multi-city tour beginning on February 7th of last year. Multiple Ostgut Ton artists such as Answer Code Request and Ben Klock were on the lineup. COVID-19 restrictions forced organizers to cancel the events, however.

With COVID-19 restrictions easing, Berghain began reopening with a pair of outdoor parties in its garden area, Klubgarten. Proof of vaccination was required for both shows.

As of July 20th, 2021, Germany sat at a seven-day average of 1,362 COVID-19 cases.

The event will feature performances from Ostgut Ton artists such as Paramida, Avalon Emerson, KMRU, and others. For more information head to Arte Concert’s YouTube Channel.

According to a spokesperson, the Berlin police force had received a call at 2:45 AM on Saturday complaining of noise coming from Soho House. Video shared by Burna Boy on Instagram (that he has since deleted) showed him apparently performing to a crowd without wearing a mask, and additional footage showed maskless patrons dancing in close quarters.

“We are currently viewing footage of the event with view to possible preliminary proceedings for a breach of measures against the coronavirus,” the spokesperson told The Guardian.

Soho House is a British company that boasts 31 members-only clubs in 10 countries. A spokesperson on behalf of brand said they were internally investigating a spontaneous party at the Berlin branch, but many have said that the gathering appeared to have been planned. “They had already a huge sound system installed before the party, and rumors were going around the house that Skepta was going to perform,” an employee told The Guardian.

Although Berghain’s policies forbid attendees of the fashion show from posting images or video on social media, photos taken outside the venue suggest that Honey Dijon, rappers Skepta and Slowthai, ballet dancer Roberto Bolle, and designer Stefano Pilati were among the guests.

There is no evidence that the fashion show organizers flouted COVID-19 prevention measures – but that hasn’t spared the club from social media scrutiny for holding such a gathering amid Germany’s surge in cases and deaths. “They think the virus will not get through the door politics from Berghain,” wrote influencer Loona Hamilton. “This is so fucking immoral, we are in a MF lockdown here in Berlin.”

At the time of writing, inhabitants of Berlin must abide by a strict 9:00 PM-5:00 AM curfew. Visitors from designated risk areas including the U.K. and U.S. must quarantine for at least five days upon entering the city.

The fashion show saw Bottega Veneta Creative Director Daniel Lee debut his Salon 2 collection. No social media was allowed in Berghain as per usual, but photos taken outside the club suggest that Honey Dijon, Skepta, Virgil Abloh, Burna Boy, Slowthai, Kwes Darko, and the club’s famous bouncer Sven Marquardt were in attendance.

Virgil Abloh, Honey Dijon, Stefano Pilati , Slowthai, Skepta and more arriving at Bottega Veneta’s secret “Salon 02” Fall 2021 show at Berghain in Berlin, yesterday. No social media was allowed inside the venue. pic.twitter.com/lGTMQlo8eX

— ENFNTS TERRIBLES Magazine (@enfntsterribles) April 10, 2021

In the days that followed, footage taken at the Soho House after party drew controversy on social media. The Instagram videos showed Burna Boy performing without a mask as well as patrons failing to observe guidances. They were soon deleted, but were then re-uploaded on the Instagram account @BottegaVenetNO.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Bottega VenetNO! (@bottegavenetno)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Bottega VenetNO! (@bottegavenetno)

Outside of rumors, there is thus far no evidence that similarly unrestricted activity took place at Berghain. “We have been in lockdown since November,” wrote German influencer Brenda Weischer in her Instagram story. “Bottega Veneta had a huge production in Berghain for several days (fair enough), but I keep hearing about parties that are said to have taken place at people’s homes or at Soho House afterwards.

Spokespeople on behalf of Berghain and Bottega Veneta have yet to publicly comment on the matter at the time of writing.

Germany is currently struggling to contain a significant COVID-19 surge. Al Jazeera reports that Sunday saw 17,800 new cases and 104 deaths (compared to 12,200 cases and 68 deaths a week prior), of which the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 strain of the virus accounts for 90%. Private gatherings are currently restricted and inhabitants must adhere to a 9:00 PM-5:00 AM curfew.

Lockdowns in Germany could remain in place until late May or mid June, according to Der Tagesspiegel.

This follows up on last year’s exhibition of Studio Berlin, Berghain’s premiere as a gallery during the second lockdown in Germany. It’s nothing new for the famous club to exhibit works by local and international creators. In the past, they worked with Wolfgang Tillmans, Joseph Marr and Norman Bisky, among others.

Kudsk Steenen’s installation for this year “leads us to Berlin’s origins as a swamp formed by a glacial valley over 10,000 years old.” It was originally commissioned by Light Art Space (LAS).

Kudsk Steensen is an artist who uses animations, mixed reality, and virtual reality to interpret lost or overlooked ecosystems from a new perspective. His projects are rooted in intensive field research and cooperation with biologists, historians, composers and authors. 

Additionally, he conducts research in big forest areas in Germany and documents the soil layers of their ecosystem. He also works with the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (museum for national history in English).

With recordings from the wetlands and his research on extinct animal species, he bridges the gap between guests and the history lying underneath them. The great hall of Berghain will be seen as a “portal in which relics of the Ice Age connect to present-day wetlands – lost worlds revived in the present day.”

At the time of writing, no specific launch date has been announced for the exhibition.

He then took to Instagram and lay out more details on his ambitions via a live stream. It’s being reported that he’s set to team up with Tim Metcalfe and Flynn Francis once again for the new band. Some may remember that the trio previously worked together on Williams’ 2012 album, Take the Crown. He’s stated that they’ve already music completed and it will be played at “certain venues” around the world. Furthermore, he’s explained that he can see his prospective club and gallery combination opening in Toyko.

At the time of writing, Robbie Williams has not announced any firm release dates for his new music or shared any specific timeline as to when his proposed Berghain-inspired venue will open.

The legendary club’s dance floors have laid dormant since March due to COVID-19. In the absence of throngs of black-clad dancers, Studio Berlin has stood in to occupy the space. This was where the owners of Berghain’s imprint came across Ogboh’s work. His latest installation, Ayilara, expands on his work with the sounds of Africa’s most populous city, bringing visitors on an aural journey through its red-light district.

Not only were the staff of Ostgut overcome by Ogboh’s work – they were shocked to find that he didn’t fancy himself a producer and had thus never considered an album. Resident Advisor reports that Beyond The Yellow Haze will feature the sounds of the Nigerian artist’s first solo exhibition from 2018, No Condition Is Permanent. Lagos is a city that is awash in sound. Public markets, street conversations, and the din of traffic are the backdrop of the album, beautifully married with rumbling drum lines and ambient synths.

Ogboh’s work can be viewed as love notes to his city, one that he misses dearly. He normally splits his time between Germany and Nigeria, but due to COVID-19 travel restrictions has been stuck in Berlin since March. While he loves Berlin dearly, as he told TateShots in 2017, “Lagos is a city that is never silent, so when I first started living in Berlin I found it hard to sleep because it was quiet. In Lagos we live every day with, I stopped calling it noise, this is really like sound. The city composes. This really captivated me to work a lot with sound.”

Beyond The Yellow Haze is available for pre-order on the Berghain website.

All ticket fees will fund Berghain amidst lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left live music venues all over the world struggling to stay afloat.

Influential local art collectors Christian and Karen Boros are organizing the event, dubbed Studio Berlin, through the Boros Foundation. Wolfgang Tillmans, Sandra Mujinga, Tacita Dean, Christine Sun Kim, Shirin Sabahi, and Olafur Eliasson are among the 85 Berlin artists set to feature their work in the exhibition. Art historians will offer guided tours through Berghain’s 3,500-square-meter grounds, with those unable to make the pilgrimage in person having the option to attend virtually as well.

Entry for all at Berghain

Anyone over the age of 16 can attend the art exhibition at Berghain, a far cry from the typical throngs of revelers vying to get into the nightclub’s famously strict bouncers (notorious enough to inspire a website that trains people on how to get past them).

“For the first time, even grandmas with zimmer frames and children will be able to get in,” Christian Boros said to The Art Newspaper.

However, the venue will forbid photos and videos during the exhibition, as it does on club nights.

Adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic

Studio Berlin follows Berghain’s recent socially distanced sound art installation as the venue finds new ways to pay its employees and keep running while live music events remain a public health concern due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other Berlin nightclubs with outdoor spaces have found footing reopening as beer gardens, hosting quiz nights, or accommodating flea markets.

Apart from providing relief to Berghain, Studio Berlin serves as a crucial space for local artists who have struggled as art exhibitions have been canceled or postponed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For three months during the confinement period we were speaking to artists on the phone every day,” Boros elaborated. “Suddenly everyone had time. I spoke to [the artist] Olafur Eliasson for three hours on Facetime—the only limit was that the phone battery ran down. The artists were all in their studios instead of on aeroplanes. We wanted to show this incredible artistic production. Berlin was frozen, so why not think differently? Why not work together?”

At the time of this writing, opening hours and entry fees for Studio Berlin have yet to be announced. Keep up to date with the exhibition here.

Sam Auinger and Hannes Strobl – known professionally as tamtam – conceived the installation in partnership with sound art collective Singhur. Tasked with developing soundscapes to complement the concrete expanse of the club’s Kessel Hall, they positioned speakers throughout the space that meld simple rhythms with ambient noises.

In compliance with COVID-19 restrictions, only 50 are allowed in the venue at a time. Without the discerning eye of doorman Sven Marquardt, however, the installation is available to the public at large.

“’eleven songs – halle am berghain’ reminds us that the ability of the perceiving body to hear is not a given in itself, but is instead subject to the spatio-social contexts of complex, dynamic and constantly changing acoustic environments,” said tamtam in a joint statement. “The physically defined situation one encounters, i.e. the acoustics of the space, is activated by sounds and sonic structures produced onsite and tuned for and within the space.”

As clubs across the globe cautiously reopen in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Berghain’s unconventional attraction reflects the lasting effects of the crisis on nightlife.

As tastemakers like Dave Clarke and DVS1 have discussed at length, the economic climate will almost certainly reduce the demand for globetrotting superstar DJs. With social distancing guidelines delaying the return of the dance floor as music fans know it, sound art installations like “eleven songs” may prove to be a solution for creative spaces keen to adapt to the “new normal.”

Find more information about “eleven songs – halle am berghain” on the Singhur website.

Image credit: Roman März