22 of Berlin's best clubs: where to go and what to expect

No city in the world knows the ins and outs of clubbing quite like Berlin. The German capital’s nightlife history is long and storied, defined by periods like the scandalous cabarets of the Golden Twenties and the 1990 techno rave days after the fall of the Wall.

Today, Berlin is considered the world’s de facto capital for electronic music in many respects, boasting a unique club culture based upon a scene-cherished ethos – creating safe, tolerant spaces for underground artists and dancers to freely express themselves and escape the everyday.

With more than 1700 artistic and cultural venues spread out across the city, there’s unlimited nightlife to experience. Here are a few of the most standout venues for uncovering Berlin’s one-of-a-kind hedonism.

Berlin’s best clubs for summer

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://about blank is the ultimate summer destination for raw, gritty techno. The club premises, a former East German childcare facility, is especially beloved for its sprawling garden and al-fresco dance floor. You could also say ://about blank is Berlin’s most politically minded venue, with a program focused on anti-fascist, anti-racist and queer-feminist events.

Else

Else (pronounced "el-SEH") is a summer open-air location specializing in bright shades of house music and disco. Nestled under a bridge and railway tracks along the Spree River (the entrance is a gigantic pair of lips), the club’s design reminds of a Brooklyn block party with a colorful paint job across containers and wooden decks. Open from April to September.

Kater Blau

At Kater Blau – year-round one of Berlin’s best-known clubs – summer is a special time for beachy, outdoor dancing into the wee hours. Kater (pronounced "KAH-ter") has the spirit of an adult playground with psychedelic DIY decor and multiple floors spanning diverse genres from electro-house to indie dance. Funky party concepts might include anything from a "Kinderdisco" for parents and kids to the dentistry-themed "Techno Teeth" – peek at the website for details.

Kater’s next-door companion Holzmarkt is an outdoor urban village with gastronomy and a concert program.

Renate

Renate is another Berlin institution delivering diverse sounds (three areas span sounds from hard techno to experimental house and disco) plus a fairy-tale-esque summer garden. Interiors serve up a decadent clubbing adventure within a former apartment building – dance floors are separated around a maze of high stairwells and rooms filled with old TVs, lofts and four-poster beds.

The club is set to close in late 2025 due to alleged property redevelopment, so get there while you can.

Berlin’s best clubs for daytime parties

Club der Visionäre

During the opening season (April to September), Club der Visionäre is fully packed most days of the week. The laid-back riverside location, spread out with wooden decks and weeping willows between compact dance floors, is an ever-popular sun’s-out spot. Beats here are truly eclectic (label showcases and live electronic-music sets; usually, low-key genres ranging from ambient to breaks), and the reasonable entry fee (€5) hasn’t budged in years.

Klunkerkranich

In a city that’s more used to clubby burrows than panoramic ones, Klunkerkranich is a real treasure. Situated atop a mall parking arcade, the rooftop provides impressive views across the complete Berlin skyline. Though the venue is more a bar than a club (the sheltered dance floor is like a living room), you’ll still catch some of Berlin’s best local DJs and their collectives here.

Heideglühen

Heideglühen hosts Berlin’s finest Saturday daytime parties. Come here for a happy-go-lucky, friendly space for house music and related genres: vinyl sets, confetti showers and perhaps the odd gospel chorus. Spectacular line-ups offer rare chances to see globally established and local up-and-coming artists in an intimate setting, sometimes with cool twists: maybe a techno legend playing house or live sets. Of course Heideglühen is well-favored by in-the-know locals, but it's still worth trying to get in.

Sisyphos

Once a dog food factory, Sisyphos is now a quirky party village with a festival feel – it even has a small lake and "beach." The club’s hedonistic program goes non-stop Friday to Monday, finding many revelers getting lost here over days and nights. With diverse indoor-outdoor spaces, including a cafe and pizza stand, there’s plenty to sustain a party weekend. Musically, there’s something for every taste, plus a strong focus on spotlighting new, experimental talent. Special events like art markets and family-friendly raves for kids and parents happen regularly; dates are on the website.

Berlin’s best clubs for winter

Bulbul

Located in Kreuzberg among abounding bars and restaurants, Bulbul is an easy choice for a cozy after-dinner or late-night dance. Prominent local DJs host the most welcoming, homey nights you’ll find on any Berlin dance floor. Music keeps exclusively to underground styles like disco, indie dance and minimal house.

Golden Gate

Where to go when other clubs have closed? Golden Gate, naturally. This dark, compact space hosts Berlin’s go-to after-hours parties (usually, Thursday night to Friday afternoon, then Friday midnight to Monday morning). Venerable local talent delivers eclectic sounds, especially spacey, down tempo sets for daytime chilling out.

Hoppetosse

A permanently docked boat (now nightclub), Hoppetosse is the fall/winter sibling to Club der Visionäre. It keeps irregular weekend openings, hosted by local techno and house promoters and collectives.

Paloma

House and disco lovers, look no further for an evening of ear-pleasing sound. Paloma’s special location, across the train tracks from Kottbusser Tor, also boasts a high-quality sound system. Catch some of Berlin’s most talented producers spinning vinyl and their freshest releases.

Zur Klappe

This former U-Bahn public toilet, once a gay cruising spot, hosts some of the city’s best nights from local queer and feminist artist collectives. The walls are still plastered with decades-old graffiti, offering up a little insight into the location’s history.

Berlin’s best clubs for sex-positive parties

KitKatClub

Berlin’s famed fetish nightclub KitKatClub is an erotic Disneyland. The dress code calls for fetish gear, lingerie and costumes (the "Kitty" website has tips). Events throughout the week range from sensual tango to electro and hard techno; on the weekends, multiple dance floors (and even a swimming pool) see hundreds dancing to trance, disco and soul music.

SchwuZ

SchwuZ is one of Berlin’s longest-running institutions for queer party nights. A relaxed door policy welcomes a diverse crowd of all persuasions. It’s a go-to spot for karaoke and drag shows, plus dancing to cheesy pop tunes aside from house and techno.

Berlin’s best clubs for techno

Tresor

One of the world’s most important techno clubs (and labels), find Tresor in a derelict power station (though its original space was an East German department store right after the Berlin Wall fell). Expect heavy industrial techno, an unbelievable sound system and lots of nooks and crannies to explore, including its namesake vault in the basement at the end of a 30m-long (100ft) tunnel.

RSO

Revier Südost is located far from almost everywhere in Berlin in Schöneweide, a mostly industrial area, but it's worth the trek for hard-hitting techno. Youthful party-goers queue decked out in flashy leather and latex. For good people-watching, this crowd can’t be beat.

Berlin’s best clubs for live music

Lido

One of Berlin’s top spots for rock and alternative gigs and club nights, this former cinema offers a great mix of indie, rock and metal-focused events in the heart of Kreuzberg. Regular DJ nights run the gamut from soul music to ’80s tunes and queer Latinx dance parties.

SO36

SO36 began as an artist squat in the early 1970s and evolved into Berlin’s CBGB, hosting wild performances by the likes of the Dead Kennedys, the Ramones and Joy Division. Former regulars once included David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Today, the venue has punk nights, roller disco derbies and the popular Gayhane (Middle Eastern music queer parties).

Berlin’s best clubs for group outings

Crack Bellmer

This bar-club located in the RAW compound, tucked between other derelict buildings and plentiful graffiti, hosts lots of house and disco. There’s a relaxed door policy (usually €10). Besides the dance floor, a relaxed sitting space with vintage sofas and wooden lofts is perfect for socializing.

Ritter Butzke

Once an illegal club, now a Kreuzberg party fixture, Ritter Butzke hosts some of Germany’s most internationally known DJs headliners. The floors of this former bathroom-fittings factory keep up a young crowd keen on techno and tech house.

…And the world’s best club?

Berghain

You didn’t think we were going to talk about Berlin’s best clubs and skip over Berghain, did you? No list on the club scene would be complete without the former power plant-turned-legendary nightlife labyrinth.

A well-curated combination of the world’s best-known and underground DJs perform every weekend on the warehouse techno floor of Berghain and its upstairs floor for house music, Panorama Bar. It’s Berlin’s hardest club to get into with hours-long queues and an incredibly strict (and mysterious) door policy. Though there are no set rules for getting into Berghain, the internet loves to speculate.

Berghain’s adjacent (and conceptually separate) concert venue, Kantine am Berghain, holds midweek concerts and record-release parties in the factory’s former staff canteen. Check the website for tickets and dates.