Berlin's nightclubbers sip their drinks, await better times

Berlin's renowned nightclubs are reopening along with pubs and restaurants

BERLIN -- Battered by the pandemic, Berlin’s legendary nightclubs are starting to reopen. Sort of. Several of the German capital’s nightspots have managed a limited restart along with pubs and restaurants over the weekend. Clubs are opening their outdoor spaces to guests only as beer gardens or for small concerts and performances, provided the party people present a negative COVID-19 test or a vaccination certificate. But the days of hammering beats, pumping basslines and expressively dressed patrons dancing until early morning are still shut down in one of the global hot spots of vibrant nightlife. Pamela Schobess represents the interests of Berlin club, party and cultural event organizers as a member of the board of the Berliner Club Commission. “We are allowed to do gastronomy at the moment, so we can have beer gardens and things like that. We can also do small concerts, but everything seated, everything with distance, with mask and hygiene rules,” she said.