Berlin clubs preparing for March relaunch after Covid ‘dance ban’

Berlin’s world-famous club scene is hoping to relaunch in March if coronavirus restrictions are lifted as hoped, a group representing the venues said on Friday.

Clubcommission said in a statement that clubs in the German capital would be ready to reopen within two or three weeks of such an announcement, citing the results of a recent survey.

Around 80% of venues polled are currently closed completely, while others are still hosting cultural events or offering bar service. Dancing is currently banned in clubs under Berlin’s current Covid rules.

Even as calls for the easing of restrictions grow in Germany, club owners said they are worried about renewed closures further down the line. They also cited a lack of staff and financial problems as a result of the restrictions as major concerns.

If the clubs are to open, most would be prepared to allow in only vaccinated and recovered persons, while also requiring a recent negative test result at the door. They said that reopening with mask-wearing and social-distancing was out of the question.

“If it is decided to reopen the clubs in the coming weeks, a strategy on the part of the politicians is urgently needed to ensure long-term planning security for event operations and thousands of employees,” Clubcommission press spokesperson Lutz Leichsenring said.

Clubcommission chairperson Pamela Schobeß spoke of “light at the end of the tunnel.”

“When it is clear that the intensive care units are no longer at their limits and the critical infrastructure workers are no longer absent due to illness, we too must finally be allowed to reopen for our guests,” she said.