Weeeirdos at Säule - berghains overlooked gem

A Mini Klubnacht with a stacked line-up on a thursday at Berghain

9th of April, I arrived in front of the Berghain building. It had been nearly two years since I last came here on a Thursday. I used to go regularly and enjoyed them a lot, but full-time employment made it hard to get out on a weeknight.

What surprised me was the line (roughly 30 meters) and I ended up waiting around 20 minutes. Back then, I never waited longer than five. It was also the quietest line I had ever experienced. Total silence. No one talked. When I tried to strike up a conversation with the group in front of me, they whispered back and were visibly nervous about engaging.

While I waited I noticed that it was a very young crowd in general. The bouncer frequently asked for ID, something I had never seen at a weekend event. Nobody got turned away, which was kind of expected. It is now even possible to buy tickets in advance, which I know was critically discussed online. But the Thursdays at Säule were never particularly selective, and I think that is a good thing.

Timetable Live from Earth Berghain November 2024

What was fun to observe was the bouncer frequently educating the line while rolling his eyes, yet letting people in regardless. You could sense that on a weekend, it would have been an immediate "no" for most of them. Instead, he was patient and understanding, telling people "to say hi, to be friendly, maybe smile. To tell him where they want to go and why they are here." He remained tolerant even when multiple people answered that they wanted to come to Berghain, gently correcting them that this was Säule only.

In my opinion, that is a great way to use an off-day to educate a younger crowd and tourists about behavior and the door. It is something I often miss at Klubnacht, where the bouncers rarely speak to you and tend to operate purely on visuals rather than doing a proper vibe check (understandably as the higher demand makes that harder).

To spoil it upfront: the sometimes random crowd did not negatively affect my evening. It was a colorful mix. Some, as the name suggests, were weirdos. And I mean that in the most positive sense! People with an unconventional approach to life, relationships, the way they dressed. Talking to a few of them throughout the night, hearing that they felt welcome and safe here, was genuinely good.

At the other end of the spectrum were some Bros. Jeans, T-shirt, big sunglasses indoors. Tourists freshly arrived in Berlin for the weekend mingled alongside long-term residents. Some came casually dressed, others very stylishly, and a few came in fetish wear. It was diverse. In a good and natural way.

My sense is also that the Berghain image itself shapes the crowd, even on a Thursday. I suspect that people still research the club and try to understand how to "fit in" (even without a strong door policy). Particularly if they are hoping to come back on Friday or Saturday and do not want to burn their chances.

What stood out to me, however, was that compared to my last visit two years ago, Weeirdos felt less queer than I remembered. Speaking to regulars throughout the night, they confirmed the feeling. Though they noted this was the first time such a shift had been this noticeable. Whether it was just an off night or whether the spring influx of tourists played a role, I could not say.

Still, the night was anything but tame. It was probably the busiest I had ever seen Säule. Somewhere around 500 people at peak. The dancefloor stayed packed until the very end. At some point, the toilets next to the dancefloor were closed, causing a longer wait at the ones near the wardrobe, but the crowd was generally respectful and it did not cause any real friction - a contrast to some Klubnacht nights and their bathroom campers.

Säule itself is a genuinely cool floor. It resembles a hallway punctuated by multiple, well … columns (Säulen, in German). They are beautifully lit, creating the impression of a tunnel. Strobe, haze, and spotlights are strategically positioned, mostly emphasizing the architecture and offering a well-balanced mix: immersive without being overwhelming.

The sound system is decent. Not exceptional or particularly powerful, but appropriate for the size of the dancefloor. It also does not completely destroy your hearing the way some Sunday closings do, which may spare a few first-timers from immediate damage.

What definitely punched above its weight was the lineup. Weeirdos is run by Lolsnake, who has built a solid community around herself and is well-connected in the scene. Personally, I was drawn by DJ Pete, Dr. Rubinstein, and Tijana T. A pretty stacked bill for a Thursday, and a great value at €14 presale.

I did not make it in time for DJ Pete; by the time I had waited in line and dropped my things at the wardrobe, his set was already over. I was also not the biggest fan of the Lolsnake B2B Tijana T set, though I heard from several others that they loved it. For me, there were too many track switches and it did not feel like a particularly balanced ride. Then again, I may still have been mentally arriving.

Dr. Rubinstein's acid techno, on the other hand, I enjoyed enormously. Properly energizing, and well handed off to Vinvar, who played a powerful and moving closing set. The music stayed driving throughout the last hours. Lots of percussion and leaning towards the current “techno trend” (her closing track was Iruka by Alarico). It suited the crowd and kept the floor moving until the very last minute.

The Thursday runs a hard cut at 6am, though on slower nights it closes earlier. This time, both the dancefloor and the chill area stayed crowded until the end. Even the darkroom, which sits nicely above the dancefloor, had people still mingling in it.

I also want to highlight the socializing spaces in Säule. There is seemingly endless room to sit, rest, and talk, and you can freely choose how close to the music you want to be. Right by the dancefloor if you want it loud, or further back for an actual conversation without screaming.

During the Weekend Klubnacht, that space houses the stairs to the Berghain floor, so it always felt more like a passageway to me. The layout is different on a Thursday, and it offered a genuinely different way of experiencing the architecture.

While I would describe Weeirdos as one of the most sought-after events at Säule, others like Reclaim Your City, Dissident, or Drift are also worth exploring. Whenever Säule is not taken over by a collective, it tends to lean toward the more experimental side of music (which is not my cup of tea when I come with party expectations). Those nights are usually less crowded and tend to close before 6am.

Overall, even if this particular evening felt less queer and less edgy than I had remembered Säule, a feeling confirmed by regulars, I enjoyed it enormously! It was like a mini Klubnacht on a Thursday. A mix of newcomers, tourists, music enthusiasts, and genuine weirdos. Such an accessible entry point into the Berghain mythos is a valuable thing to have.

I can wholeheartedly recommend it to give it a try. I also hope the price point stays where it is (or gets lowered) because that is what keeps locals and regulars showing up, especially on a weekday night.

Flyer Live from Earth Berghain November 2024

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