This Berlin Berghain trend is now spreading to Ibiza and London

Berliner Zeitung This Berlin Berghain trend is now spreading to Ibiza and London Article by Anne Vorbringer • 17 hours • 2 minutes reading time The most famous queue in the city: queuing for Berghain The Berlin club scene is also good for positive headlines, for international attention. After recently announced closures such as those of the Wilde Renate in Friedrichshain or the Watergate on the Oberbaum Bridge became known, there was an atmosphere of alarm in the scene. Berlin is losing its uniqueness as clubs continue to die out, warns not only the Club Commission. But Berlin's nightlife is still a trendsetter every now and then, as was recently reported in the New York Times. There, the reporter first describes the scene in front of Berlin's most famous techno club, Berghain: "Hundreds of visitors, sweating in black outfits, line the dusty path to the door, hoping to be let into the former power plant, which is known worldwide for its strict door policy, its star DJ line-ups and its hedonistic parties that last almost 36 hours." The Friedrichshain club is also notorious "because, despite its reputation as one of the world's leading techno clubs, its parties are not documented online." Clubgoers are warned at the door that photos and videos are prohibited: "Any violation leads to exclusion." Berghain-goers know what blackout practice is being talked about here: To ensure compliance with the photo ban, the bouncers place stickers on the front and back of the guests' smartphones to cover their cameras. Such camera policies have become standard practice in Berlin clubs, explains the renowned American daily, "and an important tool in maintaining an atmosphere in which anything goes." The New York Times notes that other clubs around the world are increasingly following Berlin's example: "Prestigious venues such as Fabric in London and Radion in Amsterdam have introduced similar sticker rules in recent years." And the covering trend is also taking hold on Ibiza, the Balearic island known for its wild nightlife. The famous hotel institution Pikes Ibiza, where Wham! once shot their video for "Club Tropicana", has now also banned cell phones on the dance floors. After introducing a cell phone ban policy for Monday night events in April and causing "quite a stir on the island", as Pikes writes on Instagram, the measure is a "positive change in the way people experience parties in Ibiza." Many event organizers have followed suit. Pikes is now introducing the policy for every night of the week. "As soon as visitors come through the gates, a sticker will be placed over the cameras and staff will enforce the rule throughout the night." The statement continues: "We want you to dance like no one is watching." Guests and resident DJs should feel as comfortable as if they were at a friend's house party. The statement concludes with the sentence: "What happens at Pikes stays at Pikes." This code is also known in Berlin: "What happens in Berghain stays in Berghain."