Berghain New Year Marathon: Inside Berlin’s Most Iconic 72-Hour Rave

My first New Year in Berghain was in 2016 — my first year in Berlin. To be honest, my memories from those nights are blurry, but since then, I haven’t missed a single New Year. This one will be my ninth in a row. We still don’t know the lineup yet — it’s usually announced about two weeks before — but it already feels like the right time to start talking about it, that moment when the whole club opens.

When I say all open, I mean every floor — Berghain, Panorama Bar, Säule, Halle, and Lab.Oratory. Everything alive at once. The decorations are always more detailed, the attention to atmosphere higher, and the whole place becomes a massive playground that attracts people from all over the world, even more than any regular weekend.

I remember a few countdowns clearly. Once, when Mykki Blanco was standing above the entrance of the smoking area after Boris played, leading the countdown from 2017 to 2018. Another time, during the 2022 to 2023 countdown, FKA M4A played “It’s Not Right but It’s Okay” by Whitney Houston — an unforgettable moment. I remember one year when the Halle was filled with beautiful white flowers, and another when they brought the old Berghain sound system into the Halle, just to show us that they are still there in the building.

There’s something special about New Year’s in Berghain — when all the floors are open, the staff are softer, and the vibe is extreme in every direction. It’s always intense, always unforgettable.

The last two years it felt a bit emptier — probably since the competition increased and the ticket prices went up. Some people decided to give up the experience. We don’t know the lineup yet, but I thought it would be great to go over some of the floors that will be open, to give a sense of the atmosphere, the vibe, and as much as we can predict for what’s coming this year.

 

The Berghain Floor

 

The first and biggest dance floor is, of course, the Berghain floor. There’s no one who doesn’t remember their first time climbing the metal stairs and stepping inside. Going up there and feeling one of the best sound systems in the world, surrounded by top DJs in the techno scene — artists who completely blow your mind.

Berghain on New Year’s is always full power. It’s hard to imagine it any other way — the energy, the crowd, the sound, everything burns at maximum. Everyone is on fire, and the floor becomes pure electricity.

This floor gave me so many experiences at a very young age — deeply personal moments, but also shared ones. What can we say about this space? The lighting gets better every year, the sound system — not exactly new anymore, maybe around three years old — keeps improving, and the vibe remains incredibly strong, dark, and powerful.

On the left side, you always have the dark rooms; on the right, the beautiful big bar. Next to it, the famous swing, and just beside that, the stairs leading up to the Eis Bar — perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth or looking for something light like a sandwich or smoothie. 

 

 

Halle am Berghain (Elektroakustischer Salon)

 

Right next to the Ice Bar, you’ll find a large door that leads into Halle am Berghain, which during New Year’s is usually listed in the lineup as the Elektroakustischer Salon. This space deserves its own respect — it’s not just another floor, it’s a world of its own. On such an intense night, Halle always provides a kind of shelter — maybe a dreamy, darker one, but still a very classic Berghain refuge.

Every year it features one of the top artists in ambient music, creating a place to slow down, breathe, and drift for a moment between all the madness happening around. It’s the perfect space to lose yourself in deep ambient sets — like those from Tobias. Point or The 7th Plain, the project of Luke Slater, who brings incredible layers of sound and atmosphere to Halle. Without Halle, New Year’s in Berghain wouldn’t feel as complete or as powerful as it is.

Under Halle, you can find a staircase that leads down toward the entry area. There you’ll find what many call the “restaurant” — another bar space. One year, they set up a huge long table there; it felt like it stretched 25 meters (though don’t take my estimate too seriously — it’s New Year’s, and my brain tends to exaggerate things that night). There you can also get a lentil soup — very German, but actually a pretty good meal if you’re tired and need a short break before diving back into the chaos.

 

 

Panorama Bar

 

If we go up the stairs from Berghain, we reach the famous Panorama Bar — a place that always brings so many great artists. Many of the residents play there, but not only them; top DJs from all over the world join, mixed with some of the best residents, and that combination is incredible.

Panorama, as always, is the light of the club. It’s the colorful space. During the day, sometimes the window opens if the light person decides to, giving everyone a sip of sunlight. The lighting, the performance, the atmosphere — everything feels bright and alive. The big bar serves some of the best cocktails in Berlin, easily one of the highest-quality bars among all techno clubs in the city.

Behind it, you’ll find a small cabin where you can have some fun or some sex, and if you go upstairs above the toilets, you can chill with friends or just take another breath between it all. It’s a happy place, a good-vibe place, full of connection. I’m not saying Berghain doesn’t have that communication, but in Panorama, the light makes it different — you can see each other, you look at each other, and somehow it brings people closer.

 

 

Säule

 

When you enter the club, after the garderobe, you’ll find Säule — one of the newest spaces in Berghain’s world. I still remember the time before it existed. Sometimes they host live performances or DJ sets there on Thursdays, and for New Year’s, I can guess there might be at least one live performance in Säule — but we still don’t know, we’ll have to wait and see.

When you come in, Säule is on the left side — a dark, intimate space with a beautiful bar on the right. Next to the toilets, there’s a small staircase leading up to another level that feels a bit like a hidden area. Maybe it’s meant to remind us how things used to be before Säule was built — with small mazes, corners, and places to play around. I wish there would be more play happening there, but in the last years, it’s become more of a chill area, both upstairs and downstairs. So maybe, if you’re reading this, I encourage you to hit up the area — bring back some of that energy.

 

 

Lab.Oratory (XXX-Floor)

 

If you continue past Säule, you’ll reach Lab.Oratory, which in the Berghain lineup is usually listed as the XXX-Floor. Normally, this space is open only for men, but during New Year’s, it transforms completely.

Maybe I’m wrong, but for me, the music there feels like a mix between Panorama Bar and Berghain — strong bass, but with a more playful sound. The smell is stronger than ever, and Lab.Oratory is known as one of the most intense gay clubs in the world, famous for its fetish nights and hard events throughout the year.

But on New Year’s, when all genders are allowed, the energy doesn’t shift — it expands. The energy of the whole year suddenly belongs to everyone. I assume there’s not as much sex as on a regular Lab.Oratory night, but the atmosphere is still deeply charged — sexually, emotionally, and energetically. The lineup is always amazing, filled with strong, driving DJs.

I still remember a long time ago when Skatebård played there — an incredible set that completely blew me away. It was my first time, and I was amazed by everything: the sound, the bass, the vibe, the people, the lights, the decoration, and all the tiny rooms and cabins spread through the play area.

 

 

Why I Keep Coming Back Every New Year to Berghain

 

Of course, I can’t cover every corner of Berghain — maybe one day I’ll do it in a very, very long blog. Around New Year’s, we all ask ourselves where to go and what to do. The FOMO is real — there are so many amazing parties, clubs, lineups, friends here, partners there, and even great home gatherings.

But I know that I will always go to Berghain for New Year’s, because there I can feel it all — the building, the power, the energy, all the floors, and the incredible lineups.

Below, I’ll leave a link with a question mark — it will lead to the lineup as soon as Berghain announces it:

Berghain New Year’s Lineup ?