New Clubcommission Study Shows Why Berlin Clubs Are Struggling
- Michele
- 07 September 2026, Monday
A new study by Clubcommission looks at how Berlin’s nightlife and club economy has changed since the pandemic. What is making it harder for clubs to survive, and what needs to change for venues to sustain themselves? The answer is not as simple as we might hope.
Clubcommission’s New Study Paints A Complex Picture
For the first time since 2019, the Berlin Clubcommission has published a new study looking at the state of Berlin’s globally renowned club culture. The survey, conducted with 102 participants, covers all kinds of aspects of the city’s nightlife, from how venues manage financial challenges and visitor behavior to what the city does (or doesn’t do) to help Berlin’s nightlife survive and thrive.
The previous study revealed a range of economic and structural vulnerabilities that have since become even more challenging, not least due to the pandemic. But there are also new challenges emerging, and new ways in which old ones are manifesting.
One of the most important findings is that how clubs make money has changed tremendously. Whereas in 2017, about 60 % of revenue came from food and beverage sales, those now only account for 20 %. Admission fees, now at 59 %, have become the primary driver of revenue, compared to 21 % nine years ago.
This pressure has forced clubs to take concrete action. More than half have raised prices for beverages, while almost half have increased admission prices. Many have also started renting out their spaces for more events and are changing their programming and schedules.
On the visitor’s side, things have changed, too. Broadly speaking, demand for nightlife and club visits in general remains high. Most clubs and event organizers surveyed were filling at least half of their capacity, with one in three welcoming crowds of more than 75 %. But visitors are planning their nights out more consciously. More than half of them don’t stay as long as they used to and a significant majority drink less, which means that less money is being spent at the club.
Where visitors save (for valid reasons, that is to say), venues pay the price. Declining purchasing power is one of the main financial stress factors, alongside rising personnel and operating costs as well as high rents. And most venues say that this economic pressure has forced them to change their programming. What this shows is that despite attracting audiences, fewer venues are making enough money to cover their costs: 61 % covered their costs or made a profit in 2025, compared with 79 % in 2017.
Solutions Are There, But Structural Changes Remain Unavailable
The issue, then, is less about people not wanting to go out. Rather, the current conditions make it increasingly difficult for clubs to turn their audiences into a sustainable business while keeping nightlife accessible to everyone. Admission fees are now their main source of income, which inadvertently means they can also become a barrier for people who simply can’t afford a night out. What this also means is that the very communities that are and have historically been shaping Berlin’s club culture from the bottom up are already being pushed out and are at risk of being pushed out even further.
At the same time, clubs are increasingly forced to rely on the very things that make nightlife less accessible, from higher admission prices to other income sources that put more pressure on visitors. Without enough structural support from the top, clubs are left trying to solve a much bigger problem on their own. And unfortunately, almost all of those surveyed believe that without structural improvements, many clubs could struggle to survive in the long term.
Kai Sachse, Managing Director of Clubcommission and project manager for the study, says: “Whether Berlin’s club culture will be able to continue to realize its cultural, social, and economic potential in the future depends less on what happens on the dance floor than on issues of space, funding, and planning certainty.”
But are those solutions actually available? Not so much, according to the survey respondents. 74% say they are increasingly reliant on public funding, yet grants make up only 2% of their total revenue. As a result, 23% are considering closing their business within the next twelve months, while at least 24 clubs and cultural venues have already closed since 2020.
This reality requires clubs to adapt, expand, and rethink their approaches. As a result, collaboration is growing, with venues working more closely with other creative sectors, clubs, NGOs, and initiatives. They are also investing in their teams, including through greater diversity and more training. These are important steps, but they can only go so far when the underlying structural challenges remain.
Is There Any Hope for Berlin?
One difficult question many are asking, and are often scared to ask, is whether there is any hope for Berlin. Luckily, one of the study’s findings suggests there might be, despite the fact that most of the numbers point in the other direction.
Although many venues have closed, around 25 new ones have opened since 2020. What this number shows is that people are still willing to try, despite knowing that the situation is dire. While we don’t know exactly which venues are included in this number, we also believe that more small, non-commercial venues have emerged since then, meaning the actual number could be even higher.
So while the scene is clearly under pressure, it is also far from giving up. People are still creating new spaces, experimenting with different approaches, and finding ways to keep club culture going. The question is how long this can continue without the structural support needed to make these efforts sustainable.
Clubcommission concludes its study by addressing multiple areas for action, with concrete steps that need to be taken to protect Berlin’s club culture and create the structural conditions it needs to thrive, rather than merely survive. Space needs to become more available. Publicly owned buildings and spaces need to open up for clubs and cultural venues, a suggestion supported by 86% of those surveyed.
Funding that goes beyond short-term support is needed. The government also needs to officially recognize clubs as cultural venues. This would have important implications for building regulations, noise protection, and access to funding. The process is currently underway at the federal level, but it is still unclear what the final outcome will be. Finally, working conditions must be improved. For example, support around social security needs to be expanded and a minimum standard for fair pay developed.
But there’s also another side to this conversation. A lot of Berlin’s club culture is kept alive by people who contribute with their time and skills for free. This is especially true for collectives, so-called Vereine (associations), and other non-commercial projects, where people volunteer because they believe in what they are building.
That’s something we should all be grateful for. But it also raises the question of how sustainable this model is in the long run. Berlin’s club culture should not depend on people being willing or able to work for free. If the city wants to keep its club culture alive, it needs both the people willing to put in the work and the structural conditions that allow them to do so without having to make huge compromises and sacrifices or accept low wages simply because “that’s just how things are in the creative industry.” Spoiler: the money is there. It’s a matter of where it goes and who gets access to it.
Conclusion: Berlin’s Nightlife Culture in 2026
Clubcommission’s new study has brought to light many new challenges that have emerged since the pandemic, while also showing how much more difficult it has become for clubs to tackle the old ones. The changes are also being felt by visitors, who are facing higher prices and changing conditions when they go out. Clubs, however, cannot be expected to solve these problems on their own. There are bigger structural issues at play, and venues can only do so much to adapt.
This is where the government needs to take a closer look at what it is actually investing in and what the city actually wants and needs. There is a lot of talk about investment and development, but not every investment automatically makes Berlin better or contributes to what makes it the city it is. If the people who actually make up the city are asking for more spaces, funding, and support for the culture they create, perhaps that is worth paying attention to.
That’s because in a city like Berlin, culture is not just something nice to have. It is a huge part of what gives the city its character, attracts people from all over the world, creates jobs, and supports a wider economic ecosystem. The underground will probably survive, since it always somehow finds a way. But if the city allows its club culture to decline too far, the consequences will reach far beyond the dance floor, affecting the people who make up the scene, the wider economy, and ultimately the character of the city itself.
If Berlin wants to keep its culture, its character, and the people who create both, it needs to start treating them as something worth protecting.
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Michele is a Berlin-based writer passionate about music in its many forms, from soulful house, groovy techno, and breaky jungle/drum & bass to alternative rock, dark wave, and beyond. With experience in production, journalism, and DJing, they engage with the culture of sound from multiple perspectives. Their current topics of interest include club culture, music discovery & curation, dance, and the ways music affects perception & feeling. Michele writes in English.
