Following closure announcements from two of Berlin’s most iconic clubs, Kreuzberg-based Watergate and Friedrichshain-based Wilde Renate, global music initiative Electronic Beats shed light into why clubs are closing at such an advanced pace with a 30-minute episode of their weekly podcast with Berlin-based DJ duo Surf2Glory, residents of Club Heart Broken and Venus Vessels.
And it’s not just Germany. In the UK, a study found that if nightlife continues struggling at the same rate. According to the Night Time Industry Association (NTIA) “Between June 2020 and June 2024, the UK lost 480 nightclubs, averaging 10 closures per month – or 2 per week. Alarmingly, the pace of closures has increased in 2024. Between December 2023 and June 2024, 65 nightclubs shut down, equating to 11 closures per month – or 3 per week.”
This rise in closures is devastating the UK’s late-night economy, particularly the dance music spaces that are the lifeblood of the scene.” – Some of these issues are perennial, but the reality is that “Clubsterben” is accelerating – even though there seems to be more money in nightlife than ever.
So what impact do these closures have on artists and audiences? Are clubs still hubs for musical and social communities? And what role does the internet and social media play in all of this? Surf2Glory talk about their experiences navigating through this shifting cultural landscape with hosts 0tt0 Kent and Juba.