Since the time of the Weimar
Republic, and even through
the lean postwar years,
Berlin has had a reputation
for having some of the best
- and steamiest - nightlife
in Europe, an image fuelled
by the cartoon-like drawings
of George Grosz and films
like
Cabaret . Among
the big draws today are the
clubs
that have grown up out of
the city's techno scene. In
a remarkably short space of
time these places, many
housed in abandoned
buildings on or around the
former no-go area of the
East-West border strip, have
spawned a scene that ranks
among the most exciting in
Europe. If manic dance music
is not your thing, then
check out the city's wide
range of more traditional
clubs and discos, ranging
from slick hangouts for the
trendy to raucous punky
dives.
Berlin's reputation as a
leader of the avant-garde is
also reflected in the number
of small, often experimental
theater groups
working here. The scene is
an active one, though bear
in mind that many theatre
companies take a break in
July and August. Classical
music has long been
dominated by the world-class
Berlin Philharmonic, though
several other orchestras and
three opera companies are
based in the city. Vanishing
subsidies have cast a shadow
over theatres, orchestras
and opera houses in the
city, which, as a legacy of
the decades of division,
currently has a surplus of
such instutitions. Though
some rationalization is
inevitable in the coming
years, it's likely that all
the big names will weather
current storms.
Theaterkassen
(ticket offices) are usually
the easiest - and
occasionally the only - way
of buying tickets for all
major music, theatre and
dance events. Open during
normal working hours, they
take credit-card bookings
and charge a hefty
commission (up to 17 percent
of the ticket price). The
best place to try,
especially for fringe
theatre, more obscure
classical concerts and
dance, is Hekticket ,
Rathausstr. 1, Mitte (tel 0
30/24 31 24 31). Other good
bets are Box Office ,
Nollendorfplatz 7, Schöneberg
(tel 2 15 54 63), Wertheim
, Kurfürstendamm 231,
Charlottenburg (tel 0 30/8
82 25 00), and Ko Ka 36
, Oranienstr. 29, Kreuzberg
(tel 0 30/6 15 88 18, www.icf.de/koka36
).
The way to find out
exactly what's on and
where is to look in the
listings magazines Tip
and Zitty , in Berlin
Programm or on the
innumerable flyposters about
town.
Discos and clubs
Berlin's clubs and discos
are smaller, cheaper and
less exclusive than their
counterparts in London or
New York - and fewer in
number. You don't need much
nous to work out that the
places along the Ku'damm are
tourist rip-offs: the real
all-night sweats...
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more >>
Live rock and pop music
In the big venues, you
should book well in advance
for anything even vaguely
popular. Invariably you
can't buy tickets from the
places themselves, but need
to go to a ticket office.
It's also worth remembering
that, in addition to the
places listed below,...
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Jazz and world music
Berlin offers a good range
of live jazz venues, and is
an important centre for the
burgeoning world music
movement. A-Trane ,
Bleibtreustr. 1,
Charlottenburg (tel 0 30/3
13 25 50). Presents
up-and-coming and well-known
jazz artists in a...
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more >>
Classical music
For centuries, Berlin's
standing in the musical
world lagged well behind
that of other major German
cities such as Leipzig,
Dresden, Munich and Hamburg.
That situation began to
change with the foundation
in 1882 of the Berliner
Philharmonisches Orchester,...
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more >>
Theater
Throughout the first three
decades of the twentieth
century, Berlin's theatrical
life enjoyed an unparalleled
international reputation,
thanks in large measure to
the inspired tutelage of the
seemingly omnipresent figure
of Max Reinhardt. He
emigrated on...
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more >>
Cabaret, variety and
dance
Sadly, Berlin's legendary
prewar cabaret scene is
little more than a memory.
However, a few
establishments gamely strive
to keep alive the tradition
of political satire, while
old-style variety shows have
made something of a comeback
in the city (as...
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more >>
