New documentary sheds light on Berlin's "disappearing" nightclubs

A new documentary centred around the mounting financial pressures on nightclubs in Berlin has been released by ARD Mediathek.

The 30-minute film, titled Danced Out? Berlin Clubs Under Pressure, was premiered by RBB on December 30, and tells the story of the city’s famed nightlife scene and the clubs that it has lost over the decades.

“Berlin's nightlife is world-famous – yet the very places that have shaped it for decades are increasingly under pressure: the clubs,” reads a documentary description.

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Directed by filmmakers Friederike Schlumbom and Alix François Meier, Danced Out? also aims to shed light on the “people who embody this culture and what is lost when such spaces disappear”.

It includes interviews with artists and music sector workers across Berlin’s nightlife scene, described as “a film about spaces of freedom, identity, and the question of how Berlin can remain Berlin at night”.

Danced Out? also documents the recent closure of SchwuZ, Berlin’s oldest queer club, which filed for bankruptcy in August 2025 citing a “severe” financial situation.

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SchwuZ filed for insolvency after suffering a deficit of €30,000 - €60,000 (US$35,200 - US$70,400) each month through 2025, noting that it would soon be unable to fincancially continue if the venue were to operate much longer. In November, the city’s Senator for Culture suggested that Watergate could reopen in SchwuZ's former home.

“After almost 50 years, [SchwuZ] had to close,” reads a description of the documentary. “What does this mean for the community, the city, and the next generation? What ideas are there to revitalise the club scene – from new locations and political support to creative concepts for the future?”

Watch Danced Out? Berlin Clubs Under Pressure here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on X