"What happens in a Berlin rave, stays in a Berlin rave."
Berlin is known for its raves like none other in the world – but getting into these raves can be incredibly difficult.
That's according to Newstalk reporter Henry McKean, who had the chance to attend a rave in between reporting on the Special Olympics.
“The club, Sisyphos, had Electric Picnic or Body & Soul vibes – plywood everywhere,” he told Moncrieff.
“It was an old disused factory around the Berlin Wall area - The Germans got very creative after the wall came down, so it’s a big disused factory converted into a rave.”
Join us at a 72 hour rave in Berlin. @SeanMoncrieff @NewstalkFM 2pm pic.twitter.com/ZUK1kDeRD8
— Henry McKean (@HenryMcKean) June 20, 2023
Despite Berlin being known for its raves, it’s also known for it’s strict entry policy.
“A lot of people were disappointed because they got rejected - they’re really strict,” Henry said. “I’m surprised I got in.
“They want you to look sexy, they want you to look edgy, they want you to look cool - but it's hard to define what cool is."
Henry spoke to a woman who was rejected from Sisyphos while her boyfriend was allowed inside.
“I thought Berlin was a place where you go out and enjoy yourself and be anything you want,” she said. “But apparently here you cannot.”
“It’s freedom.” Join us at a Berlin all night & day 3 day rave. @SeanMoncrieff @NewstalkFM 2pm GMT pic.twitter.com/CwFxrGSmyZ
— Henry McKean (@HenryMcKean) June 20, 2023
The Belgian woman was told she looked too “basic” to enter the rave.
“I love it when a rave is really inclusive, and people are open, and you don’t have to be something to be accepted to enter a place," she said.
While the club charges €25 to enter the rave, attendants can get their money’s worth as the rave runs for 72 hours.
“I met people who were in there 10, 12 hours a day,” Henry said. “I was only there two hours - I can’t imagine being there 12 hours.”
Privacy
Everyone at the rave is required to put a sticker over their phone camera to prevent photos and videos being taken.
According to Henry, “what happens at a Berlin rave, stays at a Berlin rave.”
“A lot of people had no issue covering their camera with a sticker,” he said. “So people don’t find themselves up on Instagram the next day and coworkers don’t find them somewhere they don’t want to be seen.”
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