Iconic Berlin music institution to permanently close after 22 years

After a 22-year run, Berlin’s renowned nightclub Watergate has announced that it will permanently close its doors at the end of this year.  

Founded in 2002 by Ulrich Wombacher, Steffen Hack and Niklas Eichstädt, the club located at Falckensteinstraße and overlooking the River Spree has welcomed top-tier DJs and quickly earned its place as a cultural landmark. 

While it has a smaller capacity compared to the likes of Berghain or Tresor, it is a go-to location for fans of electronic music, making this announcement quite the blow for Berlin’s cultural scene.  

In its statement announcing the closure, the management stated it has faced mounting financial challenges. 

“With a heavy heart, we have decided to end our club operations at Watergate at the end of the year and to not renew our lease. With the pressure of rising costs and shifting club culture, this is the only sensible and responsible decision.”

Co-founder Ulrich Wombacher has cited inflation, the energy crisis, and rising rent costs as the main reasons behind the decision.  

“Unfortunately, the realities of inflation, the energy crisis, rising costs in general, and, not least, the high rent for this beautiful location in the heart of the city at Oberbaumbrücke on the Spree, caught up with us,” Wombacher told Resident Advisor. “We’re facing enormous financial pressure, which ultimately led us to the decision not to extend the club’s lease.”

Wombacher has also pointed out the growing popularity of larger festivals which have shifted attention away from smaller, traditional venues. 

Watergate’s statement also cited that “the days when Berlin was flooded with club-loving visitors are over, at least for now, and the scene is fighting for survival.”

Indeed, despite Watergate playing a crucial role in Berlin’s clubbing history, and Berlin techno having been inscribed to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list earlier this year, many night-time institutions have had to shut down. Since the pandemic, cultural mainstays have struggled to recover and Berlin’s “poor but sexy” image – as Berlin’s then mayor Klaus Wowereit described it in 2003 – has gradually been eroded when faced with higher rents.

The most recent closure was in August, with club Renate – which is owned by the same landlord as Watergate – also citing financial strain and rent increases for its shutdown after 18 years. 

While the future looks increasingly uncertain for clubs like Watergate, the club plans to go out in style with a series of farewell events which will run through October and continue until the end of the year. The final party is set for New Year’s Eve. 

“We’re bowing out, and we’re doing it with style, because as they say: ‘The party is over – long live the party!’” 

Additional sources • Resident Advisor