The power of live music to make folks feel good is on full display at a host of Berlin night clubs. If listening to bands and vocalists show off their skills is how you like to spend an evening, you'll find that Berlin does things right. Multiple options let you tap into the venues that 10Best readers favor, like K17, or you can get a taste of the city's offerings by visiting places like Bassy Cowboy Club, which is known for its Rock music. While many venues on the local music scene are clustered in the Mitte area, know that terrific places to hear live music can be found throughout Berlin.
Starting up the district's club mile, this venue is home to Berlin's electro avant-garde. The club houses two performance spaces, the smaller of which is called Josef. Lots of visual and multimedia musical acts appear, ranging from local to international performers. U-BAHN: Ostbahnhof
Read more about Magdalena (Ex Maria am Ostbahnhof) →
Campy decor and loud punk and thrash make this a must try. A little harder edge than most venues, with live music Wednesday through Saturday, it's a favorite for rockabilly, hard-core punk, and rock. You can buy advance tickets to the shows next door at the Tiki Heart shop. U-BAHN: Görlitzer Bahnhof
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This progressive music venue is housed in an old US military movie house. Musical figures like Ani DiFranco and Iggy Pop have made appearances. These days the club presents edgy independent acts such as Tegan and Sarah, Regina Spektor or Hot Chip. Saturday nights are host to the FritzClubDisco, featuring an eclectic mix of Indie Rock, Soul and Electro. S-BAHN: Ostbahnhof
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Bassy attracts an eclectic crowd, and it's not only for cowboys. The soundtrack is mostly music from the '50s and '60s, and the dress code is similar. Find yourself dancing wildly to jangling surf-rock, stomping country or old fashioned rock 'n' roll – indeed the way it was meant to be. Most weekends feature live bands as well. Hats, tattoos and beards are encouraged (even for the ladies). U-BAHN: Senefelderplatz
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While K17 is a little out of the way in Berlin's Friedrichshain district, it's a find for lovers of Gothic and Metal. The club is a complex of spaces in two warehouse buildings; one of which includes a large room that hosts local and international bands from the scene. A second building houses four floors of dark bars, playing a mix of metal, punk, industrial dance and new wave. The dress code welcomes leather, PVC and anything studded, but black will do nicely as well. U-BAHN & S-BAHN: Frankfurter Allee
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Located in a side wing of the Volksbühne, the Roter Salon is a popular venue featuring a line-up of excellent local and touring acts. The DJs on duty usually play an indie rock/electro mix beloved by Berliners. However Wednesday night is always Tangonacht ("Tango Night"). U-BAHN: Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
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Lido is a live music venue located in the trendy area of Kreuzberg. Musicians from around the world have been performing here for the last few years as this is a hot new location. Sitting or standing, there is not a bad place in the house. It is comprised of one big room with great acoustics and one long bar.
Local Expert tip: After the show head out into the surrounding area to enjoy the good nightlife scene. You'll find bars and restaurants all around Schlesische Str., Skalitzer Str., around Görlitzer Bahnhof, Oranienplatz.
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