Berlin will trial indoor events to assess safety of reopening clubs with antigen testing

Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture and Europe is set to trial indoor events to assess the safety of reopening clubs using antigen testing. 

In a press release from the Senate earlier this month, it was confirmed that nine indoor events would be held at a number of different venues across Berlin during March and April, to examine the practicality of using coronavirus antigen tests to restart the city’s culture sector.

One of the trial events taking place in Berlin’s Holzmarkt this Saturday (27th) will be a club event, with advance ticket holders required to pass an antigen test tomorrow before entry. Guests must present a negative test result along with ID and their ticket, and remain in masks for the duration of the event. Despite agreeing taking part in the study, Holzmarket voiced their concerns at the privacy issues surrounding ID and testing, stating that antigen tests were “not a permanent perspective for the club culture for us” and they had concerns that “these structures will remain stuck and normalized even after the pandemic.”

The Senator for Culture and Europe, Klaus Lederer, said: “Berlin’s cultural institutions behaved very responsibly over the past year. In view of the opening scenarios that are now possible, cultural institutions continue to assume social responsibility. 

“I am proud of the fact that a close alliance of the most diverse cultural institutions in the city has succeeded, which allows us to test a blueprint of how cultural events can work safely for the different houses, small and large, as well as a club. Such a pilot is unique in Germany – and hopefully a contribution with a view to a carefree visit to cultural events. As soon as possible.”

Pamela Schobeß, the chairman of the Berlin’s Club Commission, previously said the pilot project was “a small but important step to be able to create a perspective for the entire industry again after one year”.

In January, Schobeß told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that she is anticipating a period of two years before clubs in Berlin can continue normal programming. She added that the city’s nightlife institutes were “the first to be closed and the last to be allowed to reopen,” and kick-starting the clubbing economy “cannot go from zero to one hundred” without the continued support of federal and state governments.