How much does entry to Berlin clubs cost?

The day of the week is the biggest factor: Friday and Saturday are the most expensive, Sunday and weekdays much cheaper – often the same music in the same club for half the price. The second factor is the line-up: an international headliner costs a fee, and the door ends up paying it. The third is the time. Many parties are tiered: cheaper or free before midnight, full price after.

The size of the club hardly matters. Small places with a good programme are not cheaper than big ones – and big clubs with resident DJs are not automatically more expensive.

The door price is what you pay at the entrance with nothing else – on friendslist.de it is shown under “Price” on every party. Presale via ticket platforms is often cheaper than the door at big parties and secures your entry when it gets full; smaller parties usually do not have presale at all.

The guest list is the third way and in Berlin the cheapest: if you are on it you pay whatever the promoter has set for the list – at many parties nothing, at others a reduced amount until a certain time. Every event page shows door price and list price side by side so you can see what signing up gets you.

Four things that almost always work:

• ›Sign up for the guest list – costs nothing, saves the whole entry fee at many parties.
• ›Arrive before the price cut-off. If it is “free until 0:30”, be at the door at 0:15, not 0:45.
• ›Go out on Sunday or during the week. Same clubs, same sound systems, smaller prices.
• ›Buy tickets early for big parties – the first price tier is the cheapest.

Entry is just the start. Coat check is mandatory in almost every club and costs extra, drinks are pricier in clubs than in bars, and some clubs are cash only – cash machines near clubs have queues and fees at night. Budget two to three times the entry fee for the night if you drink.

Free parties happen regularly, by the way – parties with free entry shows which ones are coming up. Free does not mean empty, though: the door still decides.