SchwuZ

SchwuZ has been at the centre of Berlin's gay scene since 1977, making it one of the oldest continuously operating gay clubs in Germany. The current incarnation is in Neukölln's Rollberg Kino building — three floors, multiple rooms, each with a distinct musical identity running from pop and house to more experimental sounds. What makes SchwuZ different from Berghain or KitKat is its explicit commitment to diversity and inclusion: the crowd is genuinely mixed in terms of gender, sexuality, background and age in a way that few large queer venues achieve. The monthly Gayhane night is the most well-known of SchwuZ's regular events: a queer Middle Eastern and Turkish dance night that has been running for over 20 years and draws hundreds of queer people from Berlin's large Turkish and Arab communities alongside allies and curious visitors. The playlist is Arabic and Turkish pop, dance and dabke — a completely different sound to any other gay club night in the city. Other regular events include women's nights, drag shows, 80s/90s theme nights and the annual SchwuZ Birthday party. The Neukölln location is less central than Schöneberg but reflects Berlin's eastward shift in queer life. Entry prices are modest by European standards. The venue is actively wheelchair accessible — unusual for Berlin's older club infrastructure.