10 Locations
Indie culture runs strong in Berlin, from guitar bands and record shops to independent cinemas and labels. The indie scene here shapes much of the city's music, film and style, thriving well away from the mainstream. This overview gathers Berlin locations for independent spirit.
Live venues and bars across Kreuzberg, Neukoelln and Friedrichshain host indie gigs and club nights, while record shops stock vinyl from local and international labels. Independent cinemas screen arthouse films, and small labels and studios support the scene behind the scenes. It is a culture built on doing things your own way.
Browse the venues below to find indie across Berlin, from live gigs to record shops.
The Lido in Kreuzberg's Wrangelkiez was once a cinema and has been operating as a concert club with space for 600 people since May 2006. The historic chandeliers still hang above the wooden parquet floor, which is why confetti is forbidden in the hall. As an indie club in Berlin, Lido is the go-to place for bands just before their breakthrough into larger venues and for party series like Emo Diaries.
The Astra Kulturhaus on the RAW site was the cultural center of the Reichsbahn during GDR times and continues to embrace this heritage today. The hall measures 500 square meters, has parquet flooring and several bars, and outside there is a beer garden with its own outdoor bar. Among Berlin's indie clubs, Astra boasts the largest stage and the broadest program.
The Privatclub is located in the basement of an old post office on Skalitzer Straße, identifiable only by a glowing P above the brick door. Since May 1996, the Karrera Klub, the city's oldest indie disco, has been running here, with admission starting from 4 Euros. Among indie clubs in Berlin, this is the place for bands you can still see from two meters away.
The Frannz Club is located in the old taproom of the Schultheiss brewery in the Kulturbrauerei complex, where the legendary youth club Franz supplied the East Berlin music scene from 1970 onwards. Today, concerts and parties take place here on three floors, plus a beer garden in the inner courtyard. Among Berlin's indie clubs, Frannz has the longest history.
Supamolly is hidden in a backyard on Jessnerstrasse and emerged from Friedrichshain's squatter and subculture scene. Bands don't get their gig dates by email but at the weekly pub meeting. Among Berlin's indie clubs, Supamolly has the smallest concert cellar and the cheapest beer.
Bi Nuu is located directly in the heritage-listed Schlesisches Tor U-Bahn station from 1902 and is named after the third album by the band Ideal. The concert hall holds 500 people and is so soundproofed that nothing can be heard from the trains overhead. Among the indie clubs in Berlin, Bi Nuu is the one with the biggest leap between two evenings.
Schokoladen on Ackerstraße is located in an 1881 factory, where chocolate was actually produced from 1911 onwards. Since its occupation in 1990, it has been home to a cultural project whose hereditary building right contract even stipulates moderate admission prices. Around 230 concerts a year make it one of Berlin's indie clubs where you can see bands before they break through.
The Dunckerclub is housed in a heritage-listed brick building from 1913, which once served as a stable and gymnasium, and between 1983 and 1989 hosted punk concerts as an East German youth club. Since 1993, it has been home to the city's most famous Gothic night, Dark Mønday. Among Berlin's indie clubs, it boasts the longest memory and also features a beer garden.
The Little Stage in Jonasstraße is little more than a room with a bar, sofas, and a stage, and you have to ring a bell to get in. Run by an association, it hosts a weekly jazz jam session as an open stage, the exile program of Neukölln's jazz bar Peppi Guggenheim, and concerts by bands that can't find a venue elsewhere.
Since 1995, Wild At Heart has been located opposite Görlitzer Park, in the premises of a former art house cinema. Inside, there are no windows, but there is reddish-brown wallpaper covered with thousands of stickers, red velvet, and a recording studio in the basement. Among the indie clubs in Berlin, Wild At Heart is the place for punk, rockabilly, and free newcomer concerts.