Berghain is no longer the best club in Germany

By Abi Carter

Berghain in Berlin is the best club in Germany, right? Everyone knows that. Well think again - according to a new reader's choice ranking by DJ Mag, the legendary club has been knocked off its podium.

Bootshaus overtakes Berghain

For the first time ever, a rival German club has overtaken Berghain in DJ Mag’s world ranking of the top 100 clubs. While the infamous Berlin club is now ranked number 10 in the world, the less well-known Bootshaus club in Cologne has risen three rankings to claim eighth place, two spots higher than Berghain. That makes it the highest-ranked club in the whole of Germany. 

Bootshaus has been steadily climbing up the rankings since entering the top 100 in 2013. A growing variety of styles and genres has allowed them to gradually expand their fan base, so that they now sell out almost every show. We suspect the flamethrower mounted to the ceiling of the club’s main dance floor also has something to do with it…

Berghain still a firm favourite

Berghain’s position in the world rankings has been gradually dropping since it achieved the number one spot back in 2009. Despite this, the world’s love affair with Berghain is clearly far from over. DJ Mag describes it as a place “where people from nearly every walk of life feel free to be themselves and behave with respectful abandon. The vibe is like no other.” Never change, Berghain.

The top 10 clubs 2019

The clubs that made it into the top 10 worldwide are as follows:

  1. Green Valley, Camboriú (Brazil)
  2. Echostage, Washington (USA)
  3. Ushuaïa, Ibiza (Spain)
  4. Hï Ibiza, Ibiza (Spain)
  5. Zouk Singapore (Singapore)
  6. Papaya, Pag (Croatia)
  7. Octagon, Seoul (South Korea)
  8. Bootshaus, Cologne (Germany)
  9. Printworks, London (United Kingdom)
  10. Berghain, Berlin (Germany)

Sneak peek of Bootshaus

No wonder it's taken the best club crown! Get an idea of what Bootshaus is like in this video.

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Abi Carter

Editor in chief at IamExpat Media

Abi studied German and History at the University of Manchester and has since lived in Berlin, Hamburg and Utrecht, working since 2017 as a writer, editor and content marketeer. Although she's happily taken on some German and Dutch quirks, she keeps a stash of Yorkshire Tea on hand, because nowhere does a brew quite like home.Read more

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