Where, if not in the number one capital for live music, should techno find its way into a subway station? Berlin has long been considered a paradise for music fans – especially techno lovers from all over the world. Legendary nightclubs such as Berghain or KitKat stand for excessive nights that many dream of, even if admission is notoriously tougher there than elsewhere. Some of the most influential DJs in the world today come from Berlin and spread their tracks and remixes on international stages. Berlin is quite simply the embodiment of music – and it doesn’t just belong in hard-to-reach indoor venues. In addition to top-class festivals and spontaneous DJ sets in Berlin parks, there may now be something completely new.
The BVG (Berlin’s public transport company) is planning an exciting project to be launched at the busy Kottbusser Tor station (“Kotti”), as reported by the Tagesspiegel. As part of this project, techno DJs are to perform in Berlin subway stations. The lively and unique vibe of the Berlin music scene is to be brought into the stations. However, not only techno, but also other art forms are to be considered. For example, jazz artists could be sent to the platforms of the U1 and U3 lines, while DJs from the techno and electro scene could make the U8 platform shake. As unusual as it sounds, it wouldn’t be the first train rave in Germany!
In addition to techno and jazz sounds , art exhibitions are also set to make their way to the U8 in future. This is all part of a broader BVG project to upgrade the stations. The test phase, which ran from February 2024 to March 2025, has already been completed. The aim of the project is to improve cleanliness, increase visibility in the stations and create more safety for passengers and staff.
Opinions on this vary widely. There is some criticism: “…All money should be invested in the core task first – getting people from A to B as quickly and directly as possible,” commented one Reddit user. Others criticize the lack of tracks or inadequate bus connections and call for these priorities to be tackled first.
Alongside the skepticism, however, there is also a lot of enthusiasm – especially from techno fans who celebrate the project as a creative upgrade of the public space. It remains to be seen when and if the whole thing will be officially implemented. We will keep you up to date as soon as there is any new information!