Das Gift has been a staple for English speakers in the city and an institution in Neukölln for 15 years now. Self-described as “Neukölln’s friendliest bar”, it has hosted an endless list of musical events, stand-up, pub quizzes and so much more. Now it is being forced to shut down due to a long-standing feud with its landlord concerning noise complaints, even though they had gathered funding for soundproofing.
Similarly, Kwia, a queer listening bar cafe and gallery, have got their hands tied when it comes to closure. Barbara, the owner of Kwia, told The Berliner, “Our rent contract ended and the rent increase was very unrealistic. Although we’ve been trying for a long time to negotiate a longer lease, we were sadly not able to reach an agreement.”
Unfortunately, this is a reflection on Berlin as a whole, rising rents, landlord disputes and a lack of regulation continue to plague the city’s nightlife scene. Clubs like Humboldthain and Cassiopeia have also been threatened with closure in recent months.
Das Gift will be hosting their Last Call party over two nights, Friday 24 and Saturday 25 of this month. They have opened the floor for anyone who has contributed to Das Gift’s entertainment in the past to return for a final hurrah. So far they have announced karaoke, taro, stand-up and an art installation with more to be confirmed.
Kwia has also announced their final night on Saturday, July 25. They have gathered some of their favourite track selectors who will be dipping into the usual dub and ambient mixes to see the night out.
