Festsaal Kreuzberg, nestled between the Flutgraben canal and the Spree, is located in what used to be White Trash restaurant (you, too, are missed). What Berlin newcomers might not know is that this is already the venue’s second iteration; after a fire destroyed the original building, Festsaal was forced to find a new home. What Berlin newcomers also don’t know is that, back then, it was even better than today.
Twenty years ago, Festsaal first opened on Skalitzer Straße, right next to Kottbusser Tor. The building had been an old wedding hall, a literal Festsaal, or “ballroom”. Made almost entirely out of wood, the dance floor was surrounded by a balcony on three sides, providing optimal views of the stage no matter where you were. Back then, it had some sort of New York 1970s warehouse vibe, filled with young music lovers and a billing that was sharp and on point.
I first passed through the venue’s doors back in 2009 to watch a performance of the iconic The Jesus Lizard. Lucky, because as it turned out, it was one of the last shows they played until 2017. The relentless grunge band were physical and brutal, often diving into and revelling with the audience, maximising the intimacy that the venue facilitated. I also saw the notorious art punk band Les Say Fav, who, perhaps naively, invited the entire crowd to an afterparty at Monarch Bar. What can I say, it was a long night!
It was hard to believe that the same magic could be conjured up by any other place in Berlin.
It wasn’t just bands that loved the original Festsaal. The venue also provided an excellent space for parties, with DJs captivating the dance floor beneath the disco ball, making full use of the space’s cosy atmosphere. Theo Parrish, who rarely DJs in Berlin nowadays, loved playing there, being one of the few venues he picked to spin his soul, disco, funk till the sunshine rose above the U1 railway arches.
The writing might not necessarily have been on the wall for Festsaal Kreuzberg, but it was its wooden walls that caught fire in 2013. It was a tragic day for the music community; it felt like something had been taken away from us, and it was hard to believe that the same magic could be conjured up by any other place in Berlin. But it did. First came the outpouring, then came the fundraising, and in 2017, the Festsaal Phoenix rose from its ashes.
Admittedly, the new Festsaal doesn’t have the same grungy aesthetics as the original, lacking the decades of cigarette smoke and sweat sullying its walls. There’s a cute little garden and a huge Kaminzimmer, which at some point hosted a Brazilian food festival. With the new edition also came a considerate (or insulting?) upgrade for the ageing party generation: it now also features seats for the people like me, who’ve spent a huge portion of their lives standing up at concerts all week.
But after all that has changed, Festsaal still is the place for live music in Berlin. And what with so many other venues closing down, let’s celebrate the ones that are still here. To another 20 years of Festsaal!
- 20 Jahre Festsaal Kreuzberg, Oct 3-5, more info here.
