Contrary to recent media reports that Berghain will close at the start of next year, owners of the celebrated Berlin club have told local newspaper Berliner Zeitung that Berghain will remain open beyond December.
 
Berghain’s owners had expressed fears over a proposed tariff hike by German performance rights and collections agency GEMA; a comment which promptly spiralled into reports that the famous clubbing institution would be forced to close.  However, Berliner Zeitung has now confirmed that this won’t be the case; although proposed expansion project Kubus (for classical, ballet and other cultural concerts) will be canned.
 
GEMA’s announcement earlier this summer that it would be raising charges under a new tariff structure (including higher ‘afterhours’ charges for venues hosting longer music events) caused much consternation among Germany’s clubbing community. At the end of June, over 2,000 club owners marched angrily on the Frannz Club in Berlin’s Kulturbrauerei centre where GEMA was hosting its summer party.
 
Discussions between GEMA and the German Carnival Association (BDK) have since followed and the tariffs have been adjusted, as well as delayed from January 1 2013 to April 1 2013.  But many club owners and promoters still feel the charges represent a crippling blow to their industry.