Having managed to get into Berghain once, after failing earlier that very same weekend, I am often asked for “tricks” and “tips” on how to get into the fabled techno institution. But what if there were a Berghain training simulator you could practice with?

As everyone knows, there is no clear-cut answer, and it appears that getting past Sven and his team may be as much about luck as any real system of criteria they may be following in making their decision.

While there are definite ways to increase one’s chances, there is no sure way of how to act and what to say once you make your way through the long line and are facing the short duel with the man making the decision on how you will spend the next 10, 15 or 20 hours of your life. Or is there?

A new simulator, called Berghain Trainer, seeks to replicate the very same dynamic of the final encounter at the Berghain door. It places you in front of a simulated replacement for Sven, allowing you to interact with a fictitious bouncer as he asks you three questions before deciding whether to let you into the club or not. It uses facial recognition software to catch your emotional reactions, using those and your answers to the three questions to make a final decision. According to the website, 8 out of 10 times you will be rejected and sent back towards Ostbahnhof to spend your time elsewhere.

Try it out and share your results with friends. Good luck and practice well for that Berlin trip you have planned in a few months!

More About Berghain

Named after its location near the border between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain in Berlin, Berghain/Panorama Bar is considered the most revered, respected and sought-after techno nightclub in the world by artists and techno aficionados alike.

For artists getting booked to play Berghain or its upstairs more house-focused Panorama Bar room is a career goal in and of itself, whilst managing to get through the strict bouncers is an achievement for any electronic music fan. Berghain bouncers are known for having a hard-to-discern strict door policy, often seeming to arbitrarily turn away punters without real reason. The truth is that they’re carefully cultivating the right dance floor vibe for the kind of club Berghain always strives to be.