BERLIN TO LIFT RESTRICTIONS ON INDOOR DANCING FOR VACCINATED AND THOSE RECENTLY RECOVERED FROM COVID-19
Nightclubs across the city are primed for a return to something like business as usual
Berlin is the latest major nightlife destination to announce a resumption of indoor music events with dancing following a court ruling to overturn laws imposing heavy restrictions on clubs and other venues. Crucially, though, the decision only relates to those who have been vaccinated or have recently recovered from COVID-19.
Having green-lit outdoor parties on 18th June, the German capital's legendary dance music scene remained unable to fully operate legally. RBB reports that a resumption of inside events is now on the cards after the local judiciary found in favour of the nightlife sector when one venue owner sued the government.
The announcement that the pandemic rules were fair and sensible but "likely to be disproportionate" for those who have been vaccinated or recently recovered was made on Friday 20th August, effectively approving indoor parties for those who fall into either category. Official statistics show that on the previous day there had been 475 new cases of COVID-19 in Berlin. An appeal to reimpose the previous restrictions is possible through the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg.
Earlier this month, six venues in the city were involved in a series of indoor test events for 2,000 consenting PCR-tested attendees. These took place at Salon Zur Wilden Renate, Kitkat, SO36, Crack Bellmer, Festsaal Kreuzberg, and Metropol. Meanwhile, the Arena nightclub hosted its own series of vaccination parties in early-August, with DJs spinning while clubbers received Pfizer-BioNTech jabs.
TOMORROWLAND SHARES AFTERMOVIE FOR 2021 VIRTUAL FESTIVAL
Last month's event featured sets from Armin van Buuren, Amelie Lens and more
Tomorrowland has unveiled an official aftermovie for its 2021 virtual festival, Around The World.
The virtual event, the second online edition after last year's debut, replaced the in-person festival which had been due to take place in Belgium, but was officially cancelled in June due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Armin van Buuren, Amelie Lens, Charlotte de Witte, Afrojack, Tale Of Us and Kölsch were among the DJs to contribute sets to this year's virtual festival, which spanned 35 hours of music, and took place last month.
The aftermovie, which you can watch below, takes in tracks from Nicky Romero, Mind Against and Kölsch, among others, and offers a visual trip back to Tomorrowland's fantastical world of Pāpiliōnem, which was created especially for the event.
Last month, Tomorrowland shared the full archive of sets, for two weeks only, and revealed that viewers in Germany, Belgium, the USA, the Netherlands and France accounted for the highest viewing share over the weekend of the event, in that order.
A NEW RECORD STORE IN LONDON LETS YOU INSTANTLY PRESS YOUR MUSIC TO VINYL
The new shop is the UK home of Jack White’s Third Man Records
A new record store in Soho, London will let visitors record their music directly to vinyl. Third Man Records — the third global office for Jack White’s label of the same name — will open on 25th September 2021. It has been designed by the ex White Stripes frontman, and aims to be “a physical space to help keep record sales and live performances alive after such a tough period for everyone”.
The two-level store will open on Marshall Street, and alongside a set of exclusive record releases and merch, it’ll also feature a live venue called The Blue Basement. There’ll also be a recording booth that will let you press your recordings straight to vinyl. It’ll be Third Man Records’ third location, after shops in Nashville and Detroit.
Find out more about the new store here.
Vinyl sales continue to rise in the UK, with another 16% climb in the first quarter of 2021.