Berlin club Blue Velvet appeals for support after raccoons “eat insulation”

Berlin nightclub Blue Velvet has urged for support from its regulars after it was plagued with issues over the winter, including a raccoon infestation.

The intimate venue, which sits on Sangerhauser Weg in Neukölln next to one of Berlin’s largest parks, asked for help in an Instagram post last week (April 22).

"Roof caved in. Pipes froze. The building got damp. And a raccoon family ate our insulation," they explained alongside a series of photos of the building in disrepair, and raccoons running across the building’s roof.

Support Your Local Club: Shop the Mixmag range here

Blue Velvet shared very few any club listings throughout the winter months, with its last event taking place on December 20. Organisers said that they faced a "tough winter with few events".

"We’re struggling to cover rent, and still have a lot to fix," they explained. "We’re fundraising to keep our doors open and the music going."

A fundraiser party is set to go ahead on May 30 to support the club’s overheads and help with costs of repairing the space, which they’ve coined a ‘SOLIPARTY’ for friends and family.

Read this next: New nightclub C115 to open on former motor racing circuit in Berlin

"This space only exists through countless unpaid hours and personal investment from our community. We pour everything into keeping it alive and struggle to get going," they said.

In spite of current issues, the team behind Blue Velvet said that they’re in talks with the council on a "plan to secure our space" for the next 40 years. "Come dance with us. For community. For the future," they said.

Read Blue Velvet’s full post, and find out more about its first ‘SOLIPARTY’, below.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on X