Dortmund's Tresor.West introduces DJ fee cap: "Support us on this path"

Tresor.West, the Dortmund sister club to Berlin's Tresor, has announced that it will be introducing an "upper limit" on fees for the DJs who play at the venue. 

In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday (January 21), the team behind the venue confirmed that the cap has been in place since January 1. "This cap applies regardless of music style, reach or name recognition of individual artists," they wrote.

Read this next: Tresor.West founder praises “very successful” Community Nights with free entry and no headline DJs

"Many clubs in Germany are up against a wall: At the beginning of 2025, 81% of all music venues stated that they are fundamentally facing financial challenges," the statement continues. "We, too, are forced to take new paths and develop new concepts." 

The statement cites the "aftereffects of the pandemic, inflation, and rising fixed costs," behind the decision. "Against this backdrop, we appeal to both local artists and headliners to support us on this path," they continue.

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In January 2025, Tresor.West announced its run of "Community Nights", which offer free entry on Saturdays with line-ups consisting of up-and-coming local acts as part of efforts to "take things back to the underground".

"Instead of bowing to the costs of the headliner DJ market," Tresor.West wrote at the time, "we invest in you, shine the spotlight on ambitious local DJs and crews, and appeal to renowned artists to accommodate us with fair fees."

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You can read Tresor.West's full statement below. 

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on X