A Night at KitKat in Berlin Changed Me Forever

Prior to moving to Berlin, Germany almost six years ago, I had no prior knowledge of the city and the nightlife it had to offer. I was used to occasionally going out for a casual cocktail with friends and calling it a night by midnight. When you get into that routine, you forget that while you sleep, there is this whole world out their pulsing to a totally alternative (techno) beat than you.

I first heard about KitKat from none other than my landlord, who briefly mentioned it was an electronic music venue created by Austrian pornographic filmmaker Simon Thaur. Without friends in the city, I figured he would provide the most knowledgeable and tasteful advice for where we should go. Without much thought and tons of naivety, my at time partner and I decided to check it out...

My KitKatClub Berlin Story

On a Saturday night in April, just two weeks after moving to Berlin, we decided to attend KitKat’s Carneball Saturday; a ‘straight-friendly’ night with a whatever-your-fetish theme. Perfect, we have these cool matching gym outfits that work well with the brisk weather too — not exactly fetishy, but we didn’t have many options and I liked the athletic look enough.

Having heard about the strict bouncers at Berlin clubs, we nervously made our way to the front of the line with other clothed individuals. Some looked a little crazy, with glittery makeup and predominantly black outfits, but nothing alarming. I eyed each one down, making assumptions on who would get in and who wouldn’t.

In front of us, I spotted a gorgeous male-female couple dressed in designer clothing. They are not going to get in for sure! Do they even know what type of place this is? I even asked them if they had been here before, and was shocked when they confidently responded, “Oh, many times — our outfits are in these bags”. They waved a little handheld bag in my face. I was perplexed at how an outfit could fit in there, but shrugged it off.

With my nerves at peak, I finally landed right in front of the bouncer, who muttered some things in German, and I responded with an unrelenting resting bitch face; something I had read about online. It seemed to work, and we made it through.

It is right at the entrance that everything goes — and I mean almost everything. As soon as you enter the dimly lit foyer, men and woman are stripping themselves of their restraining rags and revealing a mix of jockstraps, speedos, nipple tassels, bras, wigs, or nothing at all. We stared in shock. Gone would be my casual nights of drinking cocktails in clothed places with clothed people — — for this was Berlin.

We felt heavily clothed as we handed in our phones, succumbing to the idea that we would be fully connected to the KitKat world tonight and completely disconnected from the real world.

As we meandered in, I thought that my eyes would quickly adjust to the world around me, much like one’s eyes adjust when emerging from a dark room into the blaring sun, but it took much longer to desensitize to all the debauchery.

As we entered the main dance floor, I casually noticed a woman hoisted into the air about ten feet with ropes tied around all of her crevices (I later found out it was called shibari).

Meanwhile, a man stood on a platform pulling the ropes tighter and licentiously smirking. As we wandered to the other dance floors pushing out heavy techno, the scenes only grew weirder. A man and woman about the age of my great-grandparents (who aren’t even alive) were performing rapid-fire fellatio and cunnilingis on one another. Good for them being that age and still possessing the desire and ability! Another room, another several weird scenarios.

The holy grail was a corpulent man with some kind of shocking mechanism attached to his bratwurst; occasionally giving himself a nice, welcoming buzz of voltage.

Now I consider myself to be very liberal, but my revolted face may have suggested otherwise when I spotted a man in the urinal trough letting people release their bladders all over him.

As I discovered all the corners of KitKat across 3 floors I couldn’t help but think it was some kind of anarchist, adult playground. Is this what the world would be like if there was no law and order and people didn’t have to suppress their deepest inner fantasies?

As the night roared on, my eyes over-adjusted, and the common sight of a man tossing the salad of another man right next to the public bar stopped phasing me as abnormal. Soon the weird became anything but weird, and the liberation of being in a place where anything goes was overpowering. KitKat lacked the judgment of the real world, and it is nice to be somewhere where any flaw, vulnerability, or desire you may have is openly accepted. The feeling of confidence, so often battered down to a pulp in the real world, comes back in full force as one dances to mind-blowing techno and makes friends openly and without the interference of technology.

At one point, in a sleepy haze, I walked off the dance floor and into the open-air pool filled with skinny dippers of all shapes and sizes and a man haphazardly masturbating in the corner. The light of the morning hit me like a brick and in a squint, I decided I had enough for the night and morning and made my way to the exit. I picked up my clothing, my phone, and walked out into the more uniform, judgmental world, as the rest of the KitKatters continued on until Monday morning.

I dedicate this post to my landlord, who so responsibly opened up my eyes to KitKat and its wonders. Since that time, I have been back many more times, and always bring visitors there for an unexpected journey into true anarchist hedonism.

(Don't worry, it is open again and in full force!)

FAQ: How Do I Prepare for Berlin’s Most Legendary Club, KitKat?

Which KitKat Night Is Right for Me?

The club nights at KitKatClub happen several nights a week with a range of weekly events and others that are a bit less regular. I will make a note of the gay/queer events below, but generally they are always on the queer side (we like to say 'straight-friendly' in Berlin)

• Electric Monday (Monday) - After the wild Berlin weekend has settled, and you have not been satiated enough, there is Electric Monday, the kinky party for deep house and techno fans.
• SYMBIOTIKKA (Wednesdays) - Probably one of the best nights in terms of techno music at KitKat. I feel that the general focus is fetish at KitKat, but this night thrives in providing some of the best DJs, and it's a great time to be had during the week.
• Gegen (Fridays - once every two months) - GAY/QUEER - This one is a lot of fun and gives off a more sex club vibe than the aforementioned. All types of people come together and express their greatest fetishes. This is the right place to come if you want to experience the liberation of public sex.
• Revolver (every second Friday) - GAY - This one is very male-centric and the party that most gay men who come to Berlin know about. It is one of the best known gay club experiences in Berlin.
• Carneball Bizarre (most Saturdays) - QUEER - This is my favorite of the parties, as there is much more diversity and the outfits are much more colorful and vibrant. There is sexy energy everywhere and is arguably KitKat's most well-known night, and undoubtedly the best place you can be on a Saturday night.

There are plenty more nights, all of which are bound to be a great time. Have a look at the official website (which is a disaster 🤣) to see if one of the dates match your time in Berlin.

What’s the KitKatClub Dress Code All About?

The club has an extremely strict dress code, as you might imagine considering the focus of the venue is fetish parties.

Now fetish wear has a broad spectrum of possibilities. Think leather, Lycra, rubber, harnesses, sneakers, athletic wear, basically anything but street clothes. You will come across quite a few fully naked people as well. If you are new to fetish wear, I recommend checking out some of the first sex shops in the Gay Guide to Berlin. Just going to one of these shops will help inspire you to find your look. KitKatClub is a safe space, so any fetish wear should and will be treated with respect.

You don't necessarily need to show up in your outfit, as it is a bit tricky in the middle of the winter to do so. Some veterans seem to get away at the door with having their change of clothes in a bag. However, I recommend at least wearing a part of it in line, as it makes your chances of getting into the club better due to the strict dress code.

Did someone say fetish wear?!

How Do You Handle the Infamous Line and Bouncers?

I have to admit that one time I waited in KitKat's line for 3+ hours only to get rejected.

Since then, I have become smart about when I arrive on popular nights like Revolver and Carneball Bizarre.

If you want to be there for the whole night, make sure you get to the venue an hour or more before the party is actually starting. Otherwise, be prepared to go in the early morning (4 or even 5). DO NOT go in this in between period (11-3), as often the club is inundated with people at this point. You may wait for hours and get to the front, only to not be let in because they are at capacity.

For Monday or Wednesday nights, the line doesn't generally get very long.

The bouncers can be hit or miss. Sometimes they can be very friendly and sometimes sadists. Again, dress the part or at least partially show you are wearing some fetish wear, and you should be okay. Also, do not come in a large group, and your chances of getting in are higher.

What Surprises Await Inside KitKatClub?

As I mentioned in my story, as soon as you get in you will immediately be in the changing area. After changing (or unchanging), you will give your clothes and your phone to coat check. Do not worry, they will be safe!

And then the night begins.

On standard weekend nights, you'll have 3 floors to frolic around, but it feels like way more as they don't all attach. There is also a semi-outdoor area with a pool, which is a fabulous place to take a break.

You will see things and be exposed to things that you will have previously thought of as unimaginable (all kinds of sex and drugs), but as the night progresses, it will feel normal.

KitKat is a safe space and one of the most beautiful sex clubs and techno music venues around. You are bound to have a memorable night!

For more on how Berlin has changed me for the better and why you should spend some time in this city that truly never sleeps, check out my post: 3 Ways that Living in Berlin has Changed Me

Other Berlin and Germany resources:

• The Best Gay Parties in Berlin
• The Best Gay Clubs in Berlin
• The Gay Guide to Berlin
• Gay Pride Germany Guide