Most people who know anything about techno in Berlin have heard of Berghain, and just as many people know that the club is synonymous with an incredibly high rejection rate. Estimates of the average rejection percentage vary between 30%-60% in online conversations, discouraging many people from attempting to get in, as well as challenging others to try their luck. Recently, I discovered multiple online simulators that try to predict whether or not entry will be denied at the door. I was intrigued to see how accurately an AI tool and virtual experience could simulate this journey.
The simulator asks for access to your camera and your microphone in order to interpret your facial expressions and body language. You are presented with a bouncer who asks you questions before letting in. One example from berghaintrainer.com asks three questions (the questions vary in each attempt). Some example questions include: Are you alone?; Who’s playing tonight?; Did you take any drugs?; Have you been here before?; Why should I let you in?, and so on. The simulator notes your responses and the bounder either denies or allows you entry. There are also four facial recognition indicators shown on the screen: anger, focus, awe and euphoria. After a few tries, I was denied entry every time.
In the case that all questions are answered correctly, there may still be a chance that you are denied entry based on your facial expressions, for example if the simulator believes you looked angry or unfocused. In general, it gives you a pretty good idea of what might happen when you try to enter and what questions you might be asked. However, there are many things that the simulator cannot assess that may make the difference between being allowed or denied entry when it comes to the real thing. For example, the camera does not capture your outfit or what you are wearing, which can definitely impact your chances depending on the night. Accents are also not recognized through the voice recorder. These things can be important, as clubs are notorious for gatekeeping Berlin techno for local visitors/clubbers. International tourists or even Germans from other states may be denied entry because they do not fit the classic “Berlin aesthetic” or are not accompanied by a local. More subtle body language or physical indicators like signs of drug use or perceived age also cannot be interpreted over the camera. All of these factors are also made obsolete by the fact that who is playing and the bouncer you encounter can completely change what is acceptable one day and is not the next. In this regard, even an improvement of the technology cannot guarantee an accurate prediction. Nonetheless, the simulator is a fun trial to get an idea of what being in line in Berghain is like, and might aid some people in their missions to get in (or save them the trouble of waiting in line for 3 hours for nothing).
References
Berghain Trainer. (n.d.). Berghain Trainer. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://berghaintrainer.com/
Carey, K. (2023, December 28). I tried to get into Europe’s most notorious nightclub—and failed. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/i-tried-to-get-into-europe-s-most-notorious-nightclub-and-failed-20231228-p5eu0j.html
Test your chances of getting into Berghain on new virtual simulator. (n.d.). The Ransom Note. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://www.theransomnote.com/music/news/test-your-chances-of-getting-into-berghain-on-new-virtual-simulator/
OpenAI. (2025). Cover image for blog post on Berghain simulators [Digital illustration generated by ChatGPT]. OpenAI.
