Well, since this post is in the Berlin sub, I’ll share my opinion as someone who’s been going to parties in Berlin for 10 years and has been living in the city for 2 years.
And just to be clear — I’m talking specifically about cruising clubs (not dance clubs like Berghain).
I’m talking about cruising clubs focused on gay men. There are very few events or parties where a dress code is actually mandatory — for example: LAB.oratory, Gummy, or the Rubber Party at Scheune bar during Easter week. But aside from those, on almost all other days, there is no strict dress code at any club in Berlin.
That said, people do get turned away at the door — especially if they’re not following the “suggested” dress code. For example, there’s a very well-known cruising club for leather men in Schöneberg. On Saturdays, dress code is theoretically mandatory.
But are they going to turn away a regular local who goes there all the time and happens to show up without full gear? Probably not. Who are they more likely to turn away? A tourist not wearing the dress code. That’s where things like ageism, looks, and general appearance unfortunately come into play. A young, attractive guy will rarely be rejected — even on a strict Saturday dress-code night.
Right now there’s only one bar in Schöneberg that’s really “focused” on a younger crowd — and it’s actually a franchise of a bar from Barcelona.
I’ve heard stories of people being turned away at the door because they were older than the bar’s “target” crowd… but again, they were tourists. Locals who live in the city and go there regularly are rarely turned away.
There are also a lot of reports of people being turned away from the SNAX party, which happens twice a year at Lab.oratory — and according to most people, it often comes down to how “hot” the bouncers think you are.
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