Gretchen

Gretchen is a club for live music and club nights on Obentrautstr.19-21 in Kreuzberg, Berlin. It opened in 2011 after the operators of the former Icon club found a new venue. The building dates to 1854 and once served as stables for a Prussian dragoon regiment. Its vaulted ceiling is supported by columns, and an outdoor courtyard opens in summer.

The club’s two floors, Box1 and Box2, use an L-Acoustics sound system. Its programme ranges across electronic music, bass, drum and bass and hip-hop, with events run by promoters including Liquicity and High Tea Music. Recycle, the drum-and-bass series that moved there from Icon, shifted to less frequent parties with larger line-ups. Artists who have played include Mc Jamie White, Survey, Tommy Lexxus and Turrican. Gretchen received APPLAUS awards in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021 and 2023, and marked its 15th anniversary in 2026.