PAN cancels Berghain party amid boycott pressure

Club night, label and Berlin-based creative collective PAN have announced the cancellation of a planned party at Berghain next week.

Scheduled to take place next Friday (August 2), PAN announced the party will no longer be going ahead via an Instagram story which reads: “The event next Friday is no longer happening.”

Although PAN have yet to specify reasons for the cancellation, the announcement came shortly after the group faced pressure from Ravers for Palestine, who posted an open letter on Instagram calling on PAN not to “abandon Palestine. Respect the boycott.”

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Ravers for Palestine went on to reference the STRIKE Germany pledge, a widely-signed boycott of German state-funded cultural institutions due to the German government’s use of “McCarthyist policies that suppress freedom of expression, specifically expressions of solidarity with Palestine.”

Ravers For Palestine also claimed in their statement that PAN’s curator Bill Kouligas was a signee of the STRIKE Germany pledge, writing: “We know PAN understands the importance of boycotts. Its founders has singed the STRIKE Germany pledge, committing to a boycott of all German state-funded institutions, including Berghain.”

The statement continues, “PAN crossing the picket line in spite of this helps Berghain launder its reputation via association with underground global Majority artists”.

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Due to its status as a STRIKE Germany boycott target, artists such as Jyoty and Manuka Honey cancelled appearances at the venue earlier this year.

The Ravers For Palestine post also references criticism against Berghain due to the cancellation of DJ Arabian Panther’s show in January, which the artist claims was allegedly due to his “pro-Palestine stance.”

See the full Ravers for Palestine post below.

Jamaal Johnson is Mixmag’s Digital Intern, follow him on Instagram