BALLROOM: Ball Part II Berlin

Ballroom Culture in Berlin

Ballroom culture originated in the 1960s within New York's Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ community – serving as a safe space, artistic stage, and competitive format all at once. Through Voguing, the subculture gained international visibility in the 1990s, and by the 2010s, Berlin had its own active scene centered around Houses like House of Louboutin.

Ball Part II — The Second Edition of the Berlin Ball

The "Ball Part II" is the continuation of the first Berlin ball event, organized by German Mother Dream (mother figure of House of Louboutin in Germany) and Everston (House of Louboutin). At the balls, performers compete against each other in various categories – Vogue Femme, Runway, Best Dressed, Face, Sex Siren, among others – and are judged by a panel of international scene figures.

ufaFabrik in Tempelhof

The venue is the ufaFabrik at Viktoriastraße 10–18 in the Tempelhof district of Berlin (Tempelhof-Schöneberg borough). The former UFA film copying plant was occupied by an alternative initiative in 1979 and is now one of Berlin's most renowned socio-cultural centers, featuring a theatre, circus school, bakery, and stages. The Theatersaal (theatre hall) of the ufaFabrik provides a setting that is typically ballroom – both intimate and stage-like.

Who is Invited

The ball is explicitly organized for the queer BIPOC community (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) – the historical base of ballroom culture. Allies are welcome but are expected to understand and respect the space. Thus, "BALLROOM Berlin" exemplifies a festival format that is not primarily audience-oriented but community-oriented.