YAAM Berlin Closing Party 2014

Near us, in Friedrichshain and next to the East Side Gallery is a club / bar / community space called YAAM (Young African Art Market). It's one of those places that I've always though of going to but never got around to it.

Last year I thought of going a few times but never did, and once winter approached I pretty much forgot about it - it is known as a beach bar after all.

Then a couple of weeks ago, a Reggae legend I am into (Horace Andy) came to YAAM to play a gig. There were posters all over the place and this put YAAM back in my head. I didn't go to the gig but did think we should check out the place. Then I saw that it was closing down at the end of the Easter weekend! The flyers advertising this did also say it would reopen in late May, but I wanted to see the old YAAM while I had the chance.

So we went to the closing party on Easter Monday.

The weather wasn't great, and it had rained during the day, but by the time we had got there it was fine enough.

I had some expectations of what this place would be like...a little beachy bar thing on the Spree. I didn't realise it was a HUGE beach thing with quite a few bars!!

HUGE!

 Beach bar and soccer pitch...

Beach bar and food and performance shacks...

Beach bar and volleyball area...

Separate market area with African food stalls, ping pong and tiny club within club spaces...

and where Horace had played the week before....

 The best was the typical laid back Berlin style of grabbing a beer, sitting in the sand and chilling out while gazing over the river to Kreuzberg...

Being there I felt a bit sad that we couldn't come back with our friends and enjoy a nice summer day here. But then again, YAAM is opening up again in May, just a couple of doors up the road to the former Club Magdalena. (see first map image in this post). The YAAM website says there will be a 96 hour busy-bee in early May to build the beach - so that sounds like an interesting thing.

I'm looking forward to checking out the new YAAM and glad I got the chance to see the old one!