Are Phone Bans Coming to Swiss Clubs?
Abroad, the idea has long been part of club culture: if you are on the dancefloor, you are there to dance – not to film. Clubs such as Berghain in Berlin, as well as various venues in Ibiza and London, have been using photo bans, covered phone cameras or even completely phone-free dancefloors for years. The idea behind it is simple: less social media, more music, more privacy and more focus on the moment.
The topic could now become increasingly relevant in Switzerland as well. While strict phone bans are still the exception in established Swiss clubs, the first events and concepts are beginning to promote a clear “No Phones” or “No Filming” approach.
This is particularly interesting for the electronic music scene. Today, hardly any festival or club night goes by without Instagram Stories, TikToks and countless smartphone videos. For DJs, these clips can be valuable promotion. At the same time, glowing screens and raised phones can distract from the very experience people came to the club for in the first place.
Internationally, a counter-trend is clearly emerging: the dancefloor is becoming a place where not every moment has to be documented. Ibiza, London and Berlin are already leading the way.
The question now is whether Switzerland will follow. A nationwide phone ban seems unlikely for now, but photo and video restrictions on individual dancefloors could become much more common. Perhaps Swiss clubbers will soon hear the message more often: phones away, music on.