Vans will be bringing House of Vans to Berlin for one of its biggest editions so far. From the March 29-31, Vans will take over E-Werk, a former power station and techno club, and transform it into a cultural hub celebrating skateboarding, art, music, and street culture.
“Berlin is the hub to a long history of art, music, and skateboarding, that is very much aligned to Vans’ own foundations,” said Simon Charlesworth, director of brand marketing EMEA at Vans.
Bringing the "Off the Wall" spirit to life, the free event kicks off on Friday night with a gig by alternative rock band Nothing But Thieves and continues through to Sunday evening, with rapper Octavian set to deliver an exclusive set on Saturday night. Other local and international artists including Drunken Masters, DJ Craft, and Kate Kaputto will keep the tunes coming throughout the weekend.
As with everything Vans does, skateboarding lies at the heart of the event and over the weekend open skate sessions, a dedicated girl’s skate clinic, and a cash for tricks competition will take place in a custom-built park designed in partnership with Radio Skateboards, Yardsale, and Alltimers. Over 30 pro athletes including Vans' global team skaters Lizzie Armanto and Dan Lutheran will be on site to skate with attendees.
Alongside skateboarding, the event will also offer an extensive cultural program of exhibitions covering topics such as the history of skateboarding in Germany, the cultural heritage of East and West Berlin, rave flyers from early ‘90s Berlin underground movements, as well as a pop-up gallery showcasing works from emerging local talent.
No House of Vans event is complete without some serious swag and a community street market offering gear from local skate stores Civilist and Radio Skateboards, Berlin-based record store HHV Records, and local labels Champagne Towers, Punkzec, Antikapratika, and Shanghai Tofu will no doubt deliver the goods. For those keen to be inked, there’ll also be a pop-up tattoo studio courtesy of Tattoo Kulture Magazine.
RSVP here, and follow the event as it goes down via Vans’ Instagram.
House of Vans will take place 29-31 March at Ewerk, Wilhelmstr. 43, 10117 Berlin.
