DJ Heartstring and Sugababes turn Berlin shop into a pop-up rave

The party, co-hosted by Telekom Electronic Beats, marked the launch of Deutsche Telekom’s ‘Summer to Remember’ campaign, offering Gen Zs access to a summer of free music experiences, including exclusive small-crowd gigs, pop-up events and the chance to win tickets to some of Europe’s best festivals, such as Melt, Rolling Loud Europe and Lollapalooza.

With their rapidly growing international reputation, lucky Berliners seized the chance to experience DJ Heartstring’s distinctive, pop-inflected trance tunes in the once-in-a-lifetime venue - cladded out with lights, stocked-up shelves and fridges full of free drinks - only to be further treated to a secret appearance from Sugababes.

Setting up behind the shop (known in Berlin as a späti) counter, the duo pumped out a flowing mix of crowd-favourites including “BAE”, “While U Sleep” and their most recent single “Don’t Stop”.

Half way through the set, the heaving crowd was split by security to form a walkway, allowing for a characteristically iconic strut-in entrance from the British pop powerhouse act.

Amidst a chorus of screams and a sea of hands waving everything from vapes and iPhone cameras to drinks and Pringles cans, Keisha, Mutya and Siobhan took to the stage with “Freak Like Me”, kicking off a setlist of undeniable pop prowess. They then joined DJ Heartstring at the decks to premiere the remix of their noughties hit "Push the Button", an homage to the youthful anthems of summer.

“I'm a big fan of going to house raves and anything to do with club music. So for me, it's just nice to know that when I step out, I can hear "Push the Button" being played, and I'll be dancing away to it”, Mutya said about the remix.

Though the späti’s highly restricted capacity posed an initial concern (police were threatening to shut the party down due to its overflowing popularity), the hundreds of people outside who didn’t make it through the doors were unphased, huddling together and dancing away under evening twilight in true Berlin party spirit.

“The ‘Summer to Remember’ connects young people to a world of cultural experiences,” explains Ulrich Klenke, Chief Brand Officer at Deutsche Telekom. “Our aim with this campaign is to help our digital ‘super users’ to create incredible memories this summer that will last a lifetime.”

“We’ve made so many memories together now and in the past, too many to mention!” said Sugababes. “We’re excited to be launching the 'Summer to Remember’ with Deutsche Telekom ahead of an incredible summer of music experiences.”

Nightlife and live music lie at the core of youth culture all over the world. Dance floors have been antidotal spaces of freedom and expression for generations; the heart of wild-nights-out and hedonistic party stories shared with nostalgia for years to come. But such opportunities are becoming increasingly hard to access, particularly for young people. It’s something that, alongside active artists and collectives, the ‘Summer to Remember’ campaign strives to address.

“When I think back to when I started going out, it was really accessible. You needed a maximum of 15 to 20 euros, and you could have a nice night out. Now the entry alone is 25 euros,” Jonas, one half of DJ Heartstring, shared with Best Fit, reflecting on the challenged state of nightlife.

“Even just talking from a Berlin perspective, it's such a big part of the culture here, but it still feels like the city doesn't appreciate it as much as it should”, he continues. “There are still a lot of closures happening because of neighbours complaining about noise from clubs that have been there for 20 years. There just needs to be more appreciation for it. And there needs to be funding for it. It’s harder and harder for young people to participate in the scene - there has to be a way for them to be able to do their own thing.”

“It feels like there's lots of different things going on in the scene right now”, adds DJ Heartstring counterpart Leo. “On one hand, you have all these exciting new artists and genres - some of the electronic music that's been released after COVID has a different sound to it, especially coming from Berlin, because we had a sound that was very engraved in the nightclub scene. But, also since then, smaller clubs have been having a hard time because there's new challenges and everything costs so much money. So of course it’s difficult for young people to just go out.”

“So we are super excited to host this event with Telekom Electronic Beats, within the infamous Späti, and to preview our remix of Sugababes’ summer anthem”, the two shared. “This is often a place where the night begins and memories are made.”

Sugababes and DJ Heartstring’s “Push the Button” remix taps into the generationally shared experience of nightlife past and present; the resurgence of older pop hooks through modern electronic music a celebration of cross-genre party spirit. It’s what made this Berlin späti pop-up rave one to remember - a perfect launch to the ‘Summer to Remember’.