Munich is a great place to party: This is proven by sensational clubs such as the Blitz or special locations such as the Alte Utting. And of course, the famous celebrity club P1 is one of the best places to party in the city. Located in the eponymous Prinzregentenstraße 1, the club has already been the scene of several legends and scandals. This address became so famous that Falco even sang about “White Nights in P1” in his song Munich Girls. Time to take a closer look at this location.
Wild parties and legendary affairs
The history actually goes back to 1949, when the building served as an officers’ club for the Americans after the Second World War. However, the “great era” of the P1 only began when it was reopened by restaurateur Michael Käfer in 1984. He also changed the style of the club, which was modeled after the legendary New York club “Studio 54”.
P1 has been Munich’s celebrity club since the 80s. Stars such as Mick Jagger – who also has a favorite café in Munich – used to come here, and Tina Turner, Grace Jones and Whitney Houston also partied here in the club’s early days. And, of course, many German celebrities are regular guests at the P1 celebrity club, including actors and footballers. One very famous affair that began at P1 was that of Oliver Kahn and bartender Verena Kerth.
The parties themselves are also legendary. There has already been a “butcher’s party” with real meat as decoration and a “Roman party” with a “party Jesus” on a cross. Such events are of course a matter of taste – but there is always something going on here. Today, however, there are also classic club nights.
From myth to lived acceptance
For a long time, the P1 celebrity club was notorious for its “hard door”. It is even considered one of the clubs with the “hardest door in Germany”. Some say that even stars such as Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock and allegedly even the Scorpions had to wait or were turned away at the door. Whether this is true or not is unclear – but it contributes to the club’s myth.
If you want to be a doorman here, you have to have a lot to show for it. Klaus Gunschmann became a legend: For over 20 years, he decided who was allowed into P1 and who was not. When he turned down the band “Scorpions” and they protested with the words: “We are the Scorpions!”, he is said to have replied: “That’s why.” During an incident with the band“Die Toten Hosen”, there was even a fight in which Gunschmann ended up in hospital.
Today, someone else is standing at the door and the P1 celebrity club is focusing on a different mood: acceptance and diversity are emphasized. P1’s current slogan is “Dress well, be nice”. Whether you get in remains uncertain in the end. But it is unlikely to be as strict a selection process as it was a few years ago.