HOME AGAIN: Ten Years of House, Community and Belonging

Berlin has always been a city of extremes. Clubs that never close, queues that never move, techno that pounds until time itself disappears. For many, that is the mythology of the capital, a place where outsiders become insiders under the weight of a kick drum. But for Nils Caspar Thabo … or Thabo, as fellow DJs and Producers call him, that narrative always felt incomplete. When he founded Home Again, it was not to reject Berlin’s techno dominance, but to carve a space where house music could once again breathe. What started as an intimate gathering for friends became, almost by accident, a cultural force that now spans labels, festivals, and international showcases.

“In the mid-2010s, I was promoting events that catered more to the market than to my own passion,” Thabo recalls. “After a while, I realized I wanted to make a change. I decided to only focus on what I truly love, and that was house music. That was the birth of Home Again.”

That decision came at a time when Berlin felt saturated by commercial techno. The House was a minority presence, with only a few sanctuaries, like Tape Club and Cookies, carrying the flame. For Thabo, the influences of Chicago and Detroit resonated deeply. Their blend of groove, funk, and soul connected directly to the hip hop he had grown up with. If techno was about the machine, house was about the human heartbeat.

The journey of Home Again was anything but linear. For a young collective without corporate backing, surviving in Berlin’s cutthroat nightlife was always a question of resilience. Then came COVID, a crisis that nearly silenced the entire ecosystem.

“COVID was a turning point,” Thabo explains. “We suddenly had the time to reflect on ourselves and dream bigger, but also the uncertainty of whether it made sense to keep going when no one knew what the future of events would look like.”

Instead of retreating, the collective doubled down. Their first festival was a gamble, financed not by big sponsors but by sweat, trust, and long nights of hard work. It became a milestone, proof that a house could still rally a community in a city obsessed with techno. From there, Home Again naturally expanded into residencies, a record label, a platform for emerging talent, and eventually a festival that is now a fixture on Berlin’s cultural calendar.

Throughout it all, the guiding principle has been community. Thabo says the clue is in the name itself.

“The idea of Home Again is to create a place where everyone feels welcome, where everyone feels they belong. At the core is the team, then the artists, and around that is the wider family of our community.”

With Home Again, bookings are not decided by algorithms or trends, but by connection. Some names may not perfectly align with the brand’s identity, yet they allow the collective to stay financially afloat and create space for riskier curatorial choices elsewhere.

“Anyone who says ticket sales don’t matter is lying,” Thabo admits. “But what defines the Home Again family is artists who bring passion, energy, and emotion. It is always about respect, about community, about the culture of house music.”

This philosophy extends beyond Berlin. When Home Again travels to cities around the world, they do not attempt to replicate its events wholesale. Each local scene is treated as unique, with collaborations alongside regional crews and an effort to spotlight local talent. The result is an authenticity that feels both global and grounded.

“We never copy and paste Berlin,” Thabo says. “Every city has its own DNA, and we respect that. We collaborate with local crews, showcase regional talent, and maintain high production standards. That way, the event feels true to its location, but still unmistakably Home Again.”

Another defining pillar is diversity, which, for Thabo, is far more than a buzzword.

“For us, diversity is not a PR line; it is in our DNA. We put it into practice with diverse booking pipelines, FLINTA takeovers, inclusive partnerships, awareness teams, and transparent briefings. And honestly, it just makes the parties better. The energy, the crowd it attracts, the artists it brings in, it lifts everything.”

That balance between cultural authenticity and professional growth has been key to their expansion. Thabo insists that Home Again will never grow at the expense of its underground spirit. Partnerships only happen when they align with the community and the music. Collaborations with Technics, Pioneer, Beatport, or Electronic Beats are extensions of their values, not distractions from them. Growth, in his words, is about better infrastructure and better artist care, not diluting the vision.

Now, with the tenth anniversary approaching in 2026, Home Again is preparing to mark a milestone that feels both like a celebration and a statement of intent. A fourth Berlin festival edition will take place from May 14 to May 18, alongside a worldwide 10 Year Tour.

“Our most significant legacy is building a cultural ecosystem that runs from the party to the label to the festival and into creative spaces. With the 10 Year Tour and the anniversary festival, we want to show that a local idea can resonate globally without losing its essence.”

Looking ahead, Thabo views the future of house music not as a matter of trends, but as a matter of connection.

“The future is about bringing people back to the dance floor and making sure the next generation discovers house. Trends will come and go, but the essence of this music is about connection. Home Again’s role is to keep that spirit alive, to inspire, to evolve, and to always feel like home.”

For a project that began as an act of defiance against the monotony of Berlin’s techno wave, Home Again now stands as proof that house culture is alive, diverse, and future-facing. And with Thabo at the helm, the story is far from over.