Musk's Tesla Factory Opening Party in Berlin: 9,000 Guests, Dancing Robots and Singing Transformers

Opponents of the plant's launch held a rally outside the factory fence.

Elon Musk threw a party to celebrate the opening of the first «Gigafactory» (Tesla plant) in Europe, inviting 9,000 people, mostly residents of the Grünheide district on the southeastern outskirts of Berlin, where the plant is located. 

Tesla received a special permit from city authorities allowing it to bypass the ban on mass events with more than 5,000 people, introduced due to the coronavirus. It is not known exactly how many people attended the party. Judging by videos from social media, there were fewer than 9,000. 

Attendees were given a tour of Tesla's body shop, and then Elon Musk, who came to the party with his mother Maye, read a greeting in German from his smartphone and concluded with the words: «And now — rambazamba (a German word that can be translated as «revelry») until the night ends! Berlin-Brandenburg rocks!».

Tesla's founder promised to open a brewery and a rave club on the territory of the Gigafactory. At the party itself, all guests had something to do and something to see. For example, robots danced in the body shop and in the park near the factory. 

Music was provided by DJ Boris Breitsch and Tesla coils (Tesla transformers). 

Back in November 2019, Tesla announced the creation of the first European «Gigafactory». The plant was supposed to begin operations in November 2021, but final permission to build it (and therefore to launch it) has not yet been granted. The company will receive it if it convinces environmentalists that the plant does not threaten local groundwater and forest wildlife. 

So far, all attempts have failed — even during the party at the factory, about a dozen opponents of its launch held a rally right outside the fence. 

Both across Berlin and in the Grünheide district, unemployment is quite high by German standards. Many young people leave for other parts of the country after finishing their studies. Activists supporting Musk believe the Gigafactory could solve this problem. 

However, opponents of the production have their own arguments. While the party continued at the factory and a rally took place outside its territory, the third round of public hearings on environmental safety of the production continued online. Environmentalists are dissatisfied with the felling of trees for the Tesla plant and the destruction of habitats of bats and other animals. 

The main objection from environmentalists is that the plant will consume as much water as a city with a population of 100,000, which could lead to a shortage of groundwater. The company's lawyers presented counterarguments in a 500-page report. Hearings on the Gigafactory will continue until October 14 at the earliest. 

Tesla expects to receive official permission in November for the already completed construction. It is worth noting that the factory's opening was originally scheduled for July.