30.Wave Gotik Meeting

Leipzig is in a state of emergency again this year and not because RB Leipzig is playing, but because the trade fair city dresses in delicate black, as it does every year at Whitsun. What is special about this year? In 2023, the festival is all about an anniversary, as it is taking place for the 30th time.What began with a handful of companions in 1992 is 30 years later a festival with over 15,000 fans who happily make a pilgrimage to Leipzig every year to fill a tradition with life that Gothic enthusiasts have been looking forward to all year.

Followers of the gothic scene (also known as the black scene) from all over the world meet for four days at Pentecost to celebrate themselves and their attitude to life, but that alone is not the attraction of the festival. Being like-minded, feeling good, being understood, and cultivating long-standing friendships is certainly what makes the festival so appealing.
It is therefore an essential part of the Wave Gotik Treffen to be able to immerse yourself in an ambience that seems to differ from the rest of the normal world in terms of attitude to life.

Thus, the Wave Gotic Treffen for the 30th time will again be a festival that remains true to itself, in which, with its countless locations, parks and meeting places belonging to the scene, it becomes an attraction for the Gothic scene like no other and only arises from this .
I call it the special WGT charm. A festival alone is only a festival, but the black scene loves its scene meetings in Leipzig and it is precisely this scene that seems to make the WGT something special and to celebrate among the other events in Germany.

But the most important thing is the line-up of the artists, which will be well filled again in 2023 for the 30th anniversary of the WGT and will offer bands from Mexico, Canada, the USA and all of Europe. So these heroes are countless bands, showmen and artists who are involved in the festival and come from all over the world. They see their connection to the scene as part of it and with their corresponding music and performances, they are also a very important part of this Gothic culture.
The facets of the different musical directions could not be more diverse. They are made up of many styles that are as colourful... sorry, black and varied as the people you meet at WGT.

The most diverse directions from the corresponding music such as pop, wave, synth and electro music, but also dark pop, rock, EBM as well as metal and post-punk are represented. A large part of the music also consists of folk music and medieval sounds, which have always been a fascinating part of the overall black scene and which have made their own home in the Pagan Village. Medieval hustle and bustle is the order of the day in the Torhaus Dölitz, which is one of the main venues alongside the agra exhibition park.

One of the most popular highlights, however, is the fire show, which is reserved for visitors to the Torhaus Dölitz, also better known in the scene as the Heidnisches Dorf. Incidentally, the heathen village is also a good place to visit, even if you don't belong to the Gothic scene and are looking for a nice excursion destination at the Pentecost weekend. According to the organizers, entry is 20 euros and it is worth a visit to see the traders and jugglers at the large medieval market.