Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2024…31st Edition…May 17th – May 20th 2024…Festival Review by Tzina Dovve (DJ Lady Davinia)…

Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2024…31st Edition…May 17th – May 20th 2024…Festival Review by Tzina Dovve (DJ Lady Davinia)…

Wave-Gotik-Treffen… Leipzig… Germany… The largest and longest running international goth festival on this planet took place for yet another year over the Whitsun weekend in the middle of May celebrating four days of dark/goth music and culture once again… Commencing a little earlier this year but never too early for this fabulous dark celebration… Around 20.000 goths from every corner of the globe gathered in the exquisite city of Leipzig to celebrate this goth extravaganza one more time… An iconic city covered in black for yet another year where goths of all ages and backgrounds come together and enjoy what they all have in common… their love for music and goth culture… Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2024… Beginning over 30 years ago, back in 1992, little did the two goth lads that started it all imagine how vast this goth festival would become over the next three decades… With around 200 international bands/artists on the bill again this year and the various parties, picnics, operas, readings, dark art exhibitions, museums, goth/alternative markets and many more happenings spread in over 40 venues across the city, there is always an abundance to visit and party… Despite a little rain this year and the blistering sunshine fancy goth umbrellas, high protection sunblock, winklepickers, platform boots, fishnets, leather and lace, velvet, pvc and Victoriana attire clad goths relished their visit at this non-stop festival for yet another year… Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2024… 31st Edition…

Wave-Gotik-Treffen… Leipzig… Germany… This year’s festival was no exception in its diversity of the subgenres of goth music as WGT has always catered for all tastes… From goth rock/metal to industrial/Ebm/fetish to dark wave/electro/dark synth to post punk/deathrock to cold/minimal wave to neofolk/ethereal/classical and so on… Many oldschool bands from the early goth days made their appearance this year and took to the WGT stages across the iconic city of Leipzig… From the UK’s The Rose Of Avalance, Theatre Of Hate, Ausgang, Sex Gang Children, The Cassandra Complex, The Danse Society and Miranda Sex Garden to the US’s Christian Death and newer Blitzkid, Tragic Black and The Bellwether Syndicate to Finland’s Two Witches, France’s The Cemetary Girlz to Sweden’s Tiamat just to name a few… One of the highlights of this year’s festival, if one must choose, is the elaborate venue Agra Halle where a number of headline bands took to the stage once again… With a 10.000 capacity this venue never disappoints… From Ladytron’s and The Editors Midnight Special to headliners Nitzer Ebb and Kirlian Camera to opening acts the electro veterans In Strict Confidence, the poetic The Beauty Of Gemina and goth metal icons Gothminister to L.A’s Diva Destruction’s exclusive comeback European show in over 20 years…

Wave-Gotik-Treffen… Leipzig… Germany… Another highlight of this year’s festival was the recently added venue Hellraiser… Saturday May 18th saw a great number of goth bands take to the stage of this venue… Newcomers The Waning Moon flew in all the way from the USA and Costa Rica and made their debut appearance in Europe… The band delivered an exceptional show with some fine goth rock tunes including a fab cover of ‘Midnight To Midnight’ by The Psychedelic Furs… An uplifting show from a very promising contemporary goth rock band… Following on the Hellraiser stage the goth veterans The House Of Usher and Still Patient? who delivered a set to die for… From older classic goth hits like ‘Agoraphobia’, ‘Anavryn II’ and the ballad ‘My Darkness Divine’ to newer tracks like their recent cover version of Blancmange’s ‘Blind Vision’… Andy and the boys have still got it and never disappoint… Headliners of the night a band that needs no introduction… Girls Under Glass… Gothsters played a great set which ended the night in a perfect goth mode…to be continued at one of WGT’s goth parties…

Wave-Gotik-Treffen… Leipzig… Germany… More highlights on this year’s bill was the appearance of many new bands from around the globe making their debut on WGT’s stages… Youngsters Walt Disco from Scotland were one of these bands and most definitely made an impression on music fans that ventured out to see them on the last night of the festival… Monday May 20th 2024… Westbad… A band like no other in today’s alternative scene with a sound somewhere between 80s icons The Associates, Classic Nouveaux and Orange Juice with a sprinkle of David Bowie’s stardust… A fantastic uplifting set by lads that are destined to go far… Another highlight of this night was the headline appearance of Chris Pohl’s new 80s synth pop solo project, which began in 2020, She Hates Emotions… A very uplifting show with some catchy synth dance tunes ‘This Ain’t Good’, ‘See The Light’, ‘Edge Of The Night’ and the most recent ‘Don’t You Think’ just to name a few… that kept the audience enthralled til’ the end of the night… Tunes reminiscent of the simplicity and clarity of 80s synth recordings…

Wave-Gotik-Treffen… Leipzig… Germany… This non-stop festival not only had such an abundance of bands to choose from again this year but also a wide selection of events and parties to attend and dance til the wee hours of the morning… WGT 2024 was in party mode once again with some of the finest international DJs across Leipzig keeping the dark dancefloors on fire for the festival’s visitors… From the classic ‘When We Were Young’ parties at Taubchenthal to the different DJ events at Darkflower Club to the fetish parties at The Katz Club to the fetish extravaganza ‘Obsession Bizarr’ at Volkspalast Kuppelhalle… The historic Moritzbastei, every goth’s fave, hosted a number of dance parties and not only again this year, one of which was the Warm Up Party on Thursday night before the festival officially commenced… One might say that traditionally the ever so popular extravagant and flamboyant Victorian picnic held on Friday 17th of May 2024 at Clara-Zetlin-Park stamps the beginning of WGT each year… Nevertheless, visitors grabbed the opportunity to dress up, take plenty of pics, unite with friends and enjoy the sun for yet another year at this glorious picnic … Another hightlight of this festival without a shadow of a doubt is The Pagan Village… Each time one visits something new is discovered on this short journey back to medieval times… From folk music to blacksmiths, tool makers and the medieval market to the best fruit wine and traditional meat dishes you have ever tasted… A short trip back in time and a must for all vistitors of Wave-Gotik-Treffen… Definitely one of the biggest highlights of WGT 2024 and not to be missed…

Wave-Gotik-Treffen… Leipzig… Germany… May 17th- May 20th 2024… 31st Edition… The four days of this non-stop dark celebration came to an end way too quickly for the 20.000 or so goths attending this fabulous festival for yet another year… Sooo many bands… sooo many parties and so much to see and do in such little time… Not enough time… Let’s not forget goth shopping at one of the biggest alternative markets at Agra… Difficult choices and sacrifices have to be made every year at WGT and of course comfy goth boots… in order to visit as many places as you can in-between bands and parties… This year was no exception… New friends were made and older friends from every corner of the world were re-united once more… A melancholy feeling was in the air at the closing party at Moritzbastei on Monday May 20th, the last night of this annual dark celebration as the festival was coming to a close of yet another successful year… A wave of sadness and nostalgia lingered in Leipzig as the city emptied the following day… Time for everyone to go home although goth hearts were still in Wave-Gotik-Treffen mode… The largest and longest running international goth festival on the planet… Thank you Leipzig for your hospitality one more time and to all the WGT team who made this 31st Edition a special one… Until next time goths around the world… Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2025… June 6th – June 9th 2025… Save these dates… and remember… Everyday is a goth day… By Tzina Dovve (DJ Lady Davinia)…