Episode 05.04: WGT 2010 Recap
Featuring festival highlights and videos by Rotersand and Leaether Strip.


Medium Bandwidth (YouTube)
High Bandwidth (QuickTime)



UPDATED 4/11/11: WGT TRAVEL GUIDE
If you've watched a few Noisescape TV episodes, you may have noticed that, come spring, VJ Kyronfive and friends (including guest VJs Sarin, Eric Gottesman, and our on-the-scene invesigative reporter Danarama) can often be found heading to the bucolic former East Germany to visit the town of Leipzig. There each May or June (depending on the year), more than 20,000 goths from all over the world converge for a four-day festival known as Wave Gotik Treffen.

Wave Gotik Treffen, or WGT for short, is the largest of Europe's numerous dark music festivals, a 150+ band extravaganza of goth, industrial, metal, medieval, neofolk, elektro, EBM, synthpop, noise, and every quasi-established sub-genre in-between. The festival, held on the holiday weekend of Pfingsten (a Christian holy day falling somewhere between early-May and mid-June depending on the year) is a literal invasion on the city of Leipzig. For four days it's impossible to go anywhere in Leipzig without bumping into throngs of "gruftis" (the German term for 'goths'). Which means during the festival you can see Dracula hopping on a streetcar at 10am or a woman dressed as Queen Elizabeth, replete with massive hoop skirt, exiting a pup tent. Yes, kids, it's that kind of a party.

It's noisy, it's wild, and it's occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, but for many WGT veterans it's also an intensely special time of year. The WGT organizers themselves put it best recently: "The most fascinating aspect of the Wave-Gotik-Treffen is surely its unique magic atmosphere that covers the whole city. Gothics from all over the world celebrate their gathering in a peacefully relaxed manner, turning Leipzig into a diverse wave of black. Once a year about twenty thousand Gothics come home: to the Wave-Gotik-Treffen."
Nothing could be more true.

WHAT'S THE LATEST NEWS ON WGT 2011?
The latest band lineup for WGT 2011 can be found here. Additionally, as it is WGT's 20th anniversary, WGT is hosting a special concert at the Agra Halle on Thursday June 9th featuring the original lineup of bands from the first WGT in 1991! Details are at the bottom of this page.

HOW DO I GET THERE?
Airfares from the US to Germany can run anywhere from $500-$1500, depending on when and where you are flying. One important thing to note is that airfares do not start dropping until at least 12 weeks before the festival (and frequently no sooner than 8 weeks) so you'll need to be patient to get the best deal.

The time of year when the festival is held will also affect airfares. In some years, 2011 unfortuantely being one of them, the festival occurs during the summer travel season, sending ticket prices skyrocketing. Budget-minding festival-goers may have a tough time finding reasonable airfares during these years. However, a little legwork can yeild favorable results. Don't forget to research all the different travel sites, not just one or two, or use an aggrigator such as Skyscanner to suss out the best deals.

Leipzig has its own airport, Leipzig/Halle (airport code: LEJ), although there are presently no direct flights there from the US (you'll likely change planes in either Frankfurt or Munich). There's a convenient regional train that connects the airport to the Leipzig hauptbahnhof (central station) in under 15 minutes. It runs every half hour and costs only a few euros. A timetable is here. Flying into LEJ is the most convenient option for getting to Leipzig, but oftentimes also the most expensive.

Frequently it is cheaper to fly into Berlin and then take the Deutsche Bahn to Leipzig. Trains run frequently between Berlin and Leipzig, so you have lots of options. Plus, if you book online in advance, and commit to a specific scheduled train, you can even save up to 50% on the fare. (Alternately, if you want to keep your options open, consider booking your ticket at full price. That way you can reschedule at no additional charge.) Near the festival dates trains to Leipzig can become crowded, so be sure to pay the extra euro or two for an assigned seat. Otherwise you may find yourself sitting on your own luggage, a less than fun way to pass an hour-long train ride.

Be sure to factor the train ticket cost into your overal budget. Depending on your ticket type and the exchange rate, it can be more than $100 round trip. (Note: the budget savvy can also consider using InterConnex to travel from Berlin and Leipzig. InterConnex trains cost about $20 each way but run on an extremely limited schedule.) And while we're talking about trains, it's worth mentioning that if you find a really cheap flight into Frankfurt or Munich you can also take the Deutsche Bahn to Leipzig from those cities. Be aware, though, that the train ride costs more and will add an additional four hours to your travel time.

Yet another option is to fly into other parts of Europe (and thus allowing your trip to have a touristy and non-gothic component), then take a discount airline such as Air Berlin, EasyJet, or RyanAir into Berlin, then train it to Leipzig. Air Berlin also flies directly into Leipzig from a limited number of continental locations. Lastly, if you are considering flying in from the UK, Sadgoth's site has an excellent primer on how to do this.

HOW DO I GET TICKETS?
There are two ways to purchase your festival tickets: buy them online beforehand or just buy your tickets on the first day of the festival.

In 2011, because of the special 20th anniversary show, ticketing will be available before noon on Thursday June 9th at the Agra Messepark, the festival's base of operations. (Getting to the Agra Messepark requires taking a tram which is discussed in further detail below.) Plan to get there early as the lines tend to get longer as the day progresses.

As of 2009 there has also been an additional ticketing location available on Thursday night at the hauptbahnhof. This is particularly convenient for people whose hotels are located within the city ring. Just be warned that you may have to stand in line for about an hour.

Once you've purchased your ticket you'll need to redeem it for your "bandchen" (wrist band). Your bandchen is what grants you access to all the venues during the festival, so they'll clamp it pretty snug to your wrist. Prepare yourself mentally now for the fact that you'll be sleeping and showering in it for four days.

HOW DO I GET AROUND?
At any given moment during festival hours, WGT offers more than a dozen concerts and events you can attend, all going on simultaneously around the city! Unfortunately, if you are unfamiliar with Leipzig and don't read German, it can get tricky getting from place to place. The good news is the Leipzig public transportation system, LVB, is easy to get the hang of.

Most tram lines originate at the Leipzig hauptbahnhof (the main train station), which is situated in the center of town. The hauptbahnhof is also a giant mall so if you need an ATM, a beer, a band-aid, or something else, you can find them all within. Just don't forget many stores aren't open on Sundays, and almost all are closed on Pfingsten Monday (as Pfingsten is a national holiday).

From Friday June 10th until Tuesday June 14th at noon it is free to ride LVB within Leipzig as long as you are wearing your bandchen. Anytime you ride the tram outside the festival dates, however, you must buy a ticket. That includes travel on Thursday June 9th even after you have your bandchen. Tickets can be purchased from machines at many stops and even on some trams. Don't get caught without a ticket. You will be fined and it is not cheap. And no, they won't be nice just because you don't live there and/or don't speak German.

Getting to the festival's main venue, the Agra Halle, will likely require you to ride a tram. To get there, consult this handy transportation map. From the city ring you can simply hop on any 11 tram marked "Markkleeberg-Ost" or "Dolitz" (my apologizes for the lack of umlaut to all our German readers). The Agra's "haltestelle" (tram stop) is Am Eichwinkel, but the easiest way to tell when to get off is either when you spot the large green "MESSEPARK" sign or every single goth on the tram around you suddenly disembarks. Yes, my friends, you have arrived.

While you're at ticketing, be sure to pick up one of the festival schedules they give out. On the back of the schedule is a map that has instructions on where each of the venues is located and how to get to them using public transportation. Most venues are located within a short walk from either the 11, 16, or 31 tram lines.

Which leads us to our next tidbit. As of 2010 the festival has its own dedicated tram line! This line, the #31 (or "the batmobile" as I like to call it), travels from the Hauptbahnhof and passes the stops for Moritzbastei (Augustusplatz), Kohlrabizirkus (An den Tierkliniken), The Pantheon, formerly Volkspalast (An den Tierkliniken), Werk II (Connewitz Kreuz), and the viking village, Heidnisches Dorf (Torhaus Dolitz), before terminating at the festival's home base, the Agra Messepark. Most of your acitivites during the festival will be directly accessible from this tram line.

A couple caveats about the tram: it gets crowded, so you often have to stand, and it can be slow. If you have 15 minutes to get from one venue to the next, or your feet are killing you, or both, your best bet may be to take a cab instead. The popular venues, such as Agra, Kohlrabizirkus, Werk II, and Mortizbastei, have cab ranks nearby. Don't fret if you are unable to speak German; many cab drivers understand a little English. Even if they don't, simply saying the name of the hotel or venue you wish to go to is typically all they need.

Fortunately a few of the festival venues are located with in the city ring which makes them an easy walking distance from hotels also inside the city ring. The most important, Moritzbastei, is right off Augustusplatz. Built inside the old city walls, Mortizbastei is like a catacombs filled with goth people (all living, we hope). In various places throughout its brick passageways you can find bars, a little eatery, two dancefloors, vendors selling their wares, and a room for live shows. And above it all is a mini renaissance faire called the Medieval Village. How's that for one-stop shopping?

Also within the city ring are Leipzig's dedicated goth nightclub, Darkflower, a popular afterparty spot, the clothing shop X-Tra X, and the absintherie, Sixtina. During the festival Sixtina hosts free concerts (not official WGT shows) in their back patio area which can be quite fun.

Side-note for those of you who've never been to WGT and know you'll be heading to Parkbuehne at some point during your stay: one could write a tome on how to get to this particular venue. It is located deep within Leipzig's Clara Zetkin Park, making it difficult to locate the first time. Your best bet is to ask a WGT veteran for help. Also, as this is an open-air stage, pack accordingly. Depending on the weather you may find yourself seriously regretting not having brought either sunscreen or an umbrella.

So what do you do if, despite everything, you manage to get lost? Fear not. Do what I've done on more than one occasion: follow whatever random group of goths is closest to you. In all likelihood they're going to the same place you are. And if they're not, hey, at least you have the chance to make new friends.

WHERE DO I STAY?
From the great outdoors to four-star hotels, there is a wide variety of accommodation options during WGT. The cheapest is to sleep in the campgrounds on the grounds of the Agra Messepark. For the price of a special ticket known as the Obsorgekarte (around 20 euro above the price of the regular festival ticket) you have unlimited access to the campgrounds during the four-day festival. Since the cheapest accommodations in the city will run you at least 50 euro a night, this is by far the most economical option. But be warned: camping, even during a festival, is still camping. You'll be sharing land, toilets, and showers with thousands of others. And like camping, you're at the mercy of the elements. Yes, kids, it often rains at least once during the festival. Be prepared.

Despite this, some recommend camping as the very best way to experience the festival. It's a great way to meet new people from around the world, and if you're the dance-till-dawn type, festivities at the Agra Halle often run until 6:00am. If you're short on cash and have a penchant for partying, there's really no better deal. Just don't forget to do a little research online beforehand. There are quite a few strategies worth knowing beforehand, such as how to get the best campsites, how to queue for the bathrooms and showers, and more. Americans in Leipzig and Sadgoth's Guide both contain excellent advice.

Hotels in Leipzig are plentiful and can fit a wide variety of budgets, although in recent years the prices have been climbing due to the popularity of the festival. A search on a site such as Travelocity or Orbitz will offer many options, many of which hover between 100-125 euros a night for a double occupancy room.

The most convenient accomadations are within the city ring. And it's a good idea to book in advance. Reasonably-priced hotel rooms can become scarce months before the event as people firm up their travel plans. This is particularly true for 2011 with the festival dates so close to another major Leipzig event, the yearly Bach festival. If you are contemplating going, it's not a bad idea to make a cancelable hotel reservation immediately just to be safe. Many WGTers even book their hotel rooms a year in advance.

WHAT DO I EAT?
There are hundreds of food options in Leipzig's city ring alone, so you will certainly not starve. If you are looking for a quick bite to eat, many of the venues feature outdoor vendors serving brautwurst, steak on a bun, or doners (delicious meat-filled pitas); all fast, cheap, and filling. Mortizbastei has its own little eatery and at the Agra Messepark there is even an outdoor food court where you can find number of food and drink choices, including vegitarian fare. There is another, smaller food court outside Kohlrabizirkus and both the Agra Halle and Kohlrabizirkus have food carts available inside the venue. Additionally, its often recommended that first-time visitors try out Auerbachs Keller, an iconic restaurant inside the city ring that is famous for its regional fare and beautiful murals depicting Faust. (Goethe evidently used to go there to write; that's how old it is, kids.)

Also, an important note on purchasing beverages in many of the WGT venues: you'll often be charged a 'pfand', typically a euro or two more than the price of the beverage, which is in essence a rental fee on the cup your beverage was served in. Once you are done with your beverage you can return your cup to the vendor and he or she will refund you the cost of the pfand. This ingenious system was devised to reduce litter, and it works amazingly well. Plus, more than a few enterprising WGTers have discovered that returning discarded cups and collecting the pfand can earn them a free beer or two. What a way to help the environment and your belly!

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?
Am I supposed to tip my waiter? Will my cell phone work in Germany? These questions and more are answered at two extremely helpful English language sites: Americans in Leipzig and Sadgoth's Guide. Both are highly recommended reads.

Safe travels and see you there!