Wave-Gotik-Treffen is an annual world festival for “dark” music and arts held in Leipzig, Germany. Spread over several venues in the city, this four-day festival is a host to more than 150 bands and artists of various backgrounds. The date of the WGT varies every year as it is held in the holiday weekend of Pfingsten also known as Pentecost or Whitsun which is 7 weeks after Easter. This festival supports artists from backgrounds like Gothic rock, Industrial, Neofolk, Darkwave, Experimental, Deathrock and Punk music, to name a few. This festival also features several fairs with medieval, gothic, and cultural merchandise. With about 20,000 people attending this festival, the WGT is one of the largest events of Goth, Cybergoth, Steampunk and Rivethead subcultures worldwide.
The event was first held in Potsdam in the year 1987. But as per laws of the Germanic Democratic Republic, this event was declared illegal. In 1991, after Germany was reunited, the first official Wave- Gotik-Treffen was held in Eiskeller club in Leipzig. The number of visitors increased steadily since then. The largest recorded WGT was in year 2000 with 300 acts and around 25,000 visitors. There are Renaissance fairs, Viking and Pagan markets,
Gothic and Romance events, music and film premiers, literary readings, fetishistic events among others. The main market in the AGRA that runs the entire duration of the festival is perhaps the largest for the goth community anywhere in the world.
Costumes for the WGT vary from all black 'gothic' attire to colorful comics inspired ensemble. People of all ages and backgrounds visit or participate in the event, hence you will see a lot of variety on ground in terms of clothing, color and attitudes. In one of the performances,
Skinny Puppy singer Nivek Ogre looked like a post-apocalyptic survivor, pierced with needles. One needs to take inspiration from the costumes in the performances.
If you’re planning to go to WGT, it’s time to bring out your leather jacket, eyeliner, fishnet and some serious amount of hairspray. It’s not just about the music, it also has BDSM and Fetish events, and dance clubs, among others. Dress up in elaborate goth costumes, leather, fetish heels with big hairstyles. Express your dark side through your costume, as this is the festival that celebrates it. Or you can opt for a European royalty costume with the wig during the medieval times. Whatever be your style, express it through our costumes at Beverlyheels.com.
