Sadgoth's Guide to Wave gotik treffen / leipzig 

There are many reasons why you should go to WGT, but most people will be drawn by the huge list of bands that play, over 220 bands that will play at 50+ venues across the city and your mission (should you choose to except it) is to see as many bands as possible whilst travelling the length and breadth of Leipzig. You don't need to worry about what type of genre of goth music will play, they all do plus many that you have never heard of before, so expect to hear everything from Trad Goth to EBM, from Goth Metal to Neo-Folk and from Medieval to Powernoise (plus there are always Classical and Opera shows to watch as well as free museums and exhibitions, you can even go to Gothic Knitting events!)

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So for newbies coming to WGT can be a bit daunting, however don't let this put you off, if you keep to the main venues you will be fine, even after being every year since 2002 I still have not been to all of them (and probably never will as the festival evolves each and every year), be brave, you have read this far, keep going and start to make your plans...Come to the Pre Meet and you will be amongst friends wherever you go in Leipzig!

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So what makes WGT different from other goth festivals?, my response (and forgive the analogy) is that most festivals are like going to a restaurant, you enter and never leave for the duration of the meal, your options are limited to what's on the menu, and you don't really have to do much, everything is served to you. WGT is different, it's more like a buffet restaurant (to continue the analogy), you have to get up and and get what you want, you can pick and choose from a huge range of entertainment whilst wandering around the city enjoying all the sights and scenes and if you don't like what the official festival has to offer then there are a huge amount of 'fringe' entertainment that is put on by supporting clubs, bars and venues that you can indulge in (like the retro When We Were Young after parties or the Victorian Picnic plus many other events around the city)

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The other thing about WGT is It’s quite hard to describe the feeling of the festival, it has a fabulous laid back atmosphere, and it’s not intimate like many of the UK festivals, although many of the venues are. I guess that's because there are so many ways to experience the festival that everybody will find some way to enjoy themselves. The multinational nature of the festival adds huge amounts of enjoyment to the weekend. Knowing that people have travelled from across the world to be here is very special. No other festival seems to encapsulate this in the same way that WGT does. Eating outside the Agra is like eating at the United Nations, the languages and accents are from just about every corner of the World. Of course the majority of people that you encounter will be German, but not just from Leipzig, like you most will have travelled many miles to get to Leipzig. At the railway station (Hauptbahnhof) you will encounter a sea of black dressed people prior to the festival starting, making you feel at home and safe from the moment you arrive. Leipzig itself is a wonderful City, just walking around the city is most enjoyable, and most of the people in black are truly friendly, if you can’t find something, just ask, the chances are that they will speak some English (or answer you with a broad American accent). And just to note that I have yet to see any trouble in all the years that I have attended, in any festival location.

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