Festival Passport: MELT Festival, Gräfenhainichen, Germany.

With 2023’s festival season on the horizon, we’re delighted to present the first edition of this year’s Festival Passport series. 

One of Germany’s most unique and hedonistic gatherings of creative minds, communities and cultural icons – MELT Festival, returns for summer 2023 with an outstanding array of talent from across the globe. Returning to their spiritual home, the Ferropolis City of Iron – MELT festival provides one of Europe’s most unique locations, surrounded by disused engineering behemoths, which become part of the event’s structure throughout the weekend. 

MELT Festival has always pushed the envelope, sitting on the cutting edge of musical culture and booking a lineup that showcases the stars of the future, new sounds and unique approaches. 

The latest lineup announcement includes the likes of Bicep, The Blessed Madonna, Eliza Rose, Joy Orbison, Nia Archives and plenty more, adding to a wealth of renowned electronic names from around the world.

Date & Location: 8th – 10th of June, Ferropolis (City Of Iron), Gräfenhainichen

Entry Requirements (Visa/Inoculations etc.): Standard European travel restrictions

Local Currency: EUR

Averages daily costs: All you need is your ticket, which includes camping and drinks/food on the festival site. Make sure to stay hydrated! Drinks cost between 4 and 8€, food 5-10€.

Local Information: Travel via Berlin and take the train to Gräfenhainichen (about a two-hour train ride). From there, a shuttle will pick you up and take you directly to the festival site. Don’t forget your swimming gear for a small refreshment in the lake!

Recommended Sites: Bauhaus Museum, Leipzig. 

Recommended Restaurants: We have many different and unique food stands at the festival and have been working with all of them for a long time. However, we must admit that the vegetarian burrito on the camping ground and the Käsespätzle on the festival site have probably saved numerous lives. They are both just delicious!

Recommended Cultural Experiences: Take a trip to Leipzig, Dresden or Berlin! They all offer unique experiences and are worth a trip!

Ones To Watch at MELT: Difficult to say. With our 150+ artists, we have something to offer everyone. Stay open-minded, stroll between the stages, and give artists you don’t know a shot – they are all unique, and we promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Things to Remember / Local Rules: Be open-minded, care for each other and have a glorious time!

In keeping with the rest of our series, we caught up with the team behind MELT Festival to chat about what to expect at this year’s edition and more:

How would you describe MELT to someone that has never been before?

MELT festival is a vibrant and diverse music and arts festival featuring a wide range of genres, including electronic, indie, hip-hop, and more. It’s as if you enter a different world beneath old giant excavators, which create an otherworldly atmosphere that is unlike any other festival. In addition to the music, there are also plenty of art installations, performance art, and workshops to check out at MELT. The festival has a strong reputation for being inclusive and welcoming to all, with a diverse crowd of music lovers and festivalgoers from all over the world – and this vibe is really important to us. Overall, MELT is an unforgettable experience that combines music, art, and atmosphere in a truly unique way.

Are there any specific values you strive for when creating your festival experience?

We always try to be as diverse as possible when creating the festival in all aspects, whether it be the high number in music genres, the ratio in booking all genders at the festival or creating non-music experiences.

This always summons the most lovely and inclusive attendees you could wish for at the festival.

Are there any specific features that will make this year’s event extra special?

Last year’s hidden gem, the Autoscooter floor, will get an upgrade this year, showcasing a new generation of ravers. Also, we will upgrade our Beach Club, a floor right next to the camping site and directly by the lake. With Toy Tonics, Multisex and Strangelove, three amazing collectives will take over this floor and provide you with the best tunes for dancing and drinking throughout the day. Further, we will have some specials that we can’t announce just yet.

The lineup for this year’s event is incredible. Are there any artists you are particularly excited about?

That is always a tricky question, of course. We are really looking forward to all the big shows at our mainstage with exclusive german festival shows from artists like FKA twigs, Bicep (live), slowthai and more. Also, special DJ b2bs that are happening in Germany for the first time, like Marcel Dettmann b2b Cem, Freddy K b2b Dr Rubinstein and takeovers from amazing collectives like Voxnox, Toy Tonics, Multisex will definitely be highlights. We think the stage we are looking forward to most this year is the Autoscooter stage which was our hidden gem last year.

Are there any new up-and-coming artists people should keep our eyes and ears for this year?

Here are some that we are really looking forward to as they will play their first german festival shows at Melt this year: Nia Archives, Southstar, Two Shell, Ojerime, piri, d4vd, TYGAPAW – but it’s hard to say because all of our 150 artists are worth the keep both eyes and ears on. Just be open-minded and check out acts that you might not know yet.

Do you have any off-site recommendations for visiting international festivalgoers?

BAUHAUS museum, Leipzig, Berlin

Lastly, describe MELT in three words and give us your golden festival tip.

Zeitgeist, Escapism, exploring 

MELT Festival takes place from the 8th to the 10th of June in Ferropolis (City Of Iron), Gräfenhainichen, Germany. Visit their website for more information and tickets: https://www.meltfestival.de/en