The E-Tropolis Festival 2026 will take place on Saturday, 28 March 2026, at the Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen. The line-up has been finalised, featuring bands that are sure to get everyone dancing and their muscles twitching. If you want to show off your dance moves and love electronic music, you should get your tickets quickly.

If you want to escape Germany's most bizarre law – the ban on dancing – on Good Friday, you can swing your hips to your heart's content at the Black Ball in Zurich. Nine bands will be performing their dark sounds on two stages. The four additional dance floors invite you to join in the night-time shadow dance. 

If you haven't decided on a holiday destination for this year and want to combine your holiday with a bit of festival flair, then the Dark Malta Festival might be just the thing for you. For the seventh time, popular bands from the gothic, industrial and metal scenes will be playing on this beautiful Mediterranean island. From 17 to 19 April, the festival will attract numerous visitors from all over the world to celebrate with over 20 bands in a Mediterranean atmosphere. 

Eccentric – Beyond conventional trade fairs
The extravagant obscene event in Karlsruhe is a meeting place for fans of kink, BDSM and fetish here in the south of Germany. An exciting communal experience awaits the numerous visitors. With captivating performances on stage or for you to discover for yourself, evening parties and events for dancing or sensual experiences, as well as a variety of around 30 workshops that offer space to deepen your own knowledge and explore new horizons. 
Boudoir Noir will be there with a 40 m² stand, offering the perfect clothing for darkly passionate occasions.

The Hexentanz Open Air is a metal, folk and gothic rock festival that takes place from 26 April 2026 to 26 April 2026 in Thallichtenberg near Kusel (Germany), in the beautiful setting of Lichenberg Castle. Top acts such as Lord of the Lost, Fiddler's Green and League Of Distortion have been confirmed for the 18th Hexentanz Open Air. Scherbentanz and many more have also been booked.

Whitby Goth Weekend is an alternative music festival consisting of two evenings of live bands and three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) of alternative stalls at Whitby Leisure Centre and Whitby Brunswick Centre. 

From 22 to 25 May 2026, Leipzig will once again become the stage for the dark scene: the Wave Gothic Festival will celebrate its 33rd edition and, as every year, attract thousands of visitors from all over the world.

Throughout the Whitsun weekend, numerous venues will open their doors and offer a diverse programme – from concerts and readings to lectures, film screenings and classical performances to exhibitions and glittering parties. During this time, the city itself will become a living work of art, with around 20,000 guests turning the streets, parks and clubs into a sea of black.

In June 2026, the venerable walls of Ehrenburg Castle will once again become the stage for dark sounds and black elegance. On 19 and 20 June 2026, the Castrum Nigra Festival invites you to two intense nights full of gothic, darkwave, electro, industrial and medieval sounds. With its mix of open-air party, festival and family reunion for the scene, Castrum Nigra is considered one of the most extraordinary events in Germany. Those who attend will experience not only music, but also an aesthetic fireworks display of costumes, light and community.

On 26 and 27 June 2026, the idyllic Niederburg Kranichfeld will once again be the venue for a festival that has long since secured a firm place in the black festival calendar: the Black Lower Castle Festival. The historic open-air stage, nestled within 12th-century walls, provides the perfect backdrop for two days of synthpop, dark wave, electro and gothic vibes. Between towers, ramparts and the view over the Ilm Valley, an atmosphere is created that can only be experienced here. With a capacity of around 1,400 visitors, the Black Lower Castle deliberately remains intimate and accessible. The combination of a medieval castle backdrop, modern electronics and a community that feels like a big reunion makes the festival a real insider tip.

The Rockharz Festival at Ballenstedt Airfield in the Harz Mountains is one of the largest metal festivals in Germany and a true metal institution! If you still want to get your hands on day tickets, you should hurry, as festival tickets are already sold out! Once again this year, over 50 bands will thrill the metal community over four days. These include Kreator, Halloween, Paradise Lost, Alice Cooper, Doro and many more. 

The Burning Pants Festival is the ultimate rock music festival for the BDSM, fetish and sex-positive scene and will take place from 3 to 5 July in Hude, Lower Saxony. Twenty-four national and international bands from the scene will play on two stages and set the stage on fire. Under the motto ‘Let the jogging pants burn’, the festival is taking place for the fifth time. 

When the ancient walls of Broich Castle are cloaked in deep black in summer, it's time for the Castle Rock Festival once again. On 3 and 4 July 2026, this cult event will be entering its 24th year, attracting around 1,500 visitors from the gothic, dark rock and metal scenes. The historic castle complex provides the perfect backdrop for a festival that uniquely combines music, community and atmosphere. The programme is as high-calibre as ever, with bands such as Crematory, Nachtblut, Tanzwut, Lord of the Lost, All For Metal, Sagenbringer, Stoneman, Snow White Blood, Heimataerde, Wisborg, Eigensinn and many more acts. The festival thus brings together both established greats and exciting newcomers to the scene.

The air is on fire, hot rhythms take possession of your body and make your blood boil. Party, party, mega party. That's the only thing that counts and it will simply sweep you away. The post-apocalypse comes to life in a location that is in no way inferior to a Mad Max scenery. And your outfit should match, because the Doorbitch looks very closely and knows no mercy. Throw yourself into a dance party packed with DJs, fire shows, live performances and much more. Dive in and let yourself drift.

What once began as an insider tip is now an institution: the Amphi Festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2026 and invites you to its big anniversary celebration at the Tanzbrunnen Cologne on 25 and 26 July. For two days, the Rhine metropolis will become a meeting place for fans of darkwave, EBM, gothic rock, synthpop and industrial, who will travel from all over Europe and beyond to celebrate, dance and show themselves together. But Amphi is more than just music: readings, a shopping mile, fashion shows, chill-out areas and the legendary after-show party make the weekend a multi-sensory experience. The backdrop of the Tanzbrunnen – with views of the Rhine and the Cologne skyline – creates a unique atmosphere between urban elegance and subcultural magic.

When summer reaches its peak, Hildesheim becomes the epicentre of the black scene: the M'era Luna Festival returns to Drispenstedt Airfield on 8 and 9 August 2026 – and the line-up is already shaping up to be a dark fireworks display. Within Temptation, OMD, In Extremo, Floor Jansen, Front Line Assembly, IAMX, Combichrist, L'Âme Immortelle, Nachtmahr, KMFDM, Megaherz, Agonoize, Aesthetic Perfection and many more will be there. Whether gothic, industrial, metal or synthpop – M'era Luna brings together the diversity of the scene for two days full of music, fashion and magic.

When the sun beats down on Bavaria, Dinkelsbühl transforms into a mecca for metalheads: Summer Breeze Open Air will once again celebrate its big party with around 40,000 visitors from 12 to 15 August 2026. For four days, there will be nothing but heavy riffs, thunderous drums and a community that lives for what it loves. Over 130 bands ensure that every facet of metal is represented – from death and power to folk and core. Summer Breeze 2026 will be a highlight of the metal year – modern, loud, intense. Those who attend will experience four days of pure energy and a scene that celebrates itself anew every year.

On 13 September 2026, the historic Henrichenburg ship lift in Waltrop will once again be transformed into a stage for the steampunk community. Under the motto ‘Steampunk Ahoy!’, artists, musicians, traders and visitors will come together to celebrate a retro-futuristic spectacle. The festival takes place as part of Open Monument Day and offers a colourful programme: market stalls with handicrafts, fashion and accessories in Victorian industrial style, live music and walk acts, readings, circus workshops and face painting for time travellers of all ages, boat tours and round trips on historic steamers that perfectly complement the maritime atmosphere.

When the Mediterranean suddenly starts sounding like guitar riffs in October, it's that time of year again: the Full Metal Cruise 2026 is back on the road. From 1 to 11 October 2026, Mein Schiff 6 will be transformed into a floating metal universe – in two parts. 

Part I starts on 1 October 2026 in Palma de Mallorca and sets course for Barcelona and Marseille before returning to Palma on 6 October. There, some will disembark while the next armada of black shirts will embark – because Part II begins immediately afterwards and runs until 11 October 2026. Those who are really tough can even combine both routes and headbang continuously for ten days until the railing shakes.

The Full Metal Cruise is no ordinary festival – it's a metal holiday where you can enjoy breakfast with a sea view in the morning and rock out to live shows in the evening. Confirmed acts include Alestorm, Destruction, Ozzyfied, The Baboon Show and Victory. In addition, there will be concerts on several stages, meet & greets, metal karaoke, workshops and pool parties with guaranteed headbanging. And all this on a ship that is normally intended for wellness cruises – but will mutate back into a floating festival hell in 2026.

The only catch: the trips are already fully booked – but there are waiting lists for cancelled cabins!

From 23 to 25 October 2026, the MS Connexion Complex in Mannheim will once again open its doors for one of the most important events of the year: the European Dark Dance Treffen. For three days, the location will be transformed into a pulsating labyrinth of dark beats, flickering lights and a community that knows how to party the night away. The weekend kicks off on Friday with the official pre-party – perfect for getting into the spirit, meeting old friends and warming up the dance floor. Then on Saturday and Sunday, things really get going: multiple floors, DJ sets, after-show parties and a programme that lasts long into the night. The MS Connexion Complex provides the perfect backdrop: Kolbenhalle, Mainfloor, Tanzsaal, Stahlwerk, Treibhaus – each room has its own vibe and magically attracts the scene. Even though the line-up has not yet been announced, one thing is certain: every year, the Dark Dance Treffen delivers a mix of darkwave, EBM, gothic, industrial and electro that makes the dance floors shake.

From 7 to 9 November, Hamburg will be transformed into the pulsating heart of the BDSM and fetish scene. Passion is not only the largest event of its kind in northern Germany – it is a sensual experience in its own right. Experience an extraordinary variety of handmade fetish designs, erotic fashion, exclusive BDSM toys and stylish furniture. The fair not only offers shopping at the highest level, but also an intense interaction in an open, respectful atmosphere. Meet like-minded people, make new contacts and be inspired by thrilling live performances and inspiring workshops. Treat yourself to three days full of discoveries, encounters and experiences that will get under your skin. Boudoir Noir will be there with a 40 square metre stand, offering the perfect clothing for darkly passionate occasions.

On 20 and 21 November 2026, it's time to head to the coast again, but please wear black! The Plage Noir Festival transforms Weissenhäuser Strand into a sea of dark outfits, loud beats and lots of good vibes. Anyone who claims that gothic and beach don't go together has never danced barefoot in the sand to industrial music. For two days, there will be concerts, parties and readings, plus a shopping area with everything a black heart could desire – from corsets to accessories that are guaranteed not to be sandproof. And when the Baltic Sea gets stormy again in November, it's perfect: after all, we love drama. The festival is not just about music, but also a family reunion for the scene. You meet old friends, make new ones and realise that black is simply the best colour, whether on the beach or in the club. So put away the sun cream, get out your boots and get ready for a weekend that proves you can party by the sea in November too – just a little darker.