Live Review: Wave Gotik Treffen 2025 - Leipzig (Day 1)

Various Venues, Leipzig, Germany
6th to 9th June 2025
Wave Gotik Treffen 2025 Day 1 with Victorian Picnic, Then Comes Silence, Coppelius, Nouvelle Vague, Skynd, Alphaville, Kite

Around 4 PM, I finally managed to shut down my home office laptop, grab my camera, tighten my sneakers, plug into the 80s80s WGT radio stream for updates, and head into what felt like my personal opening ceremony of this year’s Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig.

As part of the ritual, I also made sure to set my smartwatch: as in previous years, WGT is more than a musical journey - it’s also my very own extended workout. Moving between venues, darting through half the city in platform boots or trainers, often zigzagging between contrasting genres and crowds, is as much part of the experience as the concerts themselves. Tracking my steps has become a curious but satisfying tradition, and at the end of each day, I look forward to the stats almost as much as the music.



Armed with the WGT app and a loosely penciled plan, I set off toward the first and perhaps most iconic rendezvous of the opening day: the Victorian Picnic in Clara-Zetkin-Park. There, as always, the beautiful, the extravagant, and the devoted gathered to laugh, pose, and begin another weekend of dark elegance and community.

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Then Comes Silence - Agra

My first concert stop brought me straight to the Agra Halle, where I picked up my press wristband and the essential “Pfingstbote” festival guide. The Swedish Post-Punk outfit THEN COMES SILENCE was already on stage, serving as a solid opener for the evening. Founded in 2012 in Stockholm, the band has built a loyal following thanks to their unique blend of Post-Punk, Darkwave and Gothic Rock. Known for their brooding sound and melancholic melodies paired with bursts of Shoegaze-influenced guitar work, their performance here was no different - moody, atmospheric, and executed with conviction. The crowd warmed up steadily, drawn into the wall of sound, the swirling fog and the deep resonance of lead singer Alex Svenson's vocals. It was an ideal beginning for the night ahead.

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Coppelius - Heidnisches Dorf (Pagan Village)

From the dimly lit industrial stage at Agra, it was only a mental leap (and a physical dash) to the cobblestone-lined, woodfire-scented world of the Heidnisches Dorf, where COPPELIUS awaited. The Berlin-based gentlemen of chaos once again managed to turn Neoclassical Metal into a theatrical performance full of wit and eccentric charm. Clarinets and cellos clashed with double-breasted waistcoats and powdered wigs, while their humour-infused lyrics played with historical absurdities. Their performance was both musically tight and visually entertaining, as they commanded the wooden stage with dramatic gestures and a mischievous glint in their eyes. Once more, COPPELIUS proved they are an institution at WGT - honouring tradition while never ceasing to surprise.

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Nouvelle Vague - Agra

Back at the Agra Halle, the mood shifted again. This time it was the French collective NOUVELLE VAGUE who filled the space with their unmistakably airy, lounge-infused interpretations of New Wave classics. With bossa nova rhythms and gently melancholic vocals, they wrapped the audience in a warm sonic blanket. Though their setlist remained fluid and improvisational in feel, their renditions were both familiar and refreshingly new, inviting us to hear beloved songs through a softened, vintage filter. Their stage presence was subtle, intimate, and elegant - a welcome pause to breathe and take in the broader tapestry of the festival. As I wandered a bit during their set, I used the moment to reconnect with old acquaintances, explore the vendor halls and exhibitions, and remind myself why the Agra always feels like the true heart of the WGT.

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Skynd - Agra

From smooth nostalgia to jarring confrontation: the next act on stage was SKYND, and the transition could not have been more drastic. This Australian-Swiss Industrial-Dark-Electro project is known for its haunting dive into true crime narratives, wrapped in glitch-heavy production and ghostly vocals. SKYND herself appeared like an entity from another realm - pale, stylised, and eerily calm. Their performance was a sensory overload: blinding strobes, unsettling imagery, distorted screams, and pulsating basslines combined into something visceral. The crowd stood entranced, unsure whether to dance, watch or brace for psychological impact. It was a reminder that WGT doesn’t only celebrate beauty - it also challenges its audience.

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Alphaville - Agra

To close the main stage segment of the night, WGT offered something deeply nostalgic, but no less powerful: ALPHAVILLE. As the Synthpop icons took the stage, the Agra Halle filled to capacity with an eager, multi-generational crowd. Their legacy preceded them, and they delivered. With crystalline sound and radiant stage lights, they brought a refined, emotionally charged performance that moved between grandiosity and intimacy. From beloved anthems to deeper cuts, they struck every note with the poise of a band still very much in love with their art. As ‘Big in Japan’ echoed through the crowd, thousands sang along, hands in the air, hearts a little lighter. It was a triumphant highlight of the evening.

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Kite - Agra

But the final tone of the night came from a different register entirely. KITE, the Swedish Synthpop duo known for their cinematic sound and emotional intensity, took over the Agra stage for the last official concert of the evening. With sweeping electronic layers, melancholic hooks, and the haunting, soaring voice of singer Nicklas Stenemo, the performance felt like the afterglow of a dream. The hall, though no longer packed shoulder to shoulder, held a deeply committed crowd that swayed gently, immersed in the waves of sound. KITE’s music moved somewhere between darkness and transcendence - a place that felt uniquely right as the first day of WGT wound to a close. It wasn’t just a concert, but a soft, luminous landing after a flight through contrasts.

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Agra Café Afterparty

But the night was far from over. After midnight, the crowd slowly streamed out of the Agra Halle only to reassemble in the cozy chaos of the Agra Café, where a well-curated DJ lineup took over and gave new energy to already buzzing spirits. DJ HELLSBODY, KLASS X, WARHOLY, and BASTARD took turns behind the decks, each offering their unique flavour of dark beats, nostalgic synth lines, and body-shaking rhythms. The dancefloor pulsed with joy, strangers becoming comrades in the flicker of strobes and smoke. The intimacy of the Agra Café created a kind of warmth that only the WGT can generate - where boots clacked, corsets hugged, and eyeliner sparkled with sweat and starlight.



Some danced until the lights came on. Others simply watched, letting the music wrap around them like velvet. I took a moment outside the fray to chat briefly with Isaac Howlett of EMPATHY TEST, who shared with a kind smile that he would miss seeing my photos if I ever stopped coming. A quiet, heartfelt moment in the middle of the night’s noise. For me, it was a perfect closing chapter to a day that had already offered so much. This wasn’t just a party; it was the heartbeat of the scene, beating proudly into the first night of the festival.

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Even from the very first day, the sheer range of genres, settings, and atmospheres reaffirmed what makes Wave-Gotik-Treffen so unique in the festival landscape. From Victorian lace to Synthpop dreams, from folkish playfulness to haunting darkness - and finally to a throbbing dancefloor - Day 1 offered an ideal start to what promised to be a long weekend of reunion, discovery, and devotion.

All Pictures by Dagmar Urlbauer