
8th to 10th August 2022
M’era Luna Festival 2025 Day 3 with And One, De/Vision, Subway To Sally, In Strict Confidence, Blutengel, Rotersand, Lacuna Coil, Leæther Strip, Versengold, Sierra Veins, Corvus Corax, Torul, Coppelius, Noisuf-X, Schattenmann, Massive Ego, Manntra, Corlyx, Beyond Border
Sunday was not as hot as Saturday, but the sun was shining bright over the airfield to welcome the crowd for the last festival day.
A crowd clad in black gathered on the runway to practise “Black Yoga” once again. A long line in front of the breakfast stall indicated that not everybody suffered from a hangover after partying all night long. Later in the morning, when Lydia Benecke began her lecture in criminal psychology, the fully packed hangar learned a lot about the difference between people harbouring sexual homicidal fantasies who never commit a crime, and those who eventually become criminals.

The music programme began with BEYOND BORDER opening the Main Stage at 11:00, while at the same time people gathered at the market square to practise medieval dances. Over at the Club Stage, CORLYX, who range somewhere between Darkwave and Post-Punk, attracted quite a crowd.

One of the early highlights followed: MANNTRA from Croatia. Considering the hour, an unusual number of people had gathered at the Main Stage, greeted by a happy band with long hair, painted faces, and furs around their shoulders. Heavy riffs and hard rock melodies drew even more festivalgoers towards them. The band delivered a strong performance, thanking M’era Luna over and over again for inviting them to Hildesheim. Before leaving the stage to huge applause, they proudly announced their tour for early spring 2026.

As the Main Stage was prepared for SCHATTENMANN, who sadly struggled with poor sound quality during their opening songs, MASSIVE EGO entered the Club Stage, filling it with beats that soon had people dancing all over. Around noon, the infield became a sea of blankets - a tradition that has grown over the years - turning the right-hand side of the arena into a picnic area with a brilliant view of the Main Stage. There, COPPELIUS opened their show with dramatic gestures and their self-described “Kammercore”, combining theatre and heavy sounds.

Meanwhile, those who preferred electric and heavy synths gathered at the Club Stage for NOISUF-X. At the same time, the hangar began to fill for the Academy programme, where Dr Juliane Meyer gave a fascinating lecture on borderline personality disorder. Her conclusion: people suffering from this condition are not dangerous - a statement that earned her heartfelt applause.

Back on the Main Stage, CORVUS CORAX unleashed monsters, torches, and a storm of medieval instruments mixed with modern guitars, announcing the dawn of the “Era Metallum”. Soon after, VERSENGOLD brought the spirit of celebration to the infield, complete with paper streamers, fire, and enchanting melodies for M’era Luna’s 25th birthday party.

The Club Stage also thrived: TORUL encouraged the crowd to dance and connect, followed by SIERRA VEINS, who draped the audience in shimmering Dark Wave. It was almost miraculous that this concert could even take place: after her flight was redirected from Hanover to Hamburg, the singer had to take a train back to Hanover, then rush in a taxi straight to the festival grounds. Without time for make-up or preparation, she went directly from taxi to stage - still delivering a mesmerising performance. Hats off!

By the afternoon, Goth Metal fans flocked to see LACUNA COIL, with sunscreen and handheld fans being passed around in the summer heat. Their heavy set included a crowd-pleasing cover of “Enjoy the Silence”. Later, Dr Juliane Meyer returned to the Academy stage with another gripping lecture, this time on the relationship between Harley Quinn and Joker. Her conclusion was sobering: love cannot cure mental illness, but mentally ill people must be treated with respect - they are humans, not monsters. Deeply moved by the response, she invited festivalgoers to approach her with questions afterwards, thanking the Academy team for adding the subject of mental health to their programme.

In the evening, the festival’s birthday celebrations continued. LEÆTHER STRIP reminded the Club Stage audience of the occasion before unleashing heavy beats, ROTERSAND presented their new album and were celebrated by the audience with lots of orange and black balloons, while long-standing favourites BLUTENGEL drew a massive crowd to the Main Stage. As soon as the last notes faded, many streamed back towards the Club Stage for IN STRICT CONFIDENCE, who delivered a strong show.

The grand finale on the Main Stage was SUBWAY TO SALLY, who celebrated M’era Luna’s 25th anniversary by performing their entire Nord Nord Ost album. Is it really 20 years old already? The medieval-folk-rock sounds proved timeless, especially when Hildesheim’s biggest choir - the audience - joined in on “Kleid aus Rosen”. SUBWAY TO SALLY delivered a headliner performance worthy of the occasion.

The day on the infield closed with AND ONE, whose show did not pass without controversy. The band, increasingly criticised in recent years due to frontman Steve Naghavi’s public stance during and after the pandemic, brought a stage design featuring a Berlin Wall setting complete with watchtower and “music police” patrolling the wall. Naghavi himself paraded across the stage in military fashion while a virtual “death strip” was presented as part of the scenery. The elaborate set clearly cost a lot, but whether it served as satirical irony or not remains questionable in today’s political climate. Including ‘Military Fashion Show’ in the setlist only intensified debate.

Much of this criticism stems from Naghavi’s statements during the pandemic, when he publicly expressed controversial views and was linked with conspiracy circles such as QAnon. These positions alienated many long-time fans and sparked boycott calls, especially within the goth and alternative community that values openness, tolerance, and inclusivity. With this background, AND ONE’s performance at M’era Luna inevitably carried political weight beyond the music. In our opinion, AND ONE’s invitation to a festival that prides itself on openness and tolerance is more than questionable.

Meanwhile, the Club Stage saw a huge crowd gather for DE/VISION (and a lot of people changed from AND ONE to DE/VISION’s show), who closed their set with powerful, danceable Synth Pop and a lot of fan favourites that left the audience in high spirits - a contrasting, yet fitting counterpoint to the polarising spectacle at the Main Stage.

And with that, the 2025 edition of M’era Luna Festival came to an end. As festivalgoers slowly made their way home, many were already discussing next year’s line-up: WITHIN TEMPTATION, OMD, and IN EXTREMO as headliners, with further appearances by Floor Jansen, Front Line Assembly, IAMX, Combichrist, L’Âme Immortelle, Nachtmahr, KMFDM, Megaherz, Agonoize, and Aesthetic Perfection. Pre-sale has already started - and the first contingent of early-bird tickets has sold out in record time.

The 25th edition of the M’era Luna Festival proved once again why it holds such a special place in the hearts of the gothic and alternative community. Across three days, visitors celebrated not only music, but also the shared spirit of creativity, individuality, and connection. From magical concerts and inspiring lectures to workshops, markets, and spontaneous moments of joy, Hildesheim became a place where diversity is lived and cherished.

The anniversary edition showed how deeply rooted the festival has become over the years - a meeting ground of tradition and innovation, nostalgia and new discoveries. While debates and controversies remind us that openness and tolerance must always be defended, the overwhelming feeling of this weekend remains one of togetherness, enchantment, and sheer passion for the dark arts. With the promise of another stellar line-up in 2026, one thing is clear: the story of M’era Luna is far from over - it continues to grow, evolve, and inspire.
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet) and some impressions by Lady in Black