Waldfrieden
Waldfrieden – A Free Space for Culture, Sound, and Collective Dreams
Waldfrieden is a unique cultural venue located in Stemwede (North Rhine-Westphalia), nestled in the forest, surrounded by nature, and infused with magic. What is now a well-established meeting place for psytrance, healing, and alternative culture began modestly in the early 1990s—in an old, vacant inn that was nearly demolished by its owner. A group of young people moved in, formed a commune, lived, celebrated, and created together. The first parties were small, private, and lovingly improvised—starting with rock parties and soon transitioning to electronic music, with Goa and Psytrance ultimately emerging as the defining sound of the location. Waldfrieden grew with its ideas and visitors, becoming over the years a significant hub for the alternative cultural scene—independent, community-driven, and deeply rooted in its surroundings.
From Commune to Cultural Venue
What began as self-organized parties has evolved over decades into a vibrant festival and cultural site. Waldfrieden became larger, more diverse, and more structured, without losing its open, creative spirit. The venue has expanded and developed, establishing itself both internationally within the scene and regionally as a staple of cultural offerings.
The Festivals: “Hai in den Mai” and “Wonderland”
Today, Waldfrieden is best known for its two major open-air festivals. Year after year, “Hai in den Mai” and the slightly larger “Wonderland” which, since 1997, is one of the longest-running electronic music festivals in Europe—draw crowds of 5,000 to 8,500 people. Waldfrieden has grown not only musically, but also in terms of its grounds, infrastructure, and artistic concept. New stages were added, most recently the Hill Top Floor in 2014. The decorations became more elaborate, and the interplay of music, nature, and community became increasingly profound. In 2013, the festivals were expanded to include the Healing Area, introducing a new element: a retreat space for movement, mindfulness, and personal growth. Whether it’s yoga, qi gong, sweat lodges, massages, or meditation—this space is about more than just partying; it’s about inner connection, regeneration, and healing. Starting in 2014, this gave rise to Wald Healing, an additional, explicitly family-friendly festival that includes its own children’s program.
A Year-Round Cultural Venue
Waldfrieden has never been just a festival site. For many years, events took place year-round, not only psytrance parties, but also regular pub nights, family and children’s festivals, workshops, and concerts, both indoors in the clubhouse and outdoors under the trees. Many of these formats were a defining part of the Waldfrieden spirit for decades. But what was once possible is now only feasible to a limited extent. Official regulations and bureaucratic hurdles have increasingly made it difficult—and in many cases unfortunately impossible—to hold events. Many things that used to be a matter of course are now prohibited, such as the 24-hour Summer Special Parties that ran for years. Even beloved structures like the “Aussichtslosenturm” had to be removed—a sad symbol of how hard it has become to preserve creative spaces. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, operating economically has become nearly impossible for many cultural institutions. Clubs, venues, and alternative spaces are disappearing, club closures are a serious issue. We at Waldfrieden feel the effects too: rising costs, less planning security, and more bureaucratic obstacles make it harder to keep creative spaces alive.
Still, We Carry On.
We’re not giving up. We keep building, using less wood and more paperwork. We try to find creative ways to keep Waldfrieden alive. Between regulations and forms, we continue to work on creating spaces for connection, music, healing, and community.
A Place with Values
Sustainability is part of who we are: furniture made from our own wood, electricity from eco-friendly sources, recycled flyers, organic beer, and vegetarian organic food at the bars, this is our everyday reality.
But values mean more to us: Waldfrieden sees itself as a discrimination-free space. We stand for diversity, respect, and solidarity. Racism, sexism, queerphobia, and other forms of exclusion have no place here.
Waldfrieden is meant to be a place for everyone, open, inclusive, and conscious. Nazis have never had a place here, and especially now, in times of growing right-wing sentiment, we take a clear and uncompromising stand against nationalism and far-right ideologies.
Come by – dance, dream, and be part of the story.
We look forward to seeing you. Waldfrieden lives through the people who support it, with heart, with ideas, with presence.
Your visit, your support, and your energy make this place possible.
Let’s make sure it continues together.
The Waldfrieden Club can be rented for private events on available dates.
