Vibrant, joyful, and steeped in tradition - Kicking off an extraordinary week of festivities
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The 32nd European Folklore Festival, held in Neustadt, Germany, around late July 2025, was a cultural extravaganza that combined traditional folklore friendliness with contemporary musical highlights.
The grand opening event took place in Neustadt, where the dancers, musicians, and performers from the eleven participating groups enchanted the audience. Notable acts included the live concert "Classical 90s Dance" performed by Alex Christensen & The Berlin Orchestra, which featured around 30 musicians and several singers, delivering a unique concert experience on the Neustädter Marktplatz stage.
In a last-minute lineup change, Oli.P, a renowned German pop artist from the late 1990s and 2000s, stepped in to replace the band Marquess due to an accident, performing as the opening act.
The media coverage of this vibrant event can be found online at www.der-reporter.de and on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram under the handle @der_reporter. The comprehensive coverage includes photos, information, and videos, providing a valuable resource for those who missed the live event or wish to relive the performances.
Barbara Helbach, the festival's chairperson, and Mirko Spieckermann, the mayor of Neustadt, also welcomed the participants. The eleven folklore groups hailed from Costa Rica, Bulgaria, Austria, India, Portugal, Uruguay, Croatia, Turkey, the Netherlands, Colombia, and Germany.
Previous editions of the festival, such as the one in 2022, have been praised for their spirit of friendship, peace, freedom, tolerance, and hospitality. Guests arrive as strangers and leave as friends, suggesting a warm and inclusive atmosphere. While specific detailed reactions from the 2025 festival audience were not explicitly outlined in the available information, the festival's reputation for fostering such an atmosphere likely carried over into this year's event as well.
In summary, the 32nd European Folklore Festival in Neustadt offered a culturally rich and musically varied experience, making it a must-attend event for those interested in cultural exchange and live performances.
In the spirit of cultural exchange, participating groups showcased their traditional customs and modern performances, blending lifestyles and outdoor-living during breaks in daily activities, enriching the home-and-garden setting of Neustadt for the 32nd European Folklore Festival. The festival's reputation also attracted garden enthusiasts, affording them an opportunity to learn about various folklore gardening techniques in action.
