WHOLE Festival Returns for a Queer Utopia in the Iron City!
by Adriano Batista
From July 18 to 21, 2025, the dystopian industrial landscape of Ferropolis (Germany’s “iron city”) will transform into a queer utopia as WHOLE Festival returns for its seventh edition.
This year’s theme, WHOLE New World, launches attendees into a cosmic journey, literally. The festival’s teaser video, created by Liam Schnell, features a butt plug-shaped spaceship ferrying delirious aliens (read: ravers) to a planet where difference is celebrated. Set to SOPHIE’s Whole New World / Pretend World and a remix by SOPHIE & Doss, the video pays homage to the late producer’s enduring influence on queer soundscapes.
Across six stages (Arena, Beach, Crane, Forest, Ambient, and Performance), WHOLE crafts an immersive universe of music, art, and community. The Crane Stage extends its hours until 2 AM, while the Cruising Village returns with FLINTA-dedicated spaces and the festival’s iconic Douching Station. The TRINA Tent, a vital BIPoC hub, hosts speed dating, workshops, and DJ sets centered on diasporic joy.
Heavyweights like The Blessed Madonna, Shanti Celeste b2b Jennifer Loveless, and Lakuti b2b Tama Sumo share the decks with rising stars. The Performance Stage crowns two queens: Milan’s chaotic pop diva M¥SS KETA and Berlin’s hypnotic rave sorceress Miss Bashful. Collectives like ADIRA (celebrating Arab* queer identities) and SWEAT (trans/queer rave care) deepen the festival’s communal ethos, alongside debuts from crews like Bangkok’s NONNONNON and Bogotá’s fetish-techno party Bulto.
Brazilian funk storms the Crane Stage with live act Irmãs de Pau, while Brooklyn’s legendary QTPoC party Papi Juice brings its activist energy. The Ambient Stage offers respite with Juliana Huxtable’s intimate set and Arewà Basit’s gender-fluid R&B.
WHOLE’s commitment to accessibility shines through sold-out Community Tickets (50% for FLINTA) and an expanded Solidarity Program supporting 150 marginalized attendees. The Sober Space, now larger, fosters substance-free connection with workshops and 12-step meetings.
In Ferropolis’ rusted grandeur, WHOLE builds a galaxy where queer futures feel limitless. As the teaser asks: Who will be Miss WHOLE? The answer is everyone!
WHOLE Festival 2025
July 18-21, Ferropolis, Germany
Tickets & program: wholefestival.com
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