Pulsating rhythms and panoramic views

The SonneMondSterne Festival at Bleiloch reservoir

Once a year, the walkers exploring the forested hills and the holidaymakers enjoying various water-based activities give way to three days of pumping rhythms. The SonneMondSterne Festival draws fans from far and wide to Bleiloch reservoir in the south-east of Thuringia.

When the first cars start rolling up on a Thursday and techno beats fill the air, even regular citizens throw on their most vibrant and outlandish outfits to celebrate a veritable festival of colours. At this point, the fields around Bleiloch reservoir become the meeting place for a boisterous crowd bobbing compulsively to the beat. The reservoir near Saalburg is usually a tranquil spot, but once a year it is the venue for the SonneMondSterne Festival, or SMS. This hugely popular electronic music event attracts around 35,000 people annually.

Get in there: the entrance to the stages ©Tony Guenther, Visionauten

I wonder whether the organisers realised that it would be such a success when they held the first event back in 1997. Just a year later, German techno royalty Sven Väth was at the decks. Many other greats of the techno scene and selected acts from pop and rock followed: Moonbotica, Massive Attack, Faithless, Die Fantastischen Vier, Seeed, Fritz Kalkbrenner, The Prodigy, Moby, MIA, Deichkind and David Guetta have all played here. Even Kraftwerk, the doyens of electronic music, have graced the stage.

This is the life: chilling with the sand below and the lights above. And music all around ©Tony Guenther, Visionauten

Traditionally, the SMS opens with the firing of a cannon on Friday evening. What follows is an almost surreal world of colours, costumes and all manner of electronic dance music. You can rave outdoors until the early hours on and in front of various stages, dance to the bass and beats of the hottest DJs in the tents, or chill out with quieter sounds in the camping area. The right ‘look’ is part of the fun, with special (and careful) attention paid to glitter, stars and neon colours.

Watching over all: the colourful Buddha provides a moment of relaxation among the hustle and bustle ©Tony Guenther, Visionauten

Festivalgoers spend the day lounging on the beach, and in the evening they dress up with lots of quirky accessories to follow the latest pop culture trends. But what would a lake be without a boat to party on? The SMS boat plays the latest beats as it cruises across the reservoir past the dam and the crowds on the beach, and everyone wants to be on board.

This is more than a festival, it is a work of art, a happening. And the scene repeats itself every August, when this idyllic spot is transformed into a meeting place for young – and young-at-heart – fans of electronica.