Wave Gotik Treffen 2025
- The German Seeress
- Jun 22
- 2 min read
Beautiful, darkly romantic – that's the WGT as we know it, an integral part of Leipzig. In 2025, scene photographer Marco Gazaneo once again had his finger on the shutter button and captured very special impressions with a keen sense of atmosphere, light, and detail. Whether darkly elegant portraits, playful steampunk fantasies, or delicately melancholic street scenes, Marco's pictures tell stories – of people, costumes, and moments.
Photographer: Marco Gazaneo, Model(s): Anna Dee
The WGT – The world's biggest Gothic festival
The Wave Gothic Festival (WGT) has been held annually in Leipzig at Pentecost since 1992. Admittedly, there have been some breaks. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic did not stop at Leipzig's gates. As a result, the WGT had to be suspended between 2020 and 2021. With over 20,000 visitors from all over the world, the WGT is one of the largest gatherings of the black scene worldwide. But it is much more than just a music festival: it is a total work of art consisting of concerts, readings, exhibitions, Victorian picnics, cemetery tours, fashion shows, and medieval markets.
From concept to institution
The WGT has its roots in a small, almost private gathering of goth fans in Potsdam in the late 1980s, which was attended by just around 20 people – at least according to Wikipedia. This gathering is considered the symbolic origin of what would later become an institution of the goth scene. In 1992, the first official WGT was held in Leipzig – with around 2,000 participants. Back then, it was still an improvised event in smaller clubs, but today there are dozens of locations spread across the entire city. What's particularly remarkable is that the city of Leipzig is firmly behind the festival – the police, transport companies, and even museums and churches are firmly integrated into the program. Hardly any other community would be able to pull off such a festival that spans the entire city.
Black romanticism in pictures – Marco Gazaneo's view through the lens
What makes Marcos' photography so special is not only his technical precision, but his ability to make entire worlds appear in a single image. His models are not mere motifs—they are living works of art, carefully staged but never posed. Each shot tells a story, capturing a moment between dream and shadow. It is this sensual melancholy, this delicate drama that captivates the viewer – always dark, never bleak.
His images set the imagination in motion, transporting you to other dimensions. You can almost feel the fabric of the garments, smell the campfires of the pagan village in the distance, hear the whispers of times gone by, and forget for a moment that you are only looking at a picture. Marcos' works are visual poems of black romanticism – and the WGT is his stage.
Photographer: Marco Gazaneo, Models: Village Witch, Morticia Eve, Gruftine
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