From Mosh Pits to Piano Session in the Crowd: Funhouse Festival Day 1
Germany’s coastal city Kiel was overtaken by Funhouse Festival yesterday, as the gates for its fourth and potentially last edition opened. Drawing a total of over 10,000 visitors, the Nordmarksportfeld was overflown by people of all ages, but mainly by university students who saw the weekend as a welcome change of scenery. With bands like Raum27 or Leoniden, the first day of the three day festival offered a large variety of music from high-octane rap to tender indie ballads, all underlined by artists who used their voices to underline that this festival isn’t just about dancing, it’s about standing up for democratic values, queer rights, and a rejection of the far right.
The early hours of the afternoon belonged to a masked rap collective from Berlin, called PA69. The group who previously set the world record by playing 16 shows in one day, bought a walking sun onto the stage and got the crowd jumping into moshpits and running around in circles, especially during their song “Biertornado”. A softer performance was offered by local artist Greta. With tracks like “Holidaze” and “Chaos im Kopf”, her voice carried a variety of emotions into the crowd. 21-year old newcomer Tobias travelled all the way from Bavaria to be able to share indie-pop songs like “Zwischendrin Verliebt” with the crowd. Later that day, former actress and TikTok star, Zsá Zsá took the stage. A stage that was way too small for the big crowds that wanted to sing and dance along to her viral song “bad bunnies”, left fans pressed shoulder to shoulder, unwilling to miss a note.
Raum27 owned the evening by taking over the main stage. The band radiated inclusivity and consideration, making sure everyone in the crowd felt seen and safe, including moshpits exclusively for flinta festivalgoers. With songs like “Oft gesagt” they gracefully combined heavy lyrics with a contagiously hopeful performance, that not only invited the crowds to dance but gave a voice to the struggles of their generation. Leaving Funhouse Festival with a performance that will forever be saved on the humerous playstation setup that they used to film.
To give day one the best possible ending, headliner, and Kiel’s local heros Leoniden ignited the stage with pulsating lights, endless moshpits and fans jumping from left to right. Blending tracks from their new album “Sophisticated Sad Songs” with older fan favourites such as “L.O.V.E” and “Dice” they delivered world-weary lyrics with euphoric beats. Front singer, Jakob Amr, gave fans an unforgettable moment when he went into the middle of the crowd and performed a stripped-down piano interlude, that had fans sitting down on the floor, lovingly singing along. After being crowd-surfed back on stage, he was joined by Raum27’s lead singer Tristan Stadtler who performed “People” and a cover of “Call Me Maybe” with him, before the band ended their performance with a grand finale that featured fireworks on stage.
Day one closed as an undeniable success, not just in regards to music, but for an all around thoughtful festival experience itself. From the simple yet vital decision to allow water bottles for easy hydration, to a wide range of food options that include vegan and gluten-free delights, every detail felt designed with care. Beyond the stages, festivalgoers could slip into a tattoo station for a permanent memory or stumble upon the secret stage, where Beauty and the Beats delivered a surprise set. And with two more days still ahead, Funhouse Festival has only just begun to show its magic.
