Feel Festival 2025 - A Four Day Escape into Music
Last weekend (24th-27th July), Feel Festival transformed the former mine into a communal space of freedom, good vibes and electric tunes. From the moment we stepped onto the festival area it felt like we were entering an alternate cosmos. With tents being unpacked right near music stages and people dressed up being euphoric about the next upcoming four days.
When buying a ticket, you never know what you’re going to get in terms of music & lifestyle program as Feel Festival is keeping its lineup a secret until the very first day of the festival. Although if you know your way around the (Berlin) club scene, you might have heard who’s likely to play.
Feel Festival delivered a broad variety of Hip-Hop, Indie, and mostly electronic music. On 15 different stages, there was always something going on and it was basically impossible to get bored during the day & night.
Thursday: melodic beats at the beach
After setting up our campsite, we started to explore the whole area. Right on the beach with the lake behind it was a stage in the optics of the pastel “Squid Game” staircase. Legendary Berlin powerhouse collective “Teenage Dreams” took over the Beach-stage for the first evening. Starting off with groovy beats, DJ Eivissa & SMUSEB got the crowd dancing into the sunset. The house/techno duo and founders of the label “Teenage Dreams” - DJ Heartstring continued the groovy and house sounds.
At the other end of the festival the “SESH”-collective took over the Kreuzberg-stage for the night. World-renowned DJ and Performer MCR-T was so popular on the festival lineup that the crowd literally surged towards him. Due to overcrowding, entry was temporarily halted to ensure the safety of all attendees.
After several hours of grooving to electronic music, it was time for a change of pace. While looking for a restroom, we were unexpectedly greeted by classic pop evergreens at the Späti36-stage. 90s and 80s hits like “Be My Lover” and “Sweet Dreams” sparked cheerful vibes and euphoric dancing. When the DJ dropped “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” by ABBA, even the passersby couldn’t resist and made a brief detour onto the dancefloor.
We decided to try our luck once more at the Kreuzberg-stage for MCR-T, hoping to catch the final few minutes of his set. Following MCR-T, Mischluft took over. He brought a refreshing, trance-influenced sound to the “SESH” takeover at the Kreuzberg-stage. While SESH is typically known for its hard techno and ghetto tech edge, Mischluft — true to his name — delivered an impressive blend of melodic trance and hardgroove tracks, paired with some faster, more intense cuts.
Closing off his set with the all-time electronic classic “Insomnia” by Faithless, we were left in a state of pure euphoria and fittingly, we really couldn’t get no sleep. Fueled by excitement for the days ahead, drifting off that night was easier said than done.
Friday: political rap & non-stop Trance
After spending the first day mostly exploring the festival grounds and dancing to electronic beats, today’s program featured a number of standout live acts. The Takraf-stage offered a diverse lineup of German-language artists. Set beneath the towering conveyor bridge “Takraf” — one of the largest machines in the world — the stage hosted performances by OG Lu, Jassin, Apsilon, and Ikkimel. With each act, the crowd grew steadily larger.
Jassin performed all of his well-known tracks, including “Duftkerzen,” “Kinder können fies sein,” and “dieses eine Lied.” On stage, he expressed how grateful he was to finally be back performing at a festival, after having to cancel his last two appearances due to illness. Unfortunately, his set was briefly interrupted by a sound failure, but the audience didn’t let that kill the vibe. Through clapping and chants, they kept the energy alive until the issue was resolved.
Jassin then went on to debut his unreleased track “Arsenalplatz.” Throughout the entire set, he impressed with his incredibly strong and controlled vocals — all while bouncing across the stage like a rubber ball, fully owning the entire space.
Apsilon took over the stage next and delivered an energetic set.
Notably, both Apsilon and Jassin attracted a rather young audience. There were even some families with underage children in attendance. Apsilon impressed with a powerful flow and strong stage presence. In addition to his more mellow, emotional hits like “Grau” and “Koffer”, he also performed rap tracks such as “Reiche Freunde” and “Eure Welt kaputt”. When he took off his dark grey jacket, a “Free Palestine” shirt underneath became visible, which led to chants of “Free, free Palestine” from the crowd. Apsilon is definitely an act you shouldn't miss at festivals.
The next live act drew such a huge crowd that people were standing along the forest paths next to the stage. She’s one of the most talked-about figures in the German music scene right now — you either love her or you don’t. We’re talking about Ikkimel. With her feminist lyrics and electronic party beats, she whipped the crowd into a frenzy. The audience couldn’t hold back and danced without inhibition. When she started one of her biggest hits, “Bikini Grell”, the crowd went wild. But unfortunately, Ikkimel wasn’t spared from technical issues either. Just a few minutes into her set, the sound on the Takraf-stage cut out again. Fans had to wait over five minutes until the problem was fixed. However, this didn’t faze most people — the majority stayed. In the end, she was able to continue and complete her set, albeit with a slight delay.
Meanwhile, DJ Yarak took over the Kreuzberg-stage. The takeover by the rap, indie, and EDM collective Hard Candy brought artists like PAU, Diffrent, and the Vienna-based live act Kevin Cool to the stage. DJ Yarak played a wide range of fast trance tracks, including his own production “Sonnenlicht” — a song that has become a staple in the (Berlin) club scene.
Fired up by the high-speed beats during his set, we decided to pay a visit to the trance collective “Polyamor,”who were hosting their takeover on the Reflektor-stage that day. The stage is surrounded by scaffolding, creating a sort of balcony effect, allowing you to look down onto the crowd and the DJ booth while dancing. Hips were in full swing during Cleopard 2000. The fast trance and hard-groove beats made it nearly impossible to stand still. Prada 2000, who followed, kept the energy going and ensured the crowd stayed in high spirits.
It was the perfect ending to our second day. On the way back to the tent, our legs began to feel heavier, and only then did we realize we had been dancing for hours.
Saturday: from Souly to techno sunrise
Slightly sore from the days before, we headed into Saturday, the third day of the festival. Much like Friday, the evening featured a strong lineup of live acts. Our night began with a performance by Carlo5. As a singer, songwriter, and producer, the multi-talented artist has long been a fixture of the German music scene. His sound blends elements of indie, synth-pop, hip-hop, and electronic music. Having originally made a name for himself as a producer, including for hip-hop legend Xatar, Carlo5 brought his eclectic mix of influences to the Takraf stage.
He delivered a confident and compelling live performance, effortlessly energizing the crowd. Tracks like “Wolken am Abend,” “Ibiza,” and “Alcatraz” were essential parts of his set and resonated strongly with the audience. With “Augen schwer,” he set the tone for the next act of the night: frytz. The two artists co-wrote and performed the track together, offering a seamless transition and a highlight of the evening.
As the sun began to set, frytz took to the Takraf-stage, and it quickly became clear that the crowd was in for another high-energy, feel-good set. He, too, performed “Augen schwer,” bringing Carlo5 back on stage for their joint track. The song even sparked a small mosh pit, one of the first we had seen at the festival so far.
Bouncing along in the middle of it all, our anticipation for the next act — my personal highlight of the night — grew with every beat.
The Takraf-stage closed with a true highlight: Souly. Year after year, his success continues to grow - he’s now considered one of the most exciting and promising artists in the German hip-hop scene. His latest album Traence even debuted at number one on the German album charts. With a sound shaped by atmospheric and international influences, Souly stands out clearly from many of his contemporaries.
Traence offers a seamless vibe that draws listeners into an immersive world of 808s and textured production - and that’s exactly how his set felt. It was a carefully curated performance that captured the essence of the album. Strobe lights and fog effects heightened the atmosphere, making the experience all the more immersive.
Of course, fan favorites like “Das erste Mal,” “Diamantstein,” and “Bundeswehr” weren’t missing from the set. But what made this show truly special - especially in comparison to his other festival appearances this year - was its distinct electronic twist. Built around remixes, it was only the second time Souly had ever performed an electronic set, the first being at last year’s MELT Festival.
Next on the agenda was a long-awaited comeback: Viko63 & Penglord. Fans had been looking forward to their return for quite some time, and were met with a surprisingly intimate and mellow set that defied expectations. Notably, they chose not to perform their viral hit “Sauf Sport Balance.” Nevertheless, the performance was atmospheric and well-executed, offering a fresh and unexpected take on their sound.
Following a live music–heavy evening, we made our way to the stages dedicated to Hard Groove and techno. As the hours slipped by and the sun began to rise again, we finally called it a night and headed to bed.
Sunday: Slowdown & Secco Mayhem
With the past few days already taking a toll and our energy running low, we decided to wrap up our Feel Festival experience with a quieter final night. It all began at the Reflektor-stage with Carl Hang. His blend of house and disco, paired with old-school scratching, was the perfect mood-setter for the evening ahead.
By then, the festival grounds had noticeably emptied out. Many attendees had already begun their journeys home earlier that day.
To close out the night, we made our way to the Kreuzberg Stage, where Dobel played a set as part of the Secco United takeover. Dobel is the DJ alias of BHZ member Longus Mongus, and his set was nothing short of a wild ride. From hard groove to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas,” the genre mix was by far the most eclectic the festival had to offer.
While his transitions still left some room for improvement, Dobel didn’t shy away from acknowledging it, repeatedly shouting “I’m the worst DJ in the world” into the mic. His DJ journey, fittingly, began four years ago at Feel Festival — at 6 a.m., no less. “I haven’t learned a single thing since,” he admitted with a grin.
Final thoughts
For four days, Feel Festival felt like stepping into a parallel universe. A place to escape reality, where everyone seemed endlessly kind, open, and ready to help. It was a unique meeting ground for some of the hottest collectives, many of them hailing from Berlin, coming together to create an unforgettable experience.
Yet, not everything was perfect. Some pathways were poorly lit, making it easy to lose your sense of direction, and a few stages were surprisingly tricky to find at night. Still, these small inconveniences couldn’t overshadow the magic of a weekend that offered a true break from reality. A temporary world built on music, community, and discovery.
In the end, Feel Festival proved once again that music can build its own reality. If only for a few unforgettable days.
WRITTEN BY
Frederike
Pop culture is my passion, and concerts are my second home. At Unseen Magazine, I dive deep into underground scenes, uncover unheard voices and bring new artists into the spotlight. I aim to showcase Berlin's vibrant music scene and what the mainstream bubble hasn’t discovered (yet).
PHOTOS BY
Frederike
Pop culture is my passion, and concerts are my second home. At Unseen Magazine, I dive deep into underground scenes, uncover unheard voices and bring new artists into the spotlight. I aim to showcase Berlin's vibrant music scene and what the mainstream bubble hasn’t discovered (yet).
Anne
Hey I'm Anne and I'm all about underground Hip-Hop moments, fresh releases, rising artists, and anything that captures the energy behind the music. I love content that feels alive: artist stories and that unfiltered vibe you only get at live shows. Think visuals that breathe, moments that matter, and a whole lot of love for the music scene.
