Southside Festival - Day 1

The Southside Festival is one of Germany’s most iconic music festivals, held every June since 1999. Located in the southern part of the country, it serves as the sister event to the Hurricane Festival and attracts music fans of all genres - around 60,000 in total.

Southside features four stages, three of which are situated next to each other. As of this year, the festival has gone fully cashless, introducing a chip-based system that allows attendees to top up money virtually.

Southside Festival Day One

Even before the gates officially opened, large crowds had formed at the entrances and thousands of tents were already set up across the camping grounds, helped along by sunny skies and ideal weather conditions. The festival delivered everything music fans could ask for, from a village of brand-sponsored sample tents to a wide array of food trucks spread across the grounds. Here are our musical highlights:

Ikkimel - the festival had barely opened, but everyone seemed to be on time for Ikkimel. The German rapper drew a massive crowd around the Red Stage, kicking off her set with fan favorites like "BIKINI GRELL". The first mosh pits of our Southside day quickly broke out, with Ikkimel encouraging all women in the crowd to claim their space in the action. She also premiered her new Song "WHO'S THAT", well-received by the fans.

PARCELS - This Australian electropop five-piece knew exactly how to get the crowd moving at the Blue Stage. With four members of PARCELS performing side by side in front of the drummer, they created a captivating stage presence. Their upbeat rhythms and tight harmonies had even those at the very back of the crowd swaying and dancing along.

Berq - At 8:30pm, everyone knew where to be. The crowd for German singer-songwriter Berq at the Red Stage stretched all the way to the back of the festival grounds. He impressed with powerful vocals and emotional songs that had most of the audience singing along, and more than a few wiping away tears. With major hits like "Blauer Ballon", a heartfelt ballad about losing a parent, and "Tourettes", dedicated to his grandparents, he truly captivated the crowd.

Nina Chuba - Our day ended with a versatile performance by German pop singer Nina Chuba. Playing on the Blue Stage, right in the heart of the festival, she drew an even larger crowd, making it by far the most anticipated set yet. Her show featured a variety of hits, getting the audience to swing their arms in time with the music or dance around. When she performed this year’s release, "Unsicher", the crowd lit up the grounds with their flashlights, creating an emotional atmosphere as she sang about experiencing life for the first time and the insecurities that come with it.

Southside's day one reached far into the night with highly-anticipated acts like Green Day or SDP that played up until 2 a.m. We're full of emotions after the first day and excited for the following two!

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