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Germany’s Maifeld Derby fest to bow out in 2025

German boutique festival Maifeld Derby will come to an end following its 2025 edition, organiser Timo Kumpf tells IQ.

The musician-turned-promoter launched the 5,000-cap independent in Mannheim – a UNESCO City of Music – in 2011.

Kumpf headlined the first year himself with his band Get Well Soon and went on to welcome the likes of James Blake, Bonobo, Hozier, Phoenix, The Streets and The National. But despite Maifeld being named Best Small Festival at the 2023 European Festival Awards, Kumpf says that next year’s event will be its last.

“The festival was always on my shoulders and it has now got too heavy to carry,” he says, citing issues with rising costs, bad weather, increased competition and a lack of funding from the city.

“The festival grew fast and in 2014 we had a breakthrough with The National headlining and Hozier making his Germany debut,” explains Kumpf. “Since then we were considered a tastemaker/boutique/gatekeeper festival. We never made any money, but we also never lost too much.”

Maifeld Derby received state funding for the first time during the pandemic, enabling Kumpf to reboot the festival in 2021 following a sabbatical.

“Sales got weaker, production costs increased and competition became tougher than ever”

“The years 2021-2023 happened very fast and the festival weekends were very successful with a great vibe, so I decided to keep going and turning the hamster wheel, and 2025 was announced before 2024 ended,” he adds.

“Somehow during that time, without really noticing the funding had run out, sales got weaker, production costs increased and competition from promoters became tougher than ever.

“The only way to keep going after 2025 would have been with funding by the city of Mannheim. I asked for €200,000 in 2025 and €300,000 in 2026. But as soon as that was called impossible, I had to pull out and announce the end of the festival. Even though we are a non-profit organisation, the risk is all on my shoulders.”

Maifeld Derby’s “last ride” will be held from 30 May to 1 June, with Franz Ferdinand, Zaho De Sagazan, Antony Szmierek, Pearl & The Oysters and Nilüfer Yanya among the 60-plus acts appearing across its four stages.

For Kumpf, the end of the festival brings both disappointment and relief.

“The workload has been at a very unhealthy point for years now and I really want to prioritise my private life after this,” he reflects. “But of course, it was my baby and it’s hard. I’m very proud of my team and myself. Maifeld Derby is a great place for enjoying great music and I can’t wait to celebrate this one last time.”

 


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German festivals unite to raise money for sector

Festival for Festivals, an online event organised by German music festival platform Höme, will raise money for events by encouraging fans to recreate the festival experience at home and selling wristbands and merchandise.

Events participating in the Festival for Festivals initiative include Superbloom, Das Fest Karlsruhe, Rock of Ages, Maifeld Derby, Sea You Festival and MS Dockville.


From 21 to 23 August, German festival fans around will be encouraged to dig out their camping chairs and pitch their tents to transform their homes and gardens into their favourite festival site, as large-scale events remain outlawed until the end of October.

Festivalgoers will be able to don festival wristbands and t-shirts by purchasing the Festival for Festivals box, with all proceeds going to participating festivals. Priced at €35, the box also contains a Höme magazine, adhesive tattoos, a reusable plastic cup and a festival-scented air freshener.

“We will celebrate our festival landscape together in a virtually connected way”

Fans can choose to support an individual festival from the Festival for Festivals list or donate the money to a joint festival fund. A lucky few will also receive a golden festival wristband in their box, granting free access to all participating festivals next year.

Festival for Festivals is also releasing an app in August, which will feature interactive challenges for festivalgoers to compete in, as well as broadcasts of past festival performances and talks.

“In the past few weeks, we have all felt what we will miss due to the absence of the festival season this year, but we have also seen many – be it festival fans or organisers – sharing their enthusiasm for this huge, diverse festival landscape,” comments Höme co-founder Johannes Jacobi.

“This is where we want to start with the Festival for Festivals, by collecting money to support festivals, initiatives, artists and service providers, but also giving the festival fans a stage – and celebrating our festival landscape together in a virtually connected way.”

Festival boxes can be bought here until 19 July.


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