Haldern Pop

If you go to the “Geschichte” menu on the Haldern Pop Festival website, you’ll reach a simple page that lists, by year, all the artists who’ve performed since the first festival in 1984. Of course, this list is incredible. In retrospect it’s often amazing what big names, unknown at the time, were booked there. But the really great thing is that it reveals in so few words what Haldern is all about: music and experiencing music together, and nothing else. The audience trusts the intuition of festival director Stefan Reichmann so blindly that it has happened that the festival was sold out before any bands had been confirmed. It’s not about being big or famous, it’s not about the big show, it’s about listening, discovering, and spending a few days together with like-minded people. Haldern could probably sell five times as many tickets, but the festival management categorically refuses to move. And since the Reitplatz, where the festival has been held for decades, can fit just under 7,000 people, it’s advisable to secure a ticket sooner rather than later. Haldern is always sold out far in advance.
 
What's more, Haldern has a very special connection to Montreal: Not only has Haldern already welcomed the Barr Brothers, Bell Orchestra, Patrick Watson, Krief, Thus Owls, Robbie and Besnard Lakes, but for the 2020 edition, which unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, a dedicated session stage for Montreal artists was planned. This experiment will hopefully be repeated.
  Don’t miss the film made with crowdfunding money for the 30th anniversary of Haldern, which you can watch for free on YouTube: Du die Schwalbe, wir der Sommer.
  Haldernpop.com