Festivals have established themselves as special gathering places for goths. Here they can pursue most of the passions of being gothic: Listening to music, shopping and enjoying the social exchange with like-minded people. Yes, in fact, the goth who usually prefers to keep to himself is much more relaxed and accessible at festivals because he doesn't have to brace himself against the outside world, but is among his own kind.
But festivals also serve another purpose, namely real-networking with each other. Thanks to social networks, we know more about the friend who may live hundreds of kilometres away than we do about our neighbours. Yet we rarely meet them. Festivals entice us with popular line-ups, so many goths also travel a long way to hear music. A great opportunity to finally meet each other.
Festivals are also a melting pot of subculture, because here you not only find every facet and trend of the goth scene, but also people of all ages. If you look around closely at festivals, you will experience the scene in all its manifestations - be they sympathetic or unsympathetic. Also, the usual generation conflicts seem to fade into the background, because varied line-ups invite you to "look beyond" your own musical generation.
The only difference: while the young people spend their nights in atmospheric tents, the older participants rather appreciate a comfortable bed in a hotel.