For its seventh edition, WHOLE Festival returns from July 18 to 21 2025 — the peak of the German summer — to the dystopian landscape of Ferropolis, the iron city of Gräfenhainichen, just a few hours south of Berlin. Often described as a ‘queer utopia,’ WHOLE once again opens a space-time portal for three days of music, community, and celebration — a much-anticipated annual pilgrimage for queer people from around the globe.
A Butt Plug-Shaped Spaceship To Another World
This year's theme - WHOLE New World - promises a journey to another galaxy. In the video teaser by Liam Schnell a butt plug-shaped spaceship full of delirious aliens is launched, all on their way to a raving queer planet where joy, difference and acceptance are the rule. Featuring SOPHIE's ‘Whole New World / Pretend World’ soundtrack and a remix of ‘Whole New World’ by SOPHIE & Doss, the video pays tribute to the legendary artist whose influence continues to shape contemporary queer culture, both on and off the dancefloor.
Building on the success of previous years, WHOLE continues to establish itself as a leading queer festival. With six stages — Arena, Beach, Crane, Forest, Ambient, and Performance — the festival delivers an immersive sonic and visual journey, with DJ sets, live performances, workshops, panel discussions, art installations and sun-soaked beach days. New this year, extended hours at the Crane Stage — one of the most beloved — now running until 2 AM.
The festival’s Cruising Village will provide a multi-exploratory space curated by diverse crews that blend soft and hard play across various zones, with a FLINTA*-dedicated area. Remaining in the realm of sex, the legendary Douching Station, an iconic element of WHOLE, returns to play its unique role.
Another major hit from last year making its return is the TRINA Tent: A BIPoC experiential space created by and for diasporic communities, featuring a vibrant program including a body activation workshop, BIPoC speed dating, and a panel discussion. TRINA also hosts fun, open-to-all DJ sets that invite collective release and radiant self-expression.
Artists and Collectives
WHOLE 2025 features international names from the most diverse backgrounds, including I.JORDAN, Romy, Tygapaw, AHADADREAM, DJ AYA b2b THC, Dana Montana, Rakans b2b AGY3NA, Ellen Alien b2b Dr. Rubinstein, Blasha & Allatt, Nene H b2b Badsista, Wallis, OK Williams, Shaun J. Wright b2b Kiddy Smile – their very first b2b and the closing set slot of the festival – The Blessed Madonna, Shanti Celeste b2b Jennifer Loveless, Fafi Abdel Nour, DJ Holographic, Lakuti b2b Tama Sumo, Josh Caffee b2b NIKS, alongside a wide range of artists whose work is based on experimentation, innovation and community.
The festival is thrilled to announce two iconic artists of this year’s performance stage: M¥SS KETA and Miss Bashful x DBBD — two queens of electronic music with wildly different approaches, but equally commanding presence. M¥SS KETA , Milan’s masked diva and high priestess of chaos-pop, brings her signature mix of electroclash, performance, and unapologetic feminist anthems. Miss Bashful, Berlin’s own whispering witch of the rave, enchants with sensual, slow-burning sets between sound, ritual, and desire. This year, the stage belongs to the “Misses” — but who will be Miss WHOLE? A trick question, of course: at WHOLE, everyone who sets foot on this planet already wears the crown. This year’s Performance Stage will also feature ADIRA and SWEAT— collectives focused on creating communal spaces. ADIRA, founded in 2023, is a queer Arab* DJ and performance collective celebrating Arab* identities through Arabic-pop and anti-orientalist aesthetics. SWEAT, a long-standing trans and queer collective in Copenhagen and Berlin, curates inclusive raving experiences centred on care, expression, and togetherness.
The arrival of new collectives continues to enrich WHOLE’s ever-evolving landscape. Making their debut this year are Berlin-based crews Fluid Vision and Power Dance Club, and Augsburg’s HAMAM Nights. They are joined by a roster of international collectives: Barcelona’s FLINTA* crew Me Siento Extraña; San Francisco’s queer underground techno party MÜLL; Bangkok’s queer and women-led NONNONNON; Eau De Cologne, a Georgian queer collective from Tbilisi; the techno queer fetish crew Bulto from Bogotá, which returns this year to the festival; Fiesta Dame from Santiago de Chile, with its focus on techno, acid, and house; Signal, a house music warehouse party in Los Angeles; and Lisbon’s body and sex positive collective CURVS. Each of them brings diverse perspectives and reflects the global reach of queer underground scenes. At the same time, the core of collectives from Berlin remains essential, with the return of Body Language, Buttons, Cocktail d’Amore, Gegen, Herrensauna, Lecken, Lunchbox Candy, Pornceptual, Puticlub and WEEEIRDOS. The sonic landscape is as diverse as its community, spanning house and techno, experimental soundscapes, bass-heavy explorations, and Latin American vibes.
It is perhaps the Crane Stage that best expresses the diversity – musical and otherwise – that is in WHOLE's DNA, starting with the Friday collective debut of Kilowatt, a Black-run electronic and techno collective, making the air spicy since the very first day. The Crane will also feature a strong presence of Brazilian Funk, with a standout live performance by Irmãs de Pau on Saturday — a duo of multi-artists, Isma and Vita, whose trans-Black rhythms challenge and reinvent narratives around travesty identities in Brazil. Sunday sees the arrival of Papi Juice, the iconic Brooklyn-based QTPoC. nightlife party and art collective, known for merging sound, visual culture, and activism.
This year’s Ambient Stage deepens its offerings with a carefully curated program of immersive live sets, conceptual sound explorations, and collaborative storytelling. Designed as a space for reflection, experimentation, and soft connection, it welcomes a range of artists and collectives working at the intersections of sound, identity, and emotion. Among the highlights: Arewà Basit brings soulful, sultry R&B that celebrates the fluidity of gender and sexuality, while Juliana Huxtable, returning with a powerful set on the Arena Stage, will surprise audiences with a second, intimate appearance in ambient mode. The stage will also host interventions from visionary collectives including African Acid Is The Future, kwia, Infinity Rug, Futurehood, and Tabloid Press.
Community and Inclusivity
WHOLE 2025 invites you to explore the softer galaxies of the festival—where queer desire, neuroqueer intimacies, and embodied connection shimmer in playful, heart-expanding forms. From sensual touch and radical consent to writing workshops, yoga, and queer speed dating, the program offers portals into communication that transcend words—through body, breath, and shared presence. A highlight of the program this year is the ‘Safety & Self-Defence’ workshop organized by Queens against Borders. The full program will be announced on our website soon.
WHOLE aims to remain an inclusive space. Community Tickets, with 50% allocated to FLINTA* individuals have already sold out, reflecting the festival's commitment to equitable access. Additionally, the expanded Solidarity Program, providing a free festival experience to those who are most affected by systematic & economic disparities, will welcome 150 attendees facing financial hardship, prioritizing refugees, Black and POC individuals, trans and gender-expansive people, individuals with disabilities, and those facing fatphobia. Festival-goers are also encouraged to support this initiative through donations when purchasing their tickets. Additionally, the festival invites applications through its Open Call for Volunteers, who are an integral part of WHOLE, contributing to its unique spirit.
The Sober Space returns in an expanded form for WHOLE 2025, with support from Connecting Passions and Lemonade Queers, inviting sober and sober-curious festival goers into a lively, judgment-free zone. From grounding activities and playful welcome rituals to open conversations on sobriety, sex, and substance use, this space offers moments of presence, connection, and clarity. With daily 12-step meetings, craft corners, and cozy chill-out zones, we’re excited to help facilitate the growth of this conversation around sober raving.
