Now entering its eighth year, WHOLE Festival has quickly found its place amongst a cadre of queer festivals that take place annually around the world. But WHOLE stands out as a queer gathering—it’s more than DJs curating magical dancefloor moments. WHOLE features an extensive sober space, workshops on everything from sexting to becoming a snail, and a huge queer-centric design bazaar.
This year, Sniffies is partnering with WHOLE to bring the magic of the festival back to its home in Ferropolis, an open-air industrial museum on a lake a couple hours outside of Berlin. We caught up with Malte Bossen, head of marketing, Elmar Conzen, project lead, and Nadine Ahya, social media manager, to hear about what to expect at this year’s WHOLE, what first-timers should know, and what’s next for WHOLE.
How would you describe WHOLE Festival to somebody who's never heard of it and never been?
Malte Bossen: WHOLE is a very free space. It's different from other festivals. Sometimes people call it a queer utopia.
Elmar Conzen: I think the term utopia hits it almost completely, but it's also a space for negotiations and claiming the dance floor, claiming space, and being present. It’s a festival where a lot of people care very much and that makes it a really special place.
Nadine Ahya: How I see it is this intersection of all of these queer ecosystems that come together in one place on a completely international scale. We talk about the queer community being really small, and also transatlantic—everyone knows someone who knows someone from the other side of the world. WHOLE is where that actually all comes together, and not just from, a nightlife and electronic music scene. You have the dolls of New York at WHOLE Festival, you have Berlin's local ballroom scene, you have the queer underground from Brazil all in one place.
What are a few things that first-timers at WHOLE should know before they go?
EC: I mean, the first thing that comes to my mind is that we have a douching station. But also: prepare for everything, and expect the unexpected, because you will get surprised by everything. Don't get lost in the cruising spaces, because there's a lot of programs and things happening, but also do get lost in the cruising spaces.
NA: Come with an attitude of curiosity. WHOLE is not a traditional festival in that it's not centered purely around electronic music. The program is so full. We have dance workshops, whacking workshops, we have a sober space, we have workshops that center around taking care of yourself, loads of panel talks, yoga mornings, and all the rest of it. Come with an intention to take part not just be dancing and listening to your favorite DJs, but actually walking around—even the site that the festival is based on is a historical landmark. Just walking around and looking at the architecture, that is an experience in itself.
What are three items everyone should pack for WHOLE?
MB: A reusable water bottle (stay hydrated!), something warm for the night (even though it's usually hot during the day), and your most comfortable shoes. Come prepared to move and take care of yourself.
How has WHOLE grown over the years?
MB: it started with 400 [attendees], and over the years it’s grown to 10,000. But it’s important for us to mention—we don't want to grow much bigger.
Is there a DJ you’re especially excited to hear this year?
NA: My shout out for this year is Armana Khan, the Pakistani DJ from Canada. I'm South Asian myself, and it's kind of crazy to see another queer South Asian be part of a queer festival in the middle of Germany, so that's a huge deal for me.
EC: I'm looking very much forward to the performance for Meek from the UK. I discovered her two or three months ago, and then at some point we talked about how maybe we should book her, and now she's all over the place, and I'm constantly listening to her stuff.
What can you share about the upcoming WHOLE Festival in Brazil?
MB: I'm not sure how much I can say, but what I can share is that something is coming for WHOLE in Brazil, and we’ll be able to share more in July.
