Parookaville Festival turns Weeze into a temporary city for 200,000 EDM fans

Parookaville, billed as the largest electronic‑dance music festival in North Rhine‑Westphalia, is staged each year in the small municipality of Weeze on the site of a former British military airfield. Organisers build a temporary city for the three‑day event, complete with its own town hall, post office, supermarket and a church where couples can be married.

The festival draws more than 200,000 visitors annually, featuring international stars such as DJ Steve Aoki alongside local acts. Initiated by Bernd Dicks in 2015 and inspired by Belgium’s Tomorrowland, Parookaville has grown from an initial 40,000 fans to one of Europe’s biggest EDM gatherings. A recent WDR television report gave a behind‑the‑scenes look at the logistics, the local businesses that support the crowd, and the community’s transformation during the festival period.