Best Gothic Festivals

Festivals are one of the most awesome ways to celebrate the things that are important to you throughout the year. Festivals are a tradition as old as humanity - the Mid-Autumn Festival in China has been celebrated for 3,000 years and the Romans celebrated Saturnalia with a week-long festival in 133 BC, so it’s clear that festivals have always been a popular time.

Luckily, 2019 has some truly amazing festivals to honor and embrace goth culture. Whether you're looking for music, costumes, or holiday celebrations, there's something for everyone this year!

1- Creepycon

Held in Knoxville, TN, Creepycon is a celebration of all things horror. If you like horror movies, terrifying costumes, the occult, and other gothic horror classics, you'll have a great time at Creepycon!

The whole town has fun creating dozens of haunted houses, trails, escape rooms and other spooky things for festival-goers. If you think you'd like to spend a few days immersed in the twisted psyche of humanity, you'll want to put Creepycon on your calendar this year.

2- Gothic and Alternative Festival

This Goth and Alternative Festival held in Whitby, England offers an incredible opportunity to really delve into the gothic side of yourself. Not only will there be music, but there will also be a horror film festival, a Dark Days Market where you can buy all kinds of gothic clothing, jewelry and other gothic necessities, and a series of tables rounds such as 'Hammer Glamour: Women in Horror and Secrets of Dracula' presented by Dacre Stoker, the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker himself.

This one will be available soon, so if you're interested in going and haven't purchased tickets yet, you'll want to make sure you do so right away. Don't miss this fabulous festival!

3- Wave Gotik Treffen

A festival in Lepzig, Germany, Wave-Gotik-Treffen celebrates the goth lifestyle through music. They have goth rock, darkwave, metal, death rock, and several other genres of music, including traditional medieval music for those looking for something a little less hardcore.

They also have a number of other events with gothic themes. You can see art exhibitions, stage productions, chamber orchestras and other themed artistic events. There will even be readings, talks and museum exhibitions for those who want to celebrate their nerd goth side. We've visited and reviewed the WGT over the past few years, so you know for a fact that this festival is worth your time.

4- Lumous Gothic Festival

Considered an annual Gothic bacchanal, the Lumous Gothic Festival held in Tampere, Finland is the northernmost Gothic festival in the world. This 4 day festival features bands from all over the world, including a number of local Finnish bands as well as goth bands from a number of other nations.

Keep in mind that the geographic location of this particular festival means that the sun will shine almost 24 hours a day, so you should plan accordingly. Make sure you bring sun protection and maybe also a sleep mask so you can turn off the lights when you're trying to get some rest. After all, a well-rested Goth is a happy Goth!

5- Halloween Horror Nights

One of the largest Halloween festivals in the country, Halloween Horror Nights attracts people from all over the world. Located in Orlando, Florida, the 8-week festival takes place in an amusement park, allowing you to visit haunted houses and be spooked by ghouls and ghosts before riding the Rip Ride Rockit and letting the thrilling experience of a rollercoaster scares you in a whole new way.

The only downside to Halloween Horror Nights is that they don't allow costumes or masks, so you can't dress up for this particular festival. However, if you don't mind leaving the feathered wings and top hat at home this year, you'll find yourself immersed in a horror experience like you've never seen before.

6- Krampusnacht Festival 

If you think Christmas was better in the past, with ghost stories and tales of demons and monsters served right alongside turkey dinner, then you'll definitely want to check out the Krampusnacht Festival in Klagenfurt, Austria!

Every year, men dress up as Krampus and run through the city. Some of them just embrace the scarier side of Christmas myths and legends, but others celebrate a more pagan side of the holiday. Women often join the race dressed as the Germanic goddess Perchta, a fearsome-looking deity who was known for slitting the bellies of people who defied cultural norms.

This festival doesn't have a musical line-up or movie monsters on every corner, but it's an unbridled celebration of the dark side of things, and what more could you ask for in a festival?

There are a ton of amazing festivals this year!

Which ones will you attend?