The Highfield Festival near Leipzig will take place for the last time—for now—this summer. The organizers are pulling the plug due to excessive costs. Saxony’s largest rock and pop festival is no longer economically viable in its current form, Semmel Concerts and FKP Scorpio announced on Thursday. From August 13 to 16, Highfield on Lake Störmthal will therefore host “One Last Dance.”
Costs are rising, attendance is falling
“It’s no longer a secret that organizing festivals is becoming increasingly expensive due to a whole range of factors, while demand is falling because of the rising cost of living—as evidenced by the steadily growing number of festivals being canceled,” the organizers explained. Compared to the pre-COVID era, costs for staff, materials, performance fees, and energy have risen by about 45 percent. “Highfield, as its fans know and love it, is no longer viable in this form.”
Semmel Concerts and FKP Scorpio left open the possibility of another event taking place at Störmthaler See in the future. For now, a “creative break” is planned for 2027. The time will be used to develop a new concept.