Eastside — Pop & Wave Open Air Halle

Two Days of Synthie-Pop by a Lake

The Eastside Open Air is one of the most successful open-air events in the German Dark Scene and Synthie-Pop scene. Promoter Pluswelt Promotion brings together a line-up every year in early July that electrifies electronic music fans far beyond Saxony-Anhalt. The venue is the Karlsbad at the Angersdorfer Teiche – a former opencast mine pit, which today serves as an unusually beautiful festival backdrop as a green swimming lake in the south of Halle (Saale).

In 2026, the festival presents an extraordinary line-up: eleven acts will perform over two days, including several headliners from the front ranks of the international EBM and Synthie-Pop scene. With Nitzer Ebb, Covenant, In Strict Confidence, and Beborn Beton, four of the most influential bands in the genre will perform within 48 hours.

2026 Line-up: The Big Reunion

Friday, July 3rd, is dedicated to the harder EBM sound: Future Lied to Us, Huir, Black Nail Cabaret, and Traitrs open, followed by In Strict Confidence with a special electro set. Devision Redux take the penultimate slot, before Nitzer Ebb – the British EBM pioneers of the 1980s – keep the festival grounds in suspense. DJ aftershow with Richard Silverthorn (Mesh).

Saturday, July 4th, mixes the styles: M/A/T, Blackbook, Beborn Beton, Auger, Priest, an acoustic set by Lennart Salomon right on the lakeshore, Solitary Experiments, and headliners Covenant. At midnight, a special with Bigod 20 (DJ set by Talla 2XLC) will take place.

Festival with Lakeside Atmosphere

The Karlsbad offers a relaxed festival atmosphere: a stage overlooking the water, a second acoustic stage setup directly on the shore, food stands, several bars. Unlike many comparable festivals, there is real space to breathe here – if you need a break, you walk 50 meters further and you're on the sandy beach. Anyone in Saxony-Anhalt in the summer who loves Synthie-Pop, Dark Wave, or EBM should definitely block out the first weekend of July.