Ökomaile – Environmental Youth Festival Osnabrück

Environmental Movement in a City Format

Since 2016, the Ökomaile has brought the Osnabrück environmental movement centrally into the city's society. Instead of internal meetings or closed symposia, the organisers choose the city centre as a stage, creating a city festival format where environmental initiatives, climate groups, nature conservation associations, and educational organisations present themselves and shape the programme together.

FOKUS e.V. as the Organising Body

The Ökomaile is organised by FOKUS e.V., an Osnabrück-based association that develops projects bridging youth work, political education, and environmental engagement. Over the years, FOKUS has built a dense network of local stakeholders that supports the Ökomaile in terms of content and logistics.

Stage, Discussions, and Stalls

The programme is divided into three pillars: Regional artists and bands present their music on stage. Discussion rounds facilitate exchange between experts from science, practice, and politics with the audience on current environmental topics. Initiatives present themselves at stalls, offering hands-on activities, information material, and concrete opportunities for participation.

Young Audience in Focus

The Ökomaile is explicitly aimed at a young audience: young people, young adults, and young families. It is intended as an entry point into environmental engagement and creates low-threshold points of contact for people who want to engage with topics such as climate protection, biodiversity, sustainable consumption, or transport transition for the first time.