Steampunk Fest Saar

Steampunk in Saarland — an unusual marriage

The Steampunk Fest Saar is one of the more unusual festival events in Saarland — and at the same time, one that fits the location perfectly. Steampunk, the subculture that combines Victorian aesthetics with fantastic mechanics, steam engines, and retro-futurism, finds its ideal setting in the Great Workshop at the Reden Experience Site: an authentic industrial workshop of the former Reden coal mine, with steel girders, old machinery, skylights, brickwork, and the patina of generations of industrial labour.

What makes the festival special

The festival is a colourful mix of a traders' market, stage programme, and meeting zone. Several dozen stalls offer imaginative unique items, fashion, accessories, and crafts — from handmade corsets and mechanical pocket watches to goggle mechanics, jewellery with gears, bookbinding, and leather goods. Most traders come from Germany, France, and Belgium.

The Stage Programme

Music and theatre performances are spread throughout the weekend. Recurring acts include the duo Tancredo & Lothar, who work with historical instruments, and Chim & Chrie with handmade music and spontaneous performances. Selkie Anderson, a duo with harp, percussion, and a distinctive voice, is a special attraction. The highlight: Berlin's Theater Faktotum Skurilidae, which tells stories with fantastic puppets and quirky creatures. Fire shows and fakir performances in the evening complete the programme.

The Organisers: Lorraine Médiévale

The organiser is Lorraine Médiévale, a group specialising in historical and subcultural events in the Saarland-Lorraine border region. The connection to the Reden Experience Site grew organically — the industrial backdrop suits Steampunk like few others in Saarland.

The Reden Experience Site

The Reden Experience Site in Schiffweiler is a former pithead facility of the Saarland coal industry. After its closure, it was converted into an experience area with restaurants, a dinosaur park, the Centre for Biodiversity Documentation, an indoor playground, and the Great Workshop as an event location. Events are held here throughout the year — Tropical Mountain in May, Steampunk Fest in October, beer festivals, concerts. Schiffweiler is located in the Neunkirchen district, in eastern Saarland.

Come, see, participate

What makes the Steampunk Fest special: Many visitors come in costume. This is not mandatory, but anyone appearing in Victorian fashion, with goggles and a top hat, with self-made Steampunk accessories, becomes part of the spectacle. In the outdoor area, there are food trucks and traders creating a stylish meeting point between past and future.