Name: Vanlife Festival Ferropolis 2026
Start: 2026-08-20T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-08-23T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Ferropolis – Stadt aus Eisen

Vanlife Ferropolis

About Vanlife Ferropolis

From August 20th to 23rd, 2026, Ferropolis – the "City of Iron" on a peninsula in Lake Gremminer – will transform into Germany's largest Vanlife gathering. Between five gigantic open-cast mining excavators, self-builders, overlanders, and outdoor enthusiasts will camp together for four days: trade fair, workshops, beach life, yoga, live music, and DJ sets in the shadow of former lignite mining machines.

Dates 20 Aug — 23 Aug 2026

Venue Gräfenhainichen (15091)

Prices 90.00€ — 180.00€

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Vanlife Ferropolis — edition 2026

Tickets →

The Vanlife Festival Ferropolis 2026 takes place from August 20th to 23rd at the Ferropolis industrial monument. Four days of Vanlife trade fair, workshops, live music, beach life, and camping among the five open-cast mining excavators.

In 2026, the Vanlife Festival Ferropolis will once again open its gates for self-builders, overlanders, and camping enthusiasts from all over Europe. For four days, the peninsula in Lake Gremminer will be the melting pot of the German-speaking Vanlife scene. The exhibition area showcases current trends in vehicles, conversions, and accessories; workshops provide practical knowledge. Early arrival on Thursday from 3 PM to 9 PM possible with a special ticket, standard departure on Monday by 10 AM.

Highlights Vanlife Ferropolis 2026

Camping among five open-cast mining excavators; Germany's largest Vanlife trade fair; workshops, yoga, SUP; live music with an industrial backdrop.

Programme Vanlife Ferropolis 2026

Day 1 — Thursday, August 20, 2026 (Early Arrival Day)

3:00 PM - 9:00 PM — Arrival with special ticket
First workshops and relaxed start
Campfire atmosphere by the lake

Day 2 — Friday, August 21, 2026

Opening of the trade fair and exhibition areas
Workshops on solar, self-conversion, bushcraft, route planning
Travel presentations on stage
Evening — Live music and DJ sets under the open-cast mining excavators

Day 3 — Saturday, August 22, 2026

Major trade fair day with over 100 exhibitors (manufacturers of vans, motorhomes, accessories)
Morning yoga, SUP, beach sports, children's program
Presentations on overland travel worldwide
Evening — Live concerts on the Vanlife stage

Day 4 — Sunday, August 23, 2026

Last day of the trade fair
Final workshops and travelogues
Winding down by the lake
Departure on Monday by 10:00 AM

Detailed program with specific workshops, speakers, and music acts will be announced on vanlife-ferropolis.de.

Prices Vanlife Ferropolis 2026

4-day ticket including camping with vehicle. Advance booking recommended. Special tickets for early arrival on Thursday.

Practical information

Practical information — Vanlife Ferropolis

Getting there

Ferropolis is located between Berlin and Leipzig, directly on the A9 motorway. Nearest train station: Gräfenhainichen or Lutherstadt Wittenberg. Shuttle service available during the festival.

Tickets

Via vanlife-ferropolis.de. 4-day ticket including camping with vehicle. Early arrival on Thursday possible with special tickets.

Camping

Directly on the festival grounds with your vehicle. Markings allowed, pop-up tents and gazebos not. Water, electricity, and sanitary facilities available. Dogs welcome.

On-site

Beaches on the lake, catering, yoga, SUP rental, children's activities.

The most spectacular backdrop for Vanlife in Europe

There are festivals, and then there's Ferropolis. On a peninsula in Lake Gremminer near Gräfenhainichen (Wittenberg district, Saxony-Anhalt), five gigantic open-cast mining excavators from former Lusatian lignite mining rise up – industrial monuments and stage backdrops at the same time. Where coal was once mined, thousands of Vanlife enthusiasts, camping lovers, overlanders, and self-builders now camp. Since its premiere, the Vanlife Festival Ferropolis has been the largest meeting point for the scene in Germany.

More than a gathering – a lifestyle

For four days (Thursday-Sunday), campsite, trade fair, workshop program, and festival merge. The large exhibition area showcases the latest vans, motorhomes, camping equipment, and outdoor gadgets from manufacturers and self-builders. Workshops and lectures impart know-how: from solar setups and bushcraft to travelogues from Patagonia and Mongolia. Yoga on the lake shore, stand-up paddling, beach sports, and children's programs round off the offerings.

Music under the open-cast mining excavators

In the evenings, the music takes over: live bands and DJ sets play on the smaller Vanlife stage; the spectacular "Big Five" excavators serve as a natural backdrop. The format is more of a campfire festival than a large event: cozy, conversational, with the aim of bringing like-minded people together. Ferropolis is known as a festival location for Splash!, Melt!, and Full Force Festival – but for Vanlife, the atmosphere is more relaxed and familial.

Industrial Culture Saxony-Anhalt

Ferropolis is not by chance the chosen venue: the Wittenberg district is part of the Central German Industrial Culture, shaped by lignite mining in the GDR and its structural change. The five preserved open-cast mining excavators – "Mosquito", "Big Wheel", "Medusa", "Gemini", and "Mad Max" – have stood as industrial monuments in a reclaimed lake since 1995, one of Europe's most unusual industrial landscapes. The Vanlife Festival is the perfect stage for this story of transformation.