Windros Festival Schwerin-Mueß

A Village Full of Sounds

The Windros Festival is the largest festival of traditional music in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It takes place at the Open-Air Museum of Ethnology in Schwerin's Mueß district – a historic farming village on the banks of Lake Schwerin, where thatched-roof houses, barns, and gardens provide the backdrop for an extraordinary musical weekend. The event is organized by the Center for Traditional Music e.V., dedicated to the preservation and development of folk music.

European Music Under One Motto

Each edition follows its own central theme. Sometimes string instruments take center stage, other times it's the encounter between Western and Eastern Europe. Each year, a new program emerges, bringing together musical traditions from Poland, Ireland, Scandinavia, the Baltics, France, the USA, and of course, Germany. Klezmer meets Irish folk, Swedish Polska meets Mecklenburg dance music – the cultural diversity of Europe becomes audible here.

Concerts, Dance, and Workshops

Over three small stages, a main stage with a dance floor, and in a festival tent, more than thirty concerts and dance events take place throughout the weekend. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the bands perform, while Saturday also offers a daytime program with dancing. Sunday concludes with a matinee. A special hallmark is the international Windros Orchestra: festival musicians, some meeting for the first time, rehearse for days for a joint performance – the result is one of the most emotional moments of the festival each year.

Active Participation Encouraged

The Windros Festival is not just for spectators. In instrument workshops and ensemble sessions, visitors can pick up an instrument themselves and rehearse under the guidance of experienced musicians. The open, family-friendly atmosphere in the museum village makes the festival a meeting point for all generations.

Location in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

The Schwerin-Mueß Open-Air Museum is located on the southern shore of Lake Schwerin, about eight kilometers from the center of Schwerin, the state capital. Schwerin is an independent city in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The combination of a historic museum village, the lake landscape, and vibrant music makes the Windros Festival one of the most distinctive cultural events in the Northeast.