Youth Gone Wild Live-Festival Oberkotzau

A Festival for the Next Generation

Oberkotzau, a town of just over 2,500 inhabitants located in the Hof district, is situated in Upper Franconia in the state of Bavaria. The market town is home to the youth center on Bahnhofstraße — a place where the district youth services regularly offers events for young people and young adults. In 2026, Oberkotzau is one of four stops in the »Youth Gone Wild« festival series, organized by the Hof district in collaboration with the municipalities and local youth work.

A Platform for Young Bands

»Youth Gone Wild« sees itself as a platform: Young bands and musicians from the Hof region and the Hochfranken area can apply and perform live. For each concert, a local team of young people and young adults selects the bands for their stage themselves — a model that promotes participation and involvement of young people in culture. Parallel to the festival series, workshops are held for young bands on their way to the big stage, financially supported by the Sparkassenstiftung.

Four Stops in Hof's District

In 2026, the festival series is in its third edition and includes four dates in different municipalities of the Hof district: Berg, Münchberg, Naila, and Oberkotzau. Each concert evening lasts about four hours (6:30 PM to 10:30 PM) and features several emerging bands performing one after another. Admission is free, entry from age 14.

Oberkotzau and its Youth Culture

The Oberkotzau youth center on Bahnhofstraße 2 has been an anchor for the community's youth work for years. In addition to the »Youth Gone Wild« festival, smaller concerts, workshops, and meetings regularly take place here. With the Saale river and the Hof–Plauen railway connection, Oberkotzau is located directly on one of Upper Franconia's most important axes. The promotion of the local music scene through the festival is part of the cultural work of the Hof district, which specifically fills a gap between school band concerts and the professional concert scene with this series.

Free and Accessible

The free admission and the format with several short sets by different bands make the festival particularly inviting for young concertgoers. For many bands, it is one of their first performances in front of a larger audience — an opportunity to gain stage experience and receive feedback from their own region.