It’s one of the biggest festivals on the brass band scene. The “Woodstock of brass band music” attracts over 100,000 visitors, some of whom camp out for four days so they don’t miss a single highlight. The location is somewhat unusual: it takes place in a small town in Upper Austria with a population of less than 1,600. What is it about this event that fascinates so many people that some of them travel hundreds of kilometers to attend?
I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of brass band music. That’s why I’ve completely ignored the event for the past 13 years. As I now realize, that was a mistake. Because contrary to my assumption that only traditional folk music is played at Woodstock, you can also hear more modern sounds there.
When you take a closer look at the background of the event, you realize just how massive it all is. Setup begins more than a month before the event starts. 160 people mow the meadows, set up a total of 180 containers, and lay 120 kilometers of cable across the 60-hectare site. Woodstock is an organizational behemoth.
The gate opens.
It’ll finally happen in early July. On Thursday at 1 p.m. , the first beaming visitors will walk through the huge wooden gate. They’ll receive a wristband that they can use to pay for everything on site. But it has to be loaded first, as I discovered after 15 (wasted) minutes in line at a pizza stand. At a terminal, you can load amounts starting at ten euros onto the small chip on your wrist. However, this can only be done using a debit card.
If you think 6.50 euros for a Margherita pizza is too expensive, you can also stock up at a supermarket on the grounds. They have everything there—from apples and tomatoes to cold cuts and sandwich bread, all the way to ice cream and gummy bears. And, of course, beer—in huge quantities.
On the way to “Stockinger’s,” you pass by various food stands. They serve food (pizza, bosna, crêpes, burgers...) and you can take part in games. For example, to win a pair of slippers, you have to hold a chainsaw with your arm outstretched longer than your opponent. It sounds easy, but those things are really heavy.
The Thing About Wheelbarrows
Time and again, you also come across people pushing an orange wheelbarrow. At first, Homer Simpson came to mind—the way he was wheeled home by the bartender Mo after getting drunk. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that these wheelbarrows might serve that very purpose later on. But for now, they’re being used to transport instruments to the main stage.
Meanwhile, the clouds that have been hanging over the grounds since this morning are growing darker and darker. It doesn’t take long before the first raindrops begin to fall—of all times, during one of Woodstock’s highlights. At exactly 11:00 a.m., the“Joint Performance”takes place. During this event, the Woodstock Orchestra plays together with everyone in the audience who has brought an instrument. In the past, this has included more than 1,000 musicians playing several songs together. An uplifting experience that, unfortunately, was rained out this year. However, several hundred music enthusiasts braved the drizzling rain and joined in anyway.
Even Australians and Norwegians have come
It’s only when you see this mix in action that you realize just how international the festival is. While 62% of the visitors come from Austria, followed by Germany and Switzerland, there are also attendees from the Netherlands, Italy, and other countries. The lineup is no less spectacular. The 150 bands come from eleven countries. Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Italy, Norway, Australia, Argentina, France, Slovakia, and the Netherlands are all represented here.
Performances take place on nine stages. If running from one to the next is too stressful, you can just sit down at a café and watch the action on a screen. It’s convenient, but you’ll miss out on the live atmosphere. Of course, there’s more to the festival grounds than just food and stages. For seven euros, you can get a bird’s-eye view from the Ferris wheel or buy some merch. There are T-shirts with slogans like “Sex, Drugs, and Brass Band Music” or “I Don’t Need Tinder—I’ve Got Cattle.” But if you want to make a lasting statement, the Hornbach colossus is the place to be. That’s where you’ll find the Woodstock Tattoo Studio.
The "Woodstock Family"
Many people—both the crew members setting up the festival and the artists I spoke with—emphasize that they particularly appreciate the family-like atmosphere. Most of them have been part of the festival for many years. In recognition of their dedication, the organizers naturally provide them with meals during the festival. The shopping list for the crew of about 9,000 is impressive: 600 kilograms of lettuce, 1,000 kilograms of potato products, 700 kilograms of vegetables, and 80 kilograms of salt (to all the cardiologists out there: please look past this).
But the family-like atmosphere isn’t limited to the Woodstock team. Visitors also sometimes break out into impromptu jam sessions and unpack their instruments at the campground. The sense of togetherness is palpable. That may be partly due to the relatively generous amounts of beer, but the main reason is probably that their love of music brings them together.
To sum it up, Woodstock is a wonderful event. You don’t have to be a die-hard fan of brass band music to enjoy yourself there. The festival brings people together; they sing and make music together. Next year marks its 15th anniversary —and I’m sure organizer Simon Ertl will come up with something special to celebrate the occasion.
At the end of July, I'll be giving a talk on local customs in Ried im Innkreis. Come check it out!
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Sources:
Press release from the WdB
Visit to the festival on July 5, 2026
Interviews with event organizer Simone Ertl, Florian Kastenhuber from Brassaranka, and several crew members
Photos: Ingrid Müller
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