Hai in den Mai: forest psytrance festival in Stemwede, Germany

Hai in den Mai is the spring festival of Waldfrieden, a forest site in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It ran annually as a small, five-day open air spanning the end of April and the start of May, with camping, workshops, a healing area and art on site. The 2026 edition did not take place, and no new date has been announced.

The site lies in Wehdem, a village in the municipality of Stemwede in the district of Minden-Lübbecke. Waldfrieden is a wooded, hilly rural area, and the festival took place in the open air. Arriving by car is recommended.

Sources describe the music as goa, progressive and full-on psytrance, with some techno in the mix. The festival was regarded as an underground event with a small, largely regional audience. No line-up for a future edition has been published.

The crowd came mostly from the region, with many long-time regulars and campers. Waldfrieden Kultur e.V., the association on the site, continues to run smaller events there; the official website and Instagram are the places to follow them.

Stemwede is a rural municipality, and a car is the practical way to reach the site. Camping was part of the festival. As no new edition has been announced, there is no current travel information from the organisers.

There is no current ticket sale for Hai in den Mai. To find out whether the festival returns, check the official Waldfrieden website and its event calendar.