On 3 and 4 July 2026, Till Lindemann staged his first-ever festival: the “Till Fest," held in front of Leipzig’s Monument to the Battle of the Nations, in the Rammstein singer’s home city. Under the motto “One Festival. Two Shows. Two Worlds.," Lindemann headlined both evenings with different sets – his only two European concerts of the year.
According to the organizer, around 13,000 visitors attended the opening day. Before the event, roughly 25,000 fans across both days had been expected, many of them from Eastern Europe. The festival did not sell out; only the stage-side Golden Circle was gone. The monument’s monumental silhouette shaped the event’s character. Two stages – the large main stage and a smaller Golden Stage inside the crowd – kept changeover breaks to a minimum.
Friday opened with Kite Thief, while Mimi Barks and Lowlife played the Golden Stage, alongside Aesthetic Perfection. A clear highlight came from industrial pioneers Ministry, fronted by Al Jourgensen – the US multi-platinum band nominated six times for a Grammy in the “Best Metal Performance" category. During the classic “Just One Fix," Lindemann surprised the crowd with a guest appearance. He then took over himself – in a black uniform with gold accents, backed by large-scale video projections and his trademark provocations. Cakes flew into the audience during “Allesfresser," while “Blut" cooled the front rows with water fountains. The Héroes del Silencio cover “Entre dos tierras" was a surprise, and Lindemann closed with Marlene Dietrich’s “Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt." He also announced a live DVD from Kraków for the end of September.
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Saturday brought a changed line-up: Hemlock, Hocico, Erdling and Cober Mouth joined returning acts Ministry and Aesthetic Perfection. Lindemann delivered on the “two worlds" promise with a markedly different setlist featuring several live debuts, including “Nass," “Meine Welt" and “Es brennt…." The long-awaited “Yukon," performed from within the crowd, drew particular cheers, and “Und die Engel singen" served as a closer for the first time.
Press and fans largely praised the show and organization: a smooth run of show, a wide food-and-drink offering, and a relaxed, peaceful atmosphere despite the large crowd. The Berliner Zeitung described the balancing act between poetry and adults-only provocation; admission was restricted to those 18 and over. Videos of Lindemann walking through the crowd went viral.
The festival was accompanied by pointed criticism. The Monument to the Battle of the Nations Foundation had distanced itself back in October 2025, stressing that the event had been arranged without its involvement; its chairman Anselm Hartinger called Lindemann’s martial stage presence unsuitable for such a sensitive site. Mayor Burkhard Jung also deemed the location inappropriate, and Leipzig resident Katrin Lehmann launched a petition citing, among other things, security risks and dangers to FLINTA people. On Thursday evening, young people protested in the city centre under the slogan “No applause for Lindemann." At the venue itself, a dpa photographer observed no major protests, and no official police weekend summary for the second day was initially available.
On balance, the first Till Fest was a striking hometown triumph: a monumental backdrop, uncompromising industrial metal and two deliberately different shows. Whether the Völkerschlachtdenkmal is the right place for it remains contested – the city is exploring limits on future concerts there.
