Kastellaun, Germany · 29 JUL 2027 - 01 AUG 2027
Nature One
A four-day open-air rave on the former Pydna missile base in the Hunsrück, running since 1995, with about 20 floors and a bill that stretches from club techno to mainstream dance and hardstyle.
History
Nature One began on 26 August 1995 as the "Open Air Rave" at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, an event with 38 DJs and live acts and an estimated 13,000 people. The Swiss Nikolaus Schär is named as the initiator. The following year it moved to Pydna, a decommissioned US missile base near Kastellaun in the Hunsrück hills of Rhineland-Palatinate, where it has stayed ever since. Pydna was planned in the 1980s to store cruise missiles under NATO's dual-track decision, and its meter-thick bunkers now hold club floors. Camping on site started in 1997, club floors followed in 1998, and by 2003 there were sixteen of them.
Growth was steady. Wikipedia's attendance table has the festival at about 50,000 by 2003 and at a record estimate of 72,000 in 2014, the "Golden 20" edition. The 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled because of COVID-19 restrictions, and it returned on 5 to 7 August 2022. The organisers, I-Motion GmbH, now cite around 65,000 people, 20 floors and more than 350 acts, and the festival marked its 30th anniversary in 2025.
It helps to know what Nature One is before you book. It describes itself as Germany's first major open-air rave, and it is built on scale and variety rather than a narrow underground curation. In 2026 the Open Air Floor featured Paul Kalkbrenner and Fatboy Slim played Pydna for the first time. Century Circus is billed as the home of techno, the SYNDICATE Zone covers hardstyle and hardcore, and the Classic Terminal revisits rave history. Official lineups mix club techno with mainstream dance names such as Alle Farben and Felix Jaehn. On the evidence of its size and bookings, it is closer to a mass-market rave than to the small-room festivals elsewhere on this list.
The techno end is still strong. The official 2023 to 2025 lineups include Charlotte de Witte, Amelie Lens (2023 and 2024) and Sven Väth (2023, 2025 and 2026), who is also a returning name at Time Warp. The festival's own Hall of Fame, which lists 3,879 acts, also includes Jeff Mills, Nina Kraviz, Joseph Capriati, Marco Carola and Sara Landry.
festival facts
- Founded: 1995, first held at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport; at Pydna since 1996
- Founders/Organizers: initiated by Nikolaus Schär; organised today by I-Motion GmbH
- Venue: Raketenbasis Pydna, a former US missile base near Kastellaun, Hunsrück, Rhineland-Palatinate
- Format: four-day open-air festival with a large camping village; 350 acts across 20 floors and about 65,000 people according to the organisers
Getting there and practical info
Pydna is rural, so there is no street address beyond the official "Pydna missile base, 56288 Kastellaun". The festival site itself is open Friday and Saturday, with the CampingVillage opening the Wednesday before.
- Train and shuttle: take a train to Koblenz Hauptbahnhof, then a shuttle bus to the festival and camping grounds, about 45 minutes. Book a time slot in advance.
- Air: the nearest airport is Frankfurt-Hahn, about 15 minutes from Pydna by taxi.
- Car: from the north take the A61 to exit Pfalzfeld (43), from the south to exit Rheinböllen (45), then follow the festival signs.
- Camping: CampingVillage (camp next to your car), SilentCamp, CommunityCamp and EasyCamp. CampingVillage tickets are currently sold only in packages with a festival ticket. Free shuttle buses run to Kastellaun.
- Age: entry is prohibited under 16. After midnight, 16 and 17 year olds do not need an adult companion.
- Tickets: sold at nature-one.de.
FAQ
When is Nature One 2027?
Nature One 2027 runs from 29 July to 1 August. The festival site is open on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 July, with camping from Wednesday 28 July.
Where is Nature One held?
At Raketenbasis Pydna, a former US missile base near Kastellaun in the Hunsrück, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
How do I get to Nature One without a car?
Take a train to Koblenz Hauptbahnhof, then the festival's shuttle bus, which takes about 45 minutes. The nearest airport is Frankfurt-Hahn, roughly 15 minutes from the site by taxi.
Is Nature One a techno festival?
Partly. It covers techno, trance, house, hardstyle and mainstream dance across about 20 floors, so it is broader and more commercial than most underground festivals.
How big is Nature One?
The organisers cite about 65,000 people, more than 350 acts and 20 floors. Wikipedia lists a record estimate of 72,000 in 2014.
Who has played Nature One?
Recent official lineups include Charlotte de Witte, Amelie Lens, Sven Väth, Paul Kalkbrenner, Fatboy Slim and Alle Farben. The festival's Hall of Fame lists 3,879 acts in total.
RTS.FM artists connected to this festival
- Amelie Lens
- Charlotte de Witte
- Dirty Doering
- Jeff Mills
- Joseph Capriati
- Marco Carola
- Marek Hemmann
- Nina Kraviz
- Sara Landry
- Sven Väth
- Terry Lee Brown Jr.
Only sourced appearances at past editions or on announced lineups are listed.