Freiburg, Germany · 16-18 JUL 2027
Sea You Festival
A house and techno festival built around swimming and dancing at a lake outside Freiburg, six stages over a July weekend.
History
What's now Sea You Festival began life in 2002 as the Sea of Love Festival, a single-day party at the Tunisee, a former gravel-quarry lake just outside Freiburg im Breisgau, close to the German-French-Swiss border. Organizer Bela Gurath and his company Endless Event drew around 2,500 people to that first edition, built around the same idea that's carried the event ever since: a lake to swim in during the day, stages to dance at once the sun drops. It grew steadily under Endless Event through the 2000s, expanding to two days in 2010 as attendance hit 15,000, then to three days in 2011 as the crowd nearly doubled again to 25,000, by which point ownership had passed to KOKO and DTK Entertainment.
That growth stalled out just as fast as it had arrived. The festival skipped 2013 entirely during an organizational transition, and when it came back in 2014, it did so under new management, Cosmopop, operating as Sea You Freiburg GmbH, and a new name: Sea You Festival. The relaunch pulled the event back to a smaller footprint before it built up again. German Wikipedia's festival table lists 27,000 visitors for 2017 and 40,000 for 2019, then 72,000 for 2024 and 71,000 for 2025, without saying how the two latest totals are counted. Headliners across the festival's two eras have included early bookings of Sven Väth (listed as a headliner at the very first edition in 2002 and again in 2015, 2016, 2019, 2024 and 2025), DJ Rush, and Monika Kruse, followed later by Moby, Tiesto, Carl Cox, Paul Kalkbrenner, and Nina Kraviz, who is listed on the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2025 bills.
The techno end of the lineup has been deep for a while. Marco Carola is listed for 2003 and 2018, Luciano for 2014 and 2016, Joseph Capriati for 2015 (the year behind the photo on his RTS.FM page), Jeff Mills for 2018, Amelie Lens for 2019, 2022 and 2026, and Charlotte de Witte for 2018 and 2023.
Today the festival runs as a three-day weekend at the Tunisee each July, spread across six stages (three of them with direct views of the lake), with water sports and other activities around the water filling the daytime hours between sets. The 2027 edition is set for July 16 to 18, billed with more than 150 acts, and the first names announced include Boris Brejcha, Alle Farben and Felix Kröcher. The festival lists Heavent Award wins as Europe's best festival in both 2024 and 2025. For a scene where most lake-and-techno festivals eventually pick one identity or the other, Sea You has stayed committed to both halves of its split personality: the Tunisee's shoreline by day, and a genuinely substantial house and techno lineup once the stages light up.
festival facts
- Founded: 2002, as the Sea of Love Festival, by organizer Bela Gurath and his company Endless Event
- Founders/Organizers: relaunched in 2014 under Cosmopop, operating today as Sea You Freiburg GmbH
- Venue: the Tunisee, a former gravel-quarry lake in the Hochdorf district of Freiburg im Breisgau (Seestraße 30, 79108 Freiburg is the address of the lake's campsite operator)
- Format: three days across six stages, built around swimming by day and dancing by night; 2027 edition on July 16 to 18
Getting there and practical info
Sea You sits north of Freiburg, directly off the A5, and the organizers run their own shuttle from the city's main station. The festival also sells its own campsite tickets, so the weekend can be done as a camping trip or as day visits.
- Venue: the Tunisee, Freiburg im Breisgau (Hochdorf district). The lake's campsite operator lists Seestraße 30, 79108 Freiburg as its address. The festival has two entrances: the main entrance on the north side for all festival visitors, and a south entrance on Seestraße used only by Camping B and C ticket holders.
- Airports: the festival lists Basel EuroAirport (BSL) at about 70 km, Strasbourg (SXB) at about 70 km, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden (FKB) at about 110 km, Zurich (ZRH) at about 160 km and Stuttgart (STR) at about 200 km. From any of them, it points visitors to public transport to Freiburg Hauptbahnhof.
- Train and shuttle: arrive at Freiburg Hauptbahnhof, where festival shuttle buses leave from the central bus station (ZOB) for the grounds. The organizers list shuttle runs on all three days, with returns to the ZOB continuing late into the night, and a round trip priced at 10 euros per person.
- By car: leave the A5 at exit 61 (Freiburg-Nord) and follow the signs. Official festival parking is next to Camping A, north of the grounds, listed at 15 euros per entry. Sleeping in your car is not allowed.
- By bike or on foot: there is bike parking near the main entrance. The festival warns that walking from the south entrance around to the main entrance takes about 45 minutes.
- Camping: the festival sells Camping A as an add-on to multi-day tickets (about a 12 minute walk to the grounds, free showers and toilets, rent-a-tent and motorhome pitches available) and Camping B at Silbersee as a bundle with the three-day ticket. From 2027, Camping C pitches at the Tunisee campsite are booked directly with the campsite. Camping runs Friday to Monday, and there is no electricity on any of the campsites.
- Age and ID: the minimum age is 18, with no exceptions for parental consent, and a photo ID is mandatory at the entrance.
- Tickets: sold through the festival's own shop (shop.seayou-festival.de). All tickets are personalized, there is an official resale channel, and the wristband doubles as the cashless payment chip, with a one-time 1.90 euro activation fee.
- What sets the logistics apart: swimming in the lake is part of the day, but bag rules are strict: only gym bags up to A3 or small bags up to A4, no backpacks, and no food or drinks brought in from outside.
FAQ
Why is the festival held at a lake?
The Tunisee's combination of a swimmable quarry lake and open shoreline space has been the concept behind the event since its first edition in 2002, when it launched as the Sea of Love Festival before being relaunched as Sea You in 2014.
Is Sea You Festival the same event as the Sea of Love Festival?
It's the same festival under new ownership and a new name. It ran as the Sea of Love Festival from 2002 to 2012, skipped 2013 during a change in organizers, and returned in 2014 as Sea You Festival under Cosmopop.
How big is Sea You Festival?
Attendance has grown unevenly across two distinct eras, from roughly 2,500 at the first edition in 2002 to a listed 27,000 in 2017 and 40,000 in 2019. German Wikipedia lists around 72,000 for 2024 and 71,000 for 2025. It now runs across six stages over a three-day weekend.
When is Sea You Festival 2027?
The 2027 edition runs from July 16 to 18 at the Tunisee in Freiburg, with camping from Friday to Monday. Tickets are on sale through the festival's own shop.
How do I get to Sea You Festival from Freiburg?
Take a train or coach to Freiburg Hauptbahnhof, then use the festival shuttle buses from the central bus station next to it. Drivers leave the A5 at exit 61 (Freiburg-Nord) and use the official parking by Camping A.
What is the minimum age for Sea You Festival?
You must be 18 or older, and the festival does not make exceptions with parental consent. A valid photo ID is mandatory at the entrance.
Where can I stay for Sea You Festival?
The festival offers Camping A as an add-on ticket close to the grounds and Camping B at Silbersee bundled with a three-day ticket. From 2027, Camping C at the Tunisee campsite is booked directly with the campsite. The festival says there is no electricity on any of the campsites.
RTS.FM artists connected to this festival
Only sourced appearances at past editions or on announced lineups are listed.