VICE, 2021
Music festivals, like most cultural events, were badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, impacting both the smallest of DIY festivals to behemoths like Glastonbury. And this was no different for the neo-Nazi music scene.
Rechtsrock is a German term for music that acts as a vehicle for far-right ideology.
A key part of this scene is music festivals that act as key networking hubs for neo-Nazi groups across Europe. Festivals in Ukraine, Italy, and Greece feature bands from across the Continent, and there’s a strong scene in Germany, which is home to some of the largest neo-Nazi music festivals in recent years.
One of those festivals, held in the German state of Thuringia, drew in an estimated 5,000 neo-Nazis. It was organized by the Turonen, a violent neo-Nazi gang who were recently targetted in a raid by police where large amounts of cash, weapons, and crystal meth were found. These festivals can make organizers hundreds of thousands of euros, which are then pumped back into the neo-Nazi underground scene.
From Athens to Milan to Kiev and beyond, far-right music is a vital cultural weapon for right-wing extremists. And as the far-right music scene looks to make its return after a covid-induced hiatus – all eyes are on the authorities to find ways of dealing with this dark and twisted subculture.
