Golden Leaves Festival 2026: Founder Dominik Schmidt on Flinta-Fronted Lineup and Community

The Golden Leaves Festival in Darmstadt, Germany, is set to celebrate its 13th edition in 2026, featuring a lineup of 29 acts, all fronted by Flinta (female, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, trans, and agender) individuals. Founder Dominik Schmidt, who also runs the Bedroomdisco concert series, discussed the festival's history, challenges, and future in an interview with kulturnews.de. Schmidt highlighted the festival's resilience, having overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and a last-minute venue change, as well as an outbreak of African swine fever near the Steinbrücker Teich location. He emphasized the importance of volunteer work, with a core team of about 25 people and 100 new helpers this year. Schmidt expressed a desire for greater community spirit within the music scene, noting that artists now often prioritize their own tours over festival solidarity. The all-Flinta lineup was a deliberate statement to prove that such a festival can be both exciting and successful, countering the excuse that audiences are not ready for it. Schmidt believes that by 2026, this excuse will no longer be valid. The festival also serves as a platform for emerging acts, such as Girl In The Year Above and Belgian band Ão, and aims to provide young people with insights into event management.