Village festivals turn to extreme videos to attract younger crowds

Village associations in Bavaria are using increasingly spectacular videos to promote their festivals, with one fire brigade even staging the demolition of a hut. BR reports that the effort reflects growing concern over declining attendance among younger people.

At the fire station in the village of Oberndorf near Ebersberg, volunteers have gathered for a video shoot. Chairman Michael Winhart tells them they will travel to Rieding, where they have prepared a hut to blow up and then extinguish the resulting fire.

The stunt follows last year’s video, in which the Oberndorf group felled a maypole and arranged for it to crash onto a retired training vehicle. The clip attracted thousands of views on Instagram, while the village festival drew a large crowd.

Competition for the most extreme idea

Oberndorf is not an isolated case, says Moritz Singer of the Bavarian Rural Youth organisation. He describes a growing competition to produce increasingly outlandish videos. Earlier clips were more harmless, he says, but he has since seen videos of people being lifted and swung around while holding onto an excavator.

The more outrageous the stunt, the greater the chance of going viral. Last year, three young farmers from Stephanskirchen near Rosenheim had liquid manure poured over them while they sat in a convertible. The video received almost one million views on its first day.

Festivals struggle to attract young people

The effort has a serious motive. After the coronavirus pandemic, village festivals experienced a major boom, Singer says, but younger people have recently been going out and attending celebrations less often. The videos can make the events more visible and encourage people to attend. In some cases, he says, the future of traditional festivals is at stake.

High viewing figures do not necessarily translate into more visitors. Organisers may reach one million people, but only a small proportion may belong to the target audience. Several Swiss associations have reported no noticeable increase in attendance. In Oberndorf, however, the videos produced a clear result: a fire brigade from the French border got in touch and is travelling specifically to the festival.

Safety remains a concern

Singer says the Bavarian Rural Youth organisation pays close attention to safety, as do the other groups. When machinery is involved, experienced farmers or business owners who understand the equipment are present. The Oberndorf organisers also say someone is always prepared to stop an idea if it goes too far.

Singer believes the trend may already have reached its peak. The videos have nevertheless attracted attention beyond the villages, prompting people in cities to ask what is happening in the countryside.