Sheep are grazing on the dyke. It is still high tide, but not for long. In a few hours the water will recede. Only the brown mud will be visible. The sun is shining brightly, and a fresh wind is blowing at the same time. High tide, low tide, idyll. The North Sea shows itself in its natural state. But a music festival is breaking it: the Watt en Schlick Fest.
In the middle of the coastal landscape, 6,000 people dance, laugh and chat on a narrow stretch of beach. They listen to lots of live music. 75 concerts on five stages, readings and film screenings are on the program in the artists’ town of Dangast on the last weekend in July. The stages have a naturally limited space: the audience stands on the sand, behind them is the sea. Or the Wadden Sea. But that is not an obstacle for everyone.
Swim in the sea and listen to live music
In the evening, the water is so high that a few dozen visitors swim during the concerts. Waist-deep in the water, they look at the stage. They swing their outstretched arms back and forth to the rhythm of the music.
Many families have travelled to Watt en Schlick. Some children wear hearing protection, but this doesn’t stop them from enjoying the music. And there is a lot more for them to experience: conquering the dykes around the festival stages, building sandcastles, swimming. Diving into the Wadden Sea and resurfacing with a body smeared with mud.
German Championship in mud sliding
The youngest are not the only visitors who dig their way through the mudflats. On Sunday morning, mud sliding is part of the festival program. Around 30 men and women take part in the competition. With one leg they kneel on the wooden sledge, with the other they step into the mudflats to move forward. The course is around 150 meters long. Those who are among the best in the preliminary rounds compete in the final. After around an hour and a half, the two German mud sliding champions are decided.
Anna Bolk, alias “Aldi Angelina”, wins the women’s title, while Thorge Abken takes home the men’s victory, under the competition name “Dangaster Hühne”. Abken thus defends his title. Last year he was also the fastest in the race. His technique: “The sled could get stuck – you have to avoid that at all costs. And you have to have strength in your legs.”
The Watt en Schlick Festival has a special concept: nature, culture and lots of young bands who get a stage. Well-known musicians such as Faber and Paula Hartmann are also performing this year. Around 270 volunteers make the organization possible. And the concept is a hit: the festival tickets for this year were sold out within a few minutes. The tickets for 2025 are also already sold out. Day tickets can still be purchased next June.
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