Wolfsburg instead of Wörthersee: The first GTI meeting starts at Volkswagen headquarters

After the previous venue on Lake Wörthersee in Carinthia was cancelled, Volkswagen moved the traditional meeting to Germany and renamed it the GTI Fan Festival.

Thousands of fans descended on Wolfsburg, Germany, for the start of the three-day GTI Fan Fest. “It’s absolutely amazing who actually made it here and with what treasures,” said Volkswagen brand manager Thomas Schäfer. According to organizers, around 1,000 fans drove their own Golf GTIs and displayed their cars next to the Volkswagen Arena. “It’s an incredible fan base behind the GTI,” Schäfer says.

After the previous venue on Lake Wörthersee in Carinthia was cancelled, Volkswagen moved the traditional meeting to Germany – to the Volkswagen headquarters – and renamed it the GTI Fan Festival. In addition to fans of modified GTIs, it is also designed to attract other car enthusiasts and families with children. Table football and jump rope are available among the vehicles on display.

The number of visitors is expected to reach 35,000 visitors.

Numerous racing cars, custom-made vehicles and show vehicles that Volkswagen once designed specifically for Lake Wörthersee are also on display. Finally, a car show with around 200 vehicles is scheduled to take place throughout the Volkswagen plant site on Sunday. According to previous information, up to 35,000 visitors are expected at the three-day event. When asked, Volkswagen did not provide any information about the number of visitors on the first day.

At Lake Wörthersee in Carinthia, where the GTI fan community has been meeting every year since 1982, up to 200,000 visitors have come to admire modified VW Golfs, Polos and Sciroccos. In 2023, the Austrian community in Wörth am See announced the end of the meet after more than 40 years. At the time, it was said that the event had pushed the venue to the limits of its flexibility and was no longer compatible with sustainability efforts.