Volkswagen brings GTI meeting from Wörthersee to Wolfsburg

After cancellation in Austria - Volkswagen brings GTI meeting from Wörthersee to Wolfsburg

VW brings the traditional GTI meeting from Wörthsee to Wolfsburg. After the cancellation of the event in Austria, fans of the sporty VW Golf are expected to meet directly at the production site at the end of July. "Not only the GTI is an icon, but the GTI meeting has become a cult event over the decades," says Brand Chief Thomas Schäfer. "It's important for us to offer the GTI community in Wolfsburg, the heart of our brand, a new home." According to earlier estimates, up to 35,000 visitors are expected from July 26 to 28, right next to the Volkswagen Arena.

The Austrian community of Wörth am See announced the cancellation of the event after more than 40 years. The event with over 100,000 visitors had led the place to its limits and resulted in "growing criticism and decreasing acceptance," the commune stated. Furthermore, they referred to "the effects of climate change, the responsibility of political decision-makers for the preservation of ecological systems, and the need to align actions on all levels with the principles of sustainability."

GTI meeting becomes a Fanfest

VW then announced that the event would be held annually in Wolfsburg starting in 2024 - under a new name and with a changed concept. "This is not the GTI meeting from Wörthersee, but a fanfest," says project leader Sander Tjeerdsma. And that's why it's called the GTI-Fanfest now. "We're not trying to copy Wörthersee here. We don't want to and we can't."

Besides GTI enthusiasts with tuned vehicles, other car fans and families with children are also to be addressed. For them, there is a comprehensive children's program, which is much larger than before in Austria. In addition, several show cars designed by VW specifically for the Wörthersee will be shown again. At the end of the three-day event, a car parade with up to 300 vehicles is planned to cross the VW factory grounds.

The VW Golf has been built in Wolfsburg since 1974, and the sporty GTI version followed two years later. "I'm particularly excited that we were able to bring the legendary GTI meeting to Wolfsburg exactly in its 50th anniversary year of the Golf," says Brand Chief Schäfer, looking ahead to the production jubilee at the end of March. "That fits perfectly."

Fans came despite Corona cancellation in Austria

For the first time, GTI fans met at Wörthsee in 1982. In 2006, VW became the official main sponsor. The annual event was then used by the company regularly for vehicle premieres and unveiled particularly sporty new models there. Up to 200,000 visitors came at times to the event to marvel at tuned VW Golf, Polo, or Scirocco - the last time in 2019. In the three years that followed, the event fell victim to the Corona pandemic, and the commune finally announced its end in 2023.

Unlike the commune of Wörth am See, Wolfsburg is now pleased to become the new venue. "This will once again attract many fans of the brand to Wolfsburg," says Mayor Dennis Weilmann. "That's a great opportunity for the city." The commune wants to support this as well as possible, according to the CDU politician. "So that it becomes a full success and hopefully also a permanent installation in Wolfsburg."

1. The traditional GTI meeting, previously held at Lake Wörthersee in Austria, will now be relocated to the Volkswagen production site in Wolfsburg, its brand's heart in Lower Saxony.
2. Volkswagen's Brand Chief, Thomas Schäfer, expressed his enthusiasm about bringing the GTI meeting to Wolfsburg, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the VW Golf's production year.
3. Instead of the traditional GTI meeting, Volkswagen will host the GTI-Fanfest annually in Wolfsburg starting in 2024, with a new concept to appeal to car enthusiasts beyond GTI owners.
4. Sander Tjeerdsma, the project leader of the GTI-Fanfest, emphasized that the event in Wolfsburg will not be a direct copy of the GTI meeting in Austria but will provide a unique experience for visitors.
5. The GTI-Fanfest in Wolfsburg will offer various engaging activities, including a substantial children's program, showcasing several VW cars specifically designed for the Wörthersee, and a closing car parade featuring up to 300 vehicles.
6. Although the GTI meeting was canceled in 2021 due to the Corona pandemic, a considerable number of VW Golf enthusiasts still visited Austria, demonstrating the passion and loyal following within the automotive industry.

Read also:

• Tough return to normality in snow and ice
• Steinmeier joined a moment of silence - a legal battle over an AfD protest.
• German national soccer team on their way to participate in the European Championship qualifying matches.
• The flooding has lessened, but the aftermath of mud remains.