What went down in CUPRA’s Wacky Shack at this year’s PAROOKAVILLE festival

Every year, an abandoned military airport in Weeze, near Düsseldorf, is transformed into a self-contained city for the 225,000 attendees of the three-day PAROOKAVILLE festival. Besides stages for some of the world’s biggest EDM acts, the festival grounds are complete with a theatre district, wedding chapel, post office, and an “edgy club” for indoor sets named the Wacky Shack, provided by the cutting edge car brand CUPRA.

Over the three main days in PAROOKAVILLE this July, the Whacky Shack played host to a range of big names and became a hub for late-night revellers and club lovers – a sweaty and atmospheric alternative to the rest of the festival’s big, open-air stages. This was all part of CUPRA’s mission to unite the unique cultures of club nights and big festival experiences, and the crossover brought long lines of people waiting to go inside and dance, invited by the heavy beats that echoed out into the night.

In yet another cultural crossover, the final night of the Whacky Shack brought a surprise performance from the cult German band Tokio Hotel, marking the first time that a pop and rock band has ever played the festival. Weren’t there to experience it in person? Feel like you missed out? No worries, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about this year’s iteration of the CUPRA Wacky Shack in PAROOKAVILLE below.

THE WACKY SHACK HOSTED A MAJOR LINEUP

With 2024’s main PAROOKAVILLE festival stages hosting international talent like Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Felix Jaehn and Steve Aoki, the Wacky Shack offered something closer to an indoor clubbing experience, featuring sets from an impressive DJ lineup including Marten Lou, LOVRA, Eskei83, Dannic, Mike Williams, Tujamo and Lost Identity.

THE CROWD WAS TREATED TO BRAND NEW MUSIC

A particular standout from the Wacky Shack was a set by the French DJ and producer HUGEL, known for his pioneering role in the Latin House revival of the 2020s, and a number of sold-out US shows and festivals including Burning Man, Tomorrowland, and Lollapalooza. 

Making his appearance in PAROOKAVILLE even more special, HUGEL celebrated the German live premiere of his new single during the performance. “I Adore You” was produced and recorded alongside Arash, Topic and Daecolm and released via Universal on July 19, just in time for its euphoric beats and tender lyricism (courtesy of vocalist Daecolm) to hit the festival ground running.

YOUNG MUSICAL TALENTS ALSO GOT TIME TO SHINE

It wasn’t just about celebrating established talents at the Wacky Shack. A new generation of dance music hopefuls also got some airtime as part of an exhilarating DJ contest specifically aimed at young talents, held by one of the world’s biggest labels for electronic dance music, Spinnin’ Records. In a hotly-contested competition judged by the Spinnin’ A&R team and DJ Juicy M, AVE ended up coming out on top.

Elsewhere during the three-day festivities, there was an immersive experience designed to “merge the worlds” and bring every PAROOKAVILLE tribe together through music and visuals.

SECRET GIG: TOKIO HOTEL STORMED THE ROOF

For most of the festival, the Wacky Shack was all about bringing the outdoor festival inside, but on Sunday evening – the final day of a long three-day party – the venue flipped this on its head. Tokio Hotel took to the roof via a huge stage installed on top of the venue, where they performed a surprise gig for unsuspecting festivalgoers. Classic songs like “Durch den Monsun” (or “Monsoon”) got even the most exhausted members of a thousands-strong crowd dancing and partaking in a mass sing-along, and the band also delivered a few new tracks amid an explosive display of fireworks and confetti.

The success of this year’s Wacky Shack leaves just one question for CUPRA. Next year, as PAROOKAVILLE festival celebrates its tenth anniversary, how are they going to top it?