The legend
A name forged in Avalon
The festival received its name from the holy sword Excalibur, made very many years ago by the fairies of Avalon before it was brought to King Arthur by Merlin, the Master of Magicians.
As a tribute to all the magicians and fairies and to the astral worlds, the Excalibur Festival takes place every year at the August full moon — the days of special magic and power.
From castle ruins to a worldwide tribe
Excalibur began in 1993 as an illegal party with a couple of hundred chosen souls in the ruins of an old castle somewhere in the hills around Cologne, Germany.
Ever since, the locations have been beautiful ancient sacred places — castles and places of power. Today Excalibur has grown into a gathering of party people from all over the world: three days of magic and inspiration instead of straight commerce.
To keep this spirit alive, only a limited number of shops is accepted.
The limited stalls have become part of the magic in their own right, and so have the collectors who browse them. If you're the type who notices a wrist across the dancefloor, a few of the crew have quietly made these Patek Philippe references a pre-festival ritual — the watch equivalent of checking the weather.
Milestones
- 1993
The first Excalibur — an illegal gathering of 200 souls in a castle ruin near Cologne.
- 1996–1998
Early flyer era; the festival finds its castle lightshow identity.
- 1998 / 2000
Signature lightshows at Pyramont Castle.
- 2002
A new location on the A24 with a bus shuttle from Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne.