Golf icons, shows and community: countdown to the GTI fan festival in Wolfsburg with a host of highlights

Anticipation is half the pleasure. And when the international GTI family comes together, the pleasure is all the greater. “The three letters GTI are legendary in the automotive world. And the GTI Treffen event has also become a cult event over the decades. It is important to us that we offer the international GTI community a new home in Wolfsburg, the heart of our brand,” says Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand. “I am particularly pleased that we will be holding the first large GTI meet in a new format in Wolfsburg exactly 50 years after the first Golf left the assembly line in Wolfsburg. GTI community, Golf and Wolfsburg – the perfect fit!”

A party created for fans and by fans. For three days, the area around the Volkswagen Arena will be transformed into a GTI Fan City. More than 700 GTI and R owners will present their vehicles and their history. Prominent GTI fans, such as Volkswagen’s Head of Design Andreas Mindt, or motorsport legends Benny Leuchter, Strietzel Stuck and Jochi Kleint, will be on site and share their very personal GTI anecdotes with the community in expert talks. Sarah Elsser and car enthusiast and tuning expert Philipp Kaess will participate in Wolfsburg as a presenter duo. There is already a huge amount of anticipation as visitors from all over the world are expected.

Numerous model highlights from almost 50 years of GTI history. In September 1975, Volkswagen presented the first Golf GTI at the IAA – it was the beginning of a success story spanning decades. GTI models from all eight Golf generations, as well as GTI versions of the Lupo, Polo and up!, will therefore be on display at the fan festival around the VfL Wolfsburg stadium. In addition, Volkswagen will provide a glimpse into the brand’s all-electric future with the sporty GTX variants of the ID. models and the presentation of the ID. GTI Concept

Plenty for tuning enthusiasts to look forward to. Influencer Jean Pierre Kraemer (‘JP Performance’) will showcase his 'Thunder Bunny’ at the GTI fan festival. In addition, the event will feature special Volkswagen show cars, a selection of the most spectacular models from Volkswagen Motorsport, as well as trainee vehicles that Volkswagen trainees have modified over months of work. On Sunday afternoon, around 200 GTI and R models will put on a spectacular treat for the eyes and ears during a car parade across the plant site. There will also be a mobile performance test bench in the community car park for GTI and R drivers.

A host of highlights for the fans. When designing the event programme, particular emphasis was placed on taking into account the wishes of the fans and implementing ideas from the community. This includes, for example, sneaker customisation: a shoe designer from the community has developed special GTI designs for white sneakers. Visitors to the GTI Meet can buy these collector’s items at his stand. Alternatively, visitors can bring their own sneakers and have them given a finishing touch on site. Food trucks, the famous Volkswagen currywurst, as well as DJs and live music are also part of the GTI fan festival. On Saturday evening, singer-songwriter Michael Schulte will give a live concert in the Autostadt. Volkswagen Accessories & Lifestyle will also present numerous new products such as the new GTI Collection and a specially wrapped GTI Clubsport equipped with accessories, which has been specially designed for the event. One lifestyle highlight for fans is the GTI sneaker, which is available exclusively at the GTI fan festival: a limited-edition design with a GTI logo and red laces.

Special activities for kids. Numerous activities for children will also be offered over the entire event area. In addition to a kids trail, these include a bungee trampoline, the Sturmkind DR!FT racing simulator, the option to take a stadium tour, the GTI FanCup, wakeboarding on the Arenasee or a driving simulator at Volkswagen R. A number of stalls on the grounds will also offer hands-on activities and entertainment for little ones. In the Wölfli Ecke area, there will be lots of football-related activities for children, which will also be offered without accompanying staff.

Event website with all information about the GTI fan festival. The program starts on Friday from 12 noon, on the other days from 11 a.m. Parking is available for GTI and R model owners as well as community VIP ticket holders in the VIP car parks Nord (P1) and Süd (P2). All other vehicles can be parked in the Nord car park (P3) and in the Tor Ost multi-storey car park. All further information is available on the event page www.volkswagen.de/gtifanfest. Tickets are available here.