Fusion Festival halted for two hours by fire outside site; 65,000 evacuated to runway
A field and forest fire near the former Soviet airfield at Lärz forced a temporary stoppage of the Fusion Festival on Thursday evening, sending tens of thousands of attendees to a disused runway before the music resumed.
What happened
On the evening of 25 June 2026, a field and forest fire broke out in the Retzow area near Rechlin, directly adjacent to the former Soviet military airfield in Lärz that hosts the annual Fusion Festival. Smoke from the blaze drifted into the backstage area and across the stages. At around 18:45, the smell of smoke and rising columns became visible. By 19:00 the organisers issued a call over the loudspeakers, instructing the approximately 65,000 to 70,000 attendees to leave the concert area and make their way to the decommissioned runway. The music was cut off immediately.
- Main stage opens.
- Smoke column visible, fire engines arrive on site.
- Music halted; attendees asked to go to the runway.
- Fire department clears site; festival resumes.
- Music expected to restart.
Evacuation and emergency response
Nine fire departments from the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district responded with 21 vehicles, extinguishing the flames outside the festival perimeter. While some visitors initially received the confusing message that the evacuation was due to severe weather, it soon became clear that the fire was the cause. On-site journalists described the atmosphere as calm and orderly; the vast majority of guests walked to the runway while a smaller number left the grounds by car or bicycle, causing temporary congestion on the access roads. The police situation centre in Neubrandenburg confirmed the festival interruption, and the Neubrandenburg fire department confirmed a deployment, although both declined to provide further details at the time.
The evacuation ran smoothly. There was never a fire on the festival grounds, and any spread of the fire to the Fusion site was ruled out.
Music resumes
At 20:50, the fire department declared the area safe. Festival organisers announced that the grounds could be re-entered and the programme resumed. Waiting crowds on the nearby road were told via loudspeaker that the fire was extinguished, and visitors gradually returned. By around 21:00 the event was expected to restart.
Festival and outlook
Fusion is one of the largest alternative music and culture festivals in Germany and Europe, blending electronic music, theatre, and political education. The 2026 edition, running from Wednesday 24 June to Sunday 28 June, features more than 3,300 artists on 40 stages, organised by the Kulturkosmos Müritz association. The interruption caused no injuries, and the festival continues as planned. Organisers have previously announced that the festival will take a one-year break in 2027.
