The first edition of the alternative 404 Festival took place in March at Melusina in the Grund neighbourhood of Luxembourg City. Approximately 150 people attended the event, partying late into the night alongside artists such as Maz Univerze and Shosta.
The idea for the festival came from organiser Yacke, who also performed with his band Ultra World. According to Yacke, an alternative music scene has re-established itself in Luxembourg over the past few years, but no suitable festival had emerged until now. This gap inspired the creation of the 404 Festival, which is primarily intended as an event organised by members of the scene for the scene itself, while also reaching out more broadly to fans from the entire Greater Region.
The festival’s name is a wordplay between the title of an Ultra World song and the “404" error message displayed when an internet user attempts to access a website that no longer exists or is experiencing server problems. In the organiser’s words, society often views subcultures as a type of error message – as something that deviates from the norm – which he found fitting for the event.
Not all of the artists who performed at Melusina came from Luxembourg. While Maz Univerze, Ultra World, and Blaming Emeraude are Luxembourg-based, the second act – the German dark wave band Shosta from Bochum – hails from outside the country. According to the organiser, overall feedback to the festival was positive, and the team is already looking forward to planning a second edition.
