Melt! Festival, Ferropolis, Germany, review: 'A refreshing and euphoric experience for festival goers'

Melt! offers a vast selection of electro, dance and alternative indie acts

The main stage at Melt! Festival (Stephan Flad)

For almost 20 years, Melt! festival has drawn revellers to the Mad Max-inspired site of Ferropolis. This former open-air mining operation nicknamed the “City of Iron” - thanks to the 30metre high cranes towering above the site - annually becomes a hedonistic playground for festival goers, offering a vast selection of the most credible electro, dance and alternative acts.

Aside from the impressive mechanical behemoths and fresh water lake, each of the eight stages are curated with a well spread out selection of music and it's easy for punters to wander between stages and find something completely new.

With heavyweight DJs: Maceo Plex, Andy Stott, The Black Madonna and Ben Klock playing at The Big Wheel stage, the sound quality is continually superb. Notably, Helena Hauff works a strong crowd into a frenzy on Friday night with crisp new mixes and dollops of heaving bass.

The main stage plays host to more indie and alternative acts including Tame Impala, who set the mood with their selection of woozy, colour-drenched sounds of “Nangs” and “Let It Happen” while Saturday sees Two Door Cinema Club revive the hungover crowd with upbeat, soaring choruses.

Grime pioneer Skepta is joined by Konan to deliver a storming performance of tracks from Konnichiwa, while a packed crowd gathers on Saturday for Kode9 and the exhilarating Lady Leshurr, who sends the crowd into a frenzy with “Queen’s Speech Ep. 4”.

The shores of Melt! Festival’s man-made lake, Gremmin Beach, do well to keep revellers buzzing into the early hours with Maya Jane Coles’ knock out Friday night set of slick, minimal house, and there are stand out sets from Solomun and DJ Koze.

Jamie XX’s vinyl-only set on Saturday is a highlight. Opening with Joy Division's “Atmosphere,” he slowly rises into an uptempo mix of grime, gospel house and bashment, performing songs from his debut In Colour, with “Gosh” a thrilling highlight.

With two stages closed and a noticeably depleted crowd on Sunday, headliners Chvrches manage to bring a strong, pneumatic set with a glorious singalong to “The Mother We Share” while Disclosure’s set of wobbling hits like “White Noise,” and “Latch” act as a euphoric closer.

Melt! may well ruin your circadian rhythms for a week, but with a vast pick of the best electronic and alternative acts around, it is well worth it. With its impressive surroundings and offers of crane rides, zip lines and skinny dips, it's a refreshing and euphoric experience for even the most hardened of festival goers.