Neighborhood Association with Alice: invitation from AfD leader Weidel to Regensburg castle festivals turns into a scandal for Gloria
Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, was invited to the Regensburg Castle Festival (Schlossfestspiele) in 2025. However, this invitation sparked significant controversy when pop singer Vicky Leandros publicly declared that Weidel was "not welcome" at her concert.
Leandros, a champion of diversity, tolerance, human dignity, human rights, and internationalism, threatened not to perform if Weidel attended, effectively vetoing Weidel’s attendance at her show. As a result, Weidel did not attend the concert itself, though reports indicate she remained on the festival grounds and socialized privately with the hostess, Gloria Fürstin von Thurn und Taxis.
The incident highlighted the cultural and ideological divide in Germany regarding the AfD party. The invitation from the Thurn und Taxis family attracted protests from hundreds of demonstrators who opposed Weidel’s politics and accused the festival’s patron of being too close to right-wing extremists. The festival venue faced security concerns, with the police preparing for Weidel’s visit and possible protests.
Vicky Leandros’ public stance and the protests underscored strong opposition to the AfD in cultural spaces, emphasizing themes of diversity and tolerance versus the controversial politics of the AfD. Meanwhile, the patron denied accusations of right-wing extremism or homophobia.
Carina Schießl, local AfD MP, criticized Vicky Leandros as a "has-been, fading pop star." Up to 900 people demonstrated against Weidel's planned guest appearance on Monday. Dr. Gabriele Griese-Heindl of the Alliance for Tolerance and Human Rights criticizes the castle festival as a "paving stone on the road to the abyss".
As of July 22, Alice Weidel has left the castle. It remains unclear whether Weidel will still be a guest at the castle until the performance of Gianna Nannini. In the planned Jedermann performance on July 26, both Gloria von Thurn and Taxis and Kittel are scheduled to appear on stage. The backstory involves a clash between a longstanding aristocratic patron’s invitation to a polarizing political figure and a performing artist’s refusal to share a stage with her, reflecting broader tensions over the AfD’s presence in public and cultural life in Germany.
- The controversy surrounding Alice Weidel's attendance at the Regensburg Castle Festival escalated when pop singer Vicky Leandros, a champion of diversity, tolerance, human rights, and internationalism, refused to perform if Weidel attended.
- The festival's patron, Gloria Fürstin von Thurn und Taxis, faced accusations of being too close to right-wing extremists due to inviting Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
- Protests from hundreds of demonstrators opposed Weidel’s politics, with some criticizing the castle festival as a "paving stone on the road to the abyss".
- Despite the public stance against Weidel by Vicky Leandros and the protests, reports indicate Weidel remained on the festival grounds and socialized privately with the hostess.
- The incident brought to light the cultural and ideological divide in Germany regarding the AfD party, with themes of diversity and tolerance versus the controversial politics of the AfD being emphasized.
- As of July 22, Alice Weidel has left the castle, and it remains unclear whether she will still be a guest at the castle until the performance of Gianna Nannini, adding to the ongoing tensions over the AfD’s presence in public and cultural life in Germany.
