The GTI Treffen will return for 2024 after years of cancellations, but in a new location
Pretty much every year since 1982, thousands of Volkswagen fans have descended upon the little Austrian town of Reifnitz for the ‘Wörthersee GTI Treffen‘. We say ‘pretty much’, as Covid led to its cancellation several years running, and now, the local authority is no longer interested in the legendary event as it doesn’t align with its environmental aims.
Thankfully the event has been saved by Volkswagen itself, which has backed the festival for over two decades and has a long tradition of bringing along special concepts just for the occasion. For 2024 onwards it’ll be brought much closer to ‘home’ than before by the manufacturer, with the chosen location being Wolfsburg.
From the sounds of it, other than there not being a giant body of water next door, it’ll be rather similar to the much-loved Treffen (meaning ‘meet’) by Lake Wörthersee. We’re promised “vehicle presentations, stage shows and club meets,” along with “many other interesting events and surprises for GTI enthusiasts”.
There are no exact locations offered just yet – the press release merely notes that the “areas and infrastructure in Wolfsburg offer ideal prerequisites for welcoming a large number of visitors with their vehicles”. The motto VW is giving for this is “Coming Home” – best not tell any die-hard England football fans.
Imelda Labbé, from VW’s sales, marketing and aftersales board, had this to say about the news:
“Our GTI fans are of great importance to Volkswagen and that’s why the exchange with them is very dear to us. For this reason, after the GTI Meeting at Lake Wörthersee was unfortunately cancelled, we decided pretty quickly to offer the GTI fan community in Wolfsburg a new home for the event. When planning the event, we also want to take into account the ideas of the fans, because it should above all be a meeting for them. Accordingly, we will certainly be able to offer some highlights and surprises in the coming year.”
