Since 1982, European Volkswagen fans have gathered in the Austrian town of Maria Wörth to celebrate the Golf GTI. After 40 years, and three coronavirus-related cancellations, the town now says it won’t host the festival anymore.
In a press release, the municipality of Maria Wörth announced that it “will no longer host any conventional major automotive events in the next few years,” as translated by Google. That means that the status of the legendary Wörthersee Treffen, that is, the “meeting at lake Wörth,” is now in question.
The municipality cited concerns about the environment and the preservation of ecosystems as reasons that the festival no longer aligns with its values. The spaces once used for the car show, which grew from hosting just 100 people in 1982, to hosting hundreds of thousands in the 2010s, will be redeveloped to make new, greener facilities, according to Mayor Markus Perdacher.
Read: VW’s Golf GTE Skylight Wörthersee Concept Has Hologram Tech And 3,110 Watts Of Sound Power
“In the spirit of localhood, we are working to create attractive and sustainable living spaces that benefit all people who are in the community—regardless of whether they spend a few days there or a lifetime,” said Mayor Perdacher.
Outlets such as Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, report that despite being officially canceled for the last three years, GTI lovers have descended upon Maria Wörth for unofficial gatherings that frequently caused trouble and required police intervention, something that may have influenced the town’s decision.
In addition to presenting a problem for fans of the Golf GTI, Maria Wörth’s decision is also an issue for Volkswagen, which had long supported the festival and used it to make announcements about GTI models.
“We regret that the legendary GTI meeting at Wörthersee will no longer take place in this form,” a VW spokesperson told the German magazine. “We are currently investigating how we can support the GTI fan community in the future. Maintaining the community is very important to us because we come into direct contact with our most loyal customers.”
The Volkswagen brand may not be completely out of luck, though. The municipality of Maria Wörth said it will weigh the possibility of hosting events in the future if they align with its environmental goals. That leaves the door open for a VW ID. festival, though that may be a tougher sell for GTI fans who attended the event in years gone by.
