Photography by Manuel Cardozo

Set within the striking industrial landscape of Ferropolis, just outside Berlin, WHOLE Festival brings together some of the world's most influential names in queer nightlife to create a rainbow utopia free from commercialism and heteronormative expectations. For one weekend, attendees leave the routines of everyday life behind and step into a world where freedom, individuality and community take centre stage.

This year's theme, Enter the Whole, explored ideas of openness, connection and collective belonging through a world shaped by hyperpop surrealism, post-internet maximalism and Y2K futurism. Keep up! Festivalgoers embraced the brief with leather harnesses and sculptural breastplates to animal prints, delicate lace, extravagant costumes and, for some, unapologetic nudity.

Amid the afterglow of WHOLE Festival 2026, we caught up with Colombian photographer Manuel Cardozo to talk about documenting one of Europe's most celebrated queer festivals, the moments that stayed with him long after the weekend ended, and why photography plays such an important role in preserving queer joy, resilience and community.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and what inspires your work?

I've always been inspired by documentary photography, by its sensitivity to capturing places, moments and people in a way that communicates intention through the unexpected. I'm drawn to those magical, unconscious moments between the subject and the camera, and to telling the stories of people whose voices are too often overlooked or unheard.

What first brought you to WHOLE Festival, and what made you want to document this particular queer space?

I'd always been curious about WHOLE Festival. In Colombia, spaces like this simply don't exist or are very limited, so I was fascinated by the idea of experiencing that kind of freedom. As my photography evolved over the years, I naturally became closer to the queer community, where I found both refuge and inspiration. It taught me a lot about myself, helped me grow as a person, and gave me a deeper understanding of different stages of my own life.