Erfurt, Germany, 16 April 2023 (dpa/MIA) — Around 700 people took part in a techno rave in a church in the Germany city of Erfurt on Saturday.

Titled "Rave like God," the event lasted six hours.

"It was great and better than we hoped," vicar and organizer Anne Heisig said on Sunday.

Long queues had formed outside the church. Where the altar normally stands, three DJs spun their tracks while the pews were moved aside to create a dance floor.

"The atmosphere was happy and friendly, it was a really ecstatic dance crowd," added Heisig.

The Protestant Church in Central Germany (EKM) said it was the first techno rave in a church in the state of Thuringia.