A GOTH girl hangs naked from a hook in the middle of the room, her translucent skin sparkling like marbled meat in a butcher’s window.

Nearby a cloaked man is tying black rope around her lithe limbs, binding them together. With every tug, her arms and legs twist further behind, until only her taut torso and face are on show.

13 The Sun's Georgie Culley dresses up for the Vampire weekend Credit: Olivia West - The Sun

Above a titanic chandelier looms over, illuminating hundreds of real-life vampires below.

The hungry horde lick their lips excitedly as they look up at the stage, their razor-sharp fangs glinting menacingly in the candlelight.

It's the start of a show at the Obsession Bizarr Fetish and SM party - one of the main adult events of the Wave Gotik Treffen festival that I've come to explore.

The four-day ghoul-aganza is one of the biggest Goth gatherings in the world - and attracts thousands of British vampires every year.

13 The festival attracts vampires from all over the world

Last weekend, over 30,000 conspicuously dark and mysterious figures descended upon Leipzig, Eastern Germany, over Pentecost.

The festival has a programme to suit anyone attracted to the dark side, including 200 gigs, late-night ghost walks abandoned churchyards, secret vampire soirees, Victorian tea parties and family pagan and viking markets.

13 Less is more at the festival in Germany, which sees festival-goers in bondage-style outfits and towering heels

13 Vampire couple Lilith and Darren aka Lilith The Vampyre and DemonDazz drink each other's blood every week

'We drink each other's blood twice a week'

Every year, hundreds of Brits head to Germany for the festival.

“Being a vampire has never been so popular,” says Darren Powell from London, who tells me he is 300 years old and goes by the name DemonDaz. “There’s over 3,000 in London and that number keeps rising.

13 The couple say drinking blood is a sexual fetish

“By day I am an underwriter for a big insurance firm, by night I am a vampire who runs lots of freaky events in London.”

His 24-year-old waitress girlfriend Lilith The Vampyre, adds: “We drink each other’s blood twice a week, to us it is a sexual thing but I also do like the taste, it’s metally and yummy. It’s funny as although I’m a vegetarian, I’ve no problem when it comes to humans.

“It’s great vampires continue to dominate fantasy literature. Growing up I loved them and would devour shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

13 Customised outfits are seen everywhere at the festival

“I love the aesthetics, the pale skin, dark makeup, the gothic Victorian dresses, it’s so elegant and graceful. There is a growing community in the UK interested in this lifestyle, I have garnered over 115k followers on Instagram.

“My family struggled with it at first, I think it’s hard for them to understand but over time they have got used to it.”

'We met in a graveyard'

The pair tell me how they also model part-time for kinky mags and met each other on a sexy shoot in a spooky, wild graveyard.

“It was romantic,” Darren smiles. “A bit like the gothic version of Love Actually. Six months on, we are still going strong.”

The entrance to the main site of the festival is like a catwalk, with the paparazzi fighting to snap the revellers’ weird and wonderful outfits as they glide in.

This year, gothic lolita crowns are all the rage. Inside, a British designer who’s running a fashion stall tells me how she is selling her beautiful handmade creations for 350 euros each.

“Some can take months to make,” she informs. “This one took half a year.” With that, she pulls out a glorious black, lace and vegan leather gothic headdress, handcrafted with crystals, rhinestones and feathers. “It’s light so it won’t weigh you down,” she continues, proudly. “Some people are in these outfits all day and night so they must be comfortable.”

Coffin cakes on the menu

Outside 23-year-old Ben Davies from Cardiff is buying a coffin from a cake stall.

“Normal people scare me,” he quips, flashing me his bloodied fangs as he tucks into his sweet treat which is oozing red jam.

“This festival is like Glastonbury for Goths, it allows us to come out of the shadows and meet like-minded dark souls. I drink blood a few times a month, it’s very much a kink for me but for others it’s a lifestyle.”

13 Georgie hangs out with vampire Father Sebastian

As I make my way around the market stalls, I bump into vampire Father Sebastian, 44, who has just jetted in from LA, US.

He is a former dental assistant working as a “fangsmith” and is running a stall where he charges 150 euros per custom-made fang for revellers. So far, he has fitted eight sets today.

“Fangs help them tap into their primal vampire nature,” he tells me, as he fits a fang into a man’s mouth. They’re magic.”

Judging by the grin on his patient’s face, he agrees.

A queue is beginning to form as more wannabe vamps line up for their turn.

Doms, subs and #MeToo

Father Sebastian isn't the only one here for kink purposes.

A silver-haired man going by the name Danarama bounces in.

The pair embrace before Father Sebastian starts telling him about problems he’s having with his submissive partner and how he could do with some tips on ‘negotiation’ between 'subs' and 'doms' in the BDSM world.

Turns out, even vampires are affected by the #metoo movement.

13 One party-goer is seen wearing a leather head mask

“You have to ask permission before you even touch someone’s arm nowadays,” he explains, tapping his patient to show me.

Danarama - a sex educator based in San Francisco, USA - agrees.

He tells me how he’s seen a rise in his classes since the movement took shape. Danarama used to live in London before moving to San Francisco where he teaches consent, negotiation and how to practice bondage and rough sex safely.

“I get 60 people in my class,” he explains. “Some single, some couples and I get a lot of vampires. I love my work, I’m helping people have fun but look after themselves.”

13 One revealer wears black lipstick as she explores the festival

Father Sebastian is a colourful character and well known in the US, especially in New York - where he used to host lavish BDSM parties and pen books about his Vampire experiences.

Nearby, JoHanna Moresco, 31, from Florida, USA, is selling her vampire makeup. She's a lifestyle vampire so doesn't drink blood - but says she doesn't judge anyone who does.

Looking stunning in a red plunge neck maxi dress, she smiles, disarmingly, revealing her pearly white fangs.

“Most people here were bullied as kids and are figuring out themselves,” she explains, looking around. “Some vampires like scaring people but I’m not like that. I just love the look and the elegance of it all.

13 Joanna is at the festival selling vampire make-up - she's a lifestyle vampire

“It’s a cool community and most people are actually very normal, friendly and accepting. I design vampire make-up and am selling products here today. A portion of the sales goes to a charity called ‘Don’t Be a Monster’, which helps kids who are being bullied.”

Drinking blood like Dracula

Johanna explains how there’s different types of vampires - lifestyles vampires, energy vampires and sanguine vampires - who drink blood like Dracula.

“I’m actually hosting an exclusive vampire ball tonight, called Endless Night,” she continues. “Over 250 vampires will be there. It is invitation only and there will be candlelight, belly dancers and great music. It will help people connect in a more intimate way.”

The festival is spread across different parts of the city and I walk to the makeshift Medieval town.

Here, Victorian goths are tucking into a grand, renaissance picnic. With their tea pots, long gloves and cucumber sandwiches it all feel very British - and their polite chit-chat too.

13 Ladies adorn themselves with jewels at the day time festivals

Brexit banter between the Brits and the Germans is in full swing, as is the sex party which is unfolding in the Volkspalast Kuppelhalle, a half an hour away drive to the other side of the city.

“The Obsession Bizarr party is the best part of the festival,” beams Yevgenia kauts, 26, a cosmetic tattooist, from Walthamstow London.

“I often go to sex parties back home in thee UK like Torture Gardens and fetish club Antichrist. I’m excited to see what tonight has in store, I hear it’ll be a night to remember.”

She’s not wrong. As I pull up outside I am struck by the grand, bloated building. Its Roman columns are lit up by in-ground luminaires and it feels like I’m starring in Eyes Wide Shut.

13 Vampires enjoy high tea in the sunshine Credit: Olivia West - The Sun

A car pulls up with blacked out windows and a couple I spotted earlier at the picnic slip out and scurry inside, like guilty mice under cover of darkness.

Rooms to watch Vamps get it on

There is a strict dress code to get in. Latex, leather, kinky, glamour and gothic-erotic are accepted. With my sleek black bob, punk choker and corset dress I am deemed agreeable and let in.

Inside, anything goes on the dance floor. Entangled couples oscillate back and forth, kneading each other. Downstairs, the dungeon is opening. A ‘SHHH!!!’ sign hangs at the entrance and you’re forbidden from taking in drinks and phones inside. As if in a museum, I abide by the rules and abandon my belongings - and fears - before entering.

13 A couple pose while enjoying time in the old town

Cries of ecstasy fill the air but are quickly drowned out by piercing screams, caused by the bite of a whip on bare skin.

There’s dozens of rooms inside and all are see-through to excite voyeurs.

“If a room has a sign saying ‘open’ you can go in and join,” whispers Danarama, suddenly at my side and dressed in a latex suit. “If the room says ‘closed’ you can only watch.”

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It is a surreal moment of my journalistic career but fascinating nonetheless.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” I garble and he laughs.

As the minutes roll into hours the sun is beginning to rise outside. Fearing I will be turned into ashes any second, it is time for this vamp to retire to bed.

Now, where’s my coffin?