Summer Open Air 2026

Kick off the summer with hot beats and ice-cold drinks: PACT, in collaboration with the Zollverein Foundation, invites you to the Summer Open Air on the grounds of the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site! Between the stage of the BOULEVARD of DREAMS and the PACT terrace, you can look forward to an evening of relaxation, discovery, dancing, and socializing – outdoors and with free admission.

The RuhrgebietsSpatzen – Pani Kostka (Julia Nitschke) and Mercedes Tuccini (Jonas Leifert) – will host the evening. As a glamorous entertainment duo, they blend Schlager music, performance, and entertainment art, ensuring dazzling transitions between the live acts.

In addition to a concert by KARMAKIND and DJ sets by Anta.Can and Matalamata on the stage of the Boulevard, you can look forward to Anatole Buisson and his band Les Monstre-Barbecue-Machines on the PACT terrace. They play unconventional pop that blends absurd poetry, subtle humor, and catchy grooves. The music of this Essen-based multi-instrumentalist is shaped by a wide range of influences: from classic funk and neo-sixties rock to French Touch and French chanson. With great enthusiasm and a knack for creating surprising moments, he and his four musicians deliver a live show that invites you to dance and dream.

Also on the lineup is ERREGUNG ÖFFENTLICHER ERREGUNG, a band that – like no other German band – manages to transform complex contemporary issues and societal absurdities into snarky miniatures – as they do on their latest album, ›Speisekammer des Weltendes‹. With a bag of fries in hand, they astutely observe the end of the world and charmingly share their observations through culinary metaphors. Their lyrics and sound playfully navigate between post-punk, Krautrock, and NDW – sometimes light, sometimes dark, but always intelligent and intense.

After the concerts, the evening continues on the PACT terrace with favorite songs and impromptu performances: The legendary karaoke duo the RuhrgebietsSpatzen and Enby GaGa (aka Monse) from the Oval Office Bar in Bochum invite you to a karaoke special – complete with their legendary wheel of fortune. If you’re quick enough to grab the mic, you get a turn – everything gets sung. From pop songs to ultimate Schlager hits.