Bochum Weeks of Europe

Bochum Weeks of Europe 2026 — Four Weeks of Europe in Bochum

The Bochum Weeks of Europe 2026 is the city of Bochum's major collective program on the theme of Europe. From May 4 to June 1, 2026, more than 25 events will take place at various locations in the city - culinary, artistic, musical, and in dialogue format. The organizers are the City of Bochum (International Department), the Volkshochschule Bochum, the Familienbildungsstätte Bochum, and numerous international partner associations.

Culinary: Europe at the Table

The culinary program is a focal point:

• May 4 — Cooking class "Mediterranean Cuisine"
• May 5 — Culinary journey through French regions
• May 6 — Finnish cuisine evening
• May 8 — Wine tasting France, Italy, Spain
• May 9 — European multi-country cooking evening
• May 18 — International food tour through the MosaikViertel

Art, Music, Film

Complementing the culinary program is a dense cultural program:

• May 11 — Finnish film at the endstation.kino
• May 12 — City tour "Bochum and its partner cities"
• May 21 — popSPACE: Musical journey through the partner cities at the Planetarium
• May 21 — Brazil concert by a social orchestra ensemble
• May 23 — Concert "Somewhere over the Rainbow" — connecting opera, musical, and European songs

Dialogue and Community

A third focus is on dialogue formats that emphasize encounter and exchange:

• May 7 — "Lore invites" friendship evening
• May 20, 26, and 28 — International pub quiz formats
• May 22 — Youth Europe Dialogue with Mayor Lukat

Bochum — City of Europe in the Ruhr Area

Bochum (approx. 365,000 inhabitants) is one of the central cities of the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia. The city maintains partnerships with cities including Sheffield (UK), Donetsk (UA), Oviedo (ES), Nordhausen (DE), Tsukuba (JP) - and through the Ruhr area network, with numerous other European cities. The Weeks of Europe are the annual program highlight where these relationships become visible.

Admission — Mostly Free

Most events are free of charge. Cooking classes, wine tastings, and concerts usually involve moderate participation fees, which are communicated on the event page of the City of Bochum.