Dahl'sen Total — Dahlhausen Neighbourhood Festival

Dahl'sen Total — the neighbourhood celebrates itself

The neighbourhood festival "Dahl'sen Total" brings Bochum's Dahlhausen district together on May 9 and 10, 2026. Two days, two very different formats at the central Otto-Wels-Platz: a concert evening on Saturday and a family day on Sunday. Organised by the Initiative for Neighbourhood and Sustainability (IfNuN) and funded by the Bochum-Fonds — a civic project, not a city marketing event.

Saturday, May 9, 2026 — Concert Evening (6–10 PM)

The Saturday evening kick-off features Bochum live music:

• The Light's — support band, local indie sounds
• Herbman Studio — headliner of the evening

Four hours of open-air music on the edge of the Ruhr valley, with food trucks and drinks on site.

Sunday, May 10, 2026 — Family Day (2–6 PM)

Sunday afternoon is aimed at families and children:

• Children's activities and craft stations
• Theatre performance for young audiences
• Poetry slam with Sebastian23 — one of the best-known German poetry slam artists from the Ruhr area

Otto-Wels-Platz — the heart of Dahlhausen

The Otto-Wels-Platz in Bochum-Dahlhausen — named after SPD politician Otto Wels, who gave the Reichstag speech against the Enabling Act in 1933 — is the central square of the district. With good U-Bahn connections (line 318 Bochum-Dahlhausen) and a neighbourhood café, it is ideally suited for a neighbourhood festival of this scale.

Dahlhausen — Bochum's southernmost district

Dahlhausen is the southernmost district of Bochum in the Ruhr area (North Rhine-Westphalia), at the transition from the city area to the Ruhr valley. With the Bochum-Dahlhausen Railway Museum located here, the district is known far beyond the city limits — the approximately 13,500 inhabitants, however, consciously maintain their own, village-like identity alongside the big city.

Bochum-Fonds — Civic Culture

The Bochum-Fonds is a funding program of the City of Bochum: up to €25,000 in grants for district-oriented projects, combined with a self-contribution from applicants of at least 20% (in-kind contributions and volunteer work are counted). "Dahl'sen Total" is made possible this way — a model that supports civic initiative financially and organisationally.