E-tropolis Festival 2026 — Oberhausen

Black Scene in the Turbinenhalle

Since 2003, the E-tropolis Festival has been the most important German indoor festival for the Black Scene — Dark Electro, EBM (Electronic Body Music), Industrial, Synthpop, Cyber. On Saturday, March 28, 2026, the Turbinenhalle Oberhausen will once again transform into the central meeting point for the scene. The Turbinenhalle, a converted industrial hall in Oberhausen's Lipperfeld district, with its steel girders, brick walls, and industrial acoustics, is the perfect space for the genre.

The Headliners 2026

Project Pitchfork — three decades of Dark Electro

The main act for 2026 is Project Pitchfork — as the festival announcement states: "Project Pitchfork have been among the defining figures of the Dark Electro genre for over three decades." Peter Spilles' band has co-defined the genre in Germany, from "K.N.K.A." and "Daimonion" to current albums.

Combichrist — exclusive Oldschool Set

In 2026, Combichrist will play an exclusive Oldschool Set in Oberhausen — Andy LaPlegua goes back to the band's roots, with tracks from "Everybody Hates You" and "What the Fuck Is Wrong with You People?" for fans who love the early aggressive industrial sound.

KITE — synthpoppers from Sweden

The Swedish duo KITE brings a more emotional, melodic side to the festival — synth-pop with grand gestures and a devoted fanbase. A perfect contrast to the harder EBM line.

Further Acts

The complete lineup is dense and mixes established stars with emerging acts:

• Funker Vogt — German Industrial-EBM giants
• Neuroticfish — Future-Pop classics
• Welle:Erdball — Synthpop with a Commodore 64 identity
• Faderhead — Electro with anger and humor
• Noisuf-X — Industrial power project
• FIX8:SED8 — Dark Electro rising star
• ULTRA SUNN — Belgian EBM revival
• Synth Attack — Swiss Old-School EBM
• Vanguard — Future-Pop
• Zweite Jugend — German newcomer

Pre-Party on Friday, March 27

For those who want to get in the mood for the festival day, there's the official pre-party in Turbinenhalle 2 (Friday, March 27, 2026). DJ sets, networking, classic and new tracks from the scene — the ideal start before the festival Saturday.

The Turbinenhalle as a Second Home

The Turbinenhalle Oberhausen in the Lipperfeld district has been a hotspot for the scene for years. Former industrial site, large main stage, several side floors. For E-tropolis, several rooms will be used: Main Stage, Side Stage, and DJ Floor. The industrial architecture matches the sound — steel girders, reverberant space, lighting design with strobes and fog.

What Brings the Scene Together in Oberhausen

Since its structural transformation, Oberhausen has become a hub for electronic and alternative music in the Ruhr area. Between Druckluft (small, alternative), Turbinenhalle (medium-sized, industrial), and Rudolf Weber-ARENA (large, mainstream), there is a complete event infrastructure. The E-tropolis Festival benefits from this — easy travel, accommodation available, centrally located venues.