ExtraSchicht — Night of Industrial Culture Mülheim

ExtraSchicht — A Ruhr Area Tradition Since 2001

ExtraSchicht — Night of Industrial Culture is Europe's largest industrial culture festival. Since 2001, on one summer Saturday night, historic industrial sites and cultural venues throughout the Ruhr area transform into accessible stages: collieries, blast furnaces, water towers, harbor facilities, theaters, and libraries become venues for light, sound, and performance installations. The organizer is Ruhr Tourismus GmbH — coordinating the festival in 18 Ruhr area cities with approximately 40 venues.

ExtraSchicht 2026 — Mülheim Venues

Mülheim an der Ruhr is participating in 2026 with three venues:

• Theater an der Ruhr (Akazienallee 61, Solbad Raffelberg) — Main venue
• Stadthalle Mülheim — Second venue with its own program
• Die Wolfsburg — Catholic academy as a cultural-historical venue

Theater an der Ruhr — Main Venue 2026

The Theater an der Ruhr is the highlight: the historic building was once part of the Solbad Raffelberg — a forgotten spa from the 1930s, which now houses the theater. The program for ExtraSchicht 2026 is 'A Summer Night Between History, Present, and Utopia':

• Behind-the-Scenes Tours — Backstage areas, costume workshops, technical workshops, every 30 minutes between 6:15 PM and 8:45 PM, then hourly until 12:15 AM
• Photo Exhibition in the historic foyer — Pictures on the history of Solbad Raffelberg
• Audio Play in Raffelbergpark — An audio narrative about the buildings and their stories
• Bar Service with atmospheric lighting of the facade and park
• Art Installation as a preview of the 'UTOPIA Play Island' — the new theater series starting the following week

Stadthalle Mülheim and Die Wolfsburg

The Stadthalle Mülheim opens its premises for ExtraSchicht — typically featuring concerts, dance performances, foyer installations, and a bar program. Die Wolfsburg — the Catholic academy on a plateau high above the Ruhr — offers its historical charm: lectures, readings, light installations in the chapels and park.

ExtraSchicht Concept — One Ticket for All Venues

The principle of ExtraSchicht: one ticket is valid for all 40 venues in 18 cities. Shuttle buses run between the main venues — visitors can start in Mülheim, take the shuttle to Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, continue to Gasometer Oberhausen, or Westpark Bochum. The night is designed as an industrial culture marathon.

Tickets and Times

Admission: €15 early bird rate, then €22 regular. The ticket is valid from 6 PM to 1 AM for all 40 venues and shuttle buses — an attractive price-performance ratio for an entire night of industrial culture. Tickets via the ExtraSchicht online shop or hotline +49 1806 18 16 50.