IVORY Open Air x Dortmund Dance Division — Haus Witten

Haus Witten — Castle Complex as Festival Stage

Haus Witten is a historic castle complex in Witten at Ruhrstraße 86 — formerly a noble residence, today a cultural and event venue of the city of Witten. Haus Witten is managed by Kulturforum Witten, the municipal body for cultural activities. The courtyard of the castle complex is a special open-air stage: protected by the castle walls, acoustically isolated, with an atmospheric mix of historic architecture and electronic music.

Witten — Ruhr Area East of Bochum

Witten is a medium-sized city in the southeastern Ruhr area (Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia) with almost 100,000 inhabitants. East of Bochum, north of Hagen, located on the Ruhr river, Witten has a distinct university landscape (University of Witten/Herdecke) and an active electronic music scene. The city sees itself not as an industrial city in the classic sense, but as an urban medium-sized center with cultural independence.

Cooperation IVORY Kollektiv x Dortmund Dance Division

The festival is a programmatic cooperation between two DJ collectives from the Ruhr scene:

• IVORY Kollektiv (Instagram: @ivory.offiziell) — established DJ crew that has curated several open airs and club nights in recent years. Their program philosophy: electronic music beyond clearly defined genre boundaries — Techno, House, Electro, Ambient, and hybrid forms without strict pigeonholing
• Dortmund Dance Division (3D) — sister collective from the neighboring city of Dortmund, also active in the electronic scene

Program 2026 — NIKS and THC

Confirmed features are NIKS and THC — both artists of the contemporary electronic scene with their own profile between the mentioned genres. In addition, the resident DJs of both collectives will play sets — a typical open-air choreography with several DJs in succession, without hard genre breaks.

Two Stages, 10 Hours of Program

The festival runs from 12 PM to 10 PM — 10 hours of open air with two stages (depending on the source). Daylight setup, sunset, evening stage lighting with light show. The mix of day and evening atmosphere — and the specific location in the castle courtyard — gives the IVORY Open Air its special appeal compared to standard club events.

Awareness and Safe Atmosphere

As with most ambitious electronic festivals today: Awareness team on site. The collectives value a safe, inclusive atmosphere for all dancers — with a point of contact for harassment incidents and needs for help. This distinguishes the IVORY Open Air from commercial mainstream events, which often lack this care.

Tickets — Tiered Pricing

Prices are tiered according to pre-sale stages. Eventbrite ticket (early phase): €20. Regular pre-sale: €27.50. No box office on the day of the event — those who don't have a ticket by May 9, 2026, won't get in. Tickets via Eventbrite or via the collective's Instagram profiles.

Location and Travel

Haus Witten is located at Ruhrstraße 86 in Witten, within walking distance of Witten main station. By train: Witten Hbf is served by S-Bahn S 5 (Hagen-Dortmund) and several regional trains — direct stop, 5 min walk to Haus Witten. By car: A 44 or A 45 exit Witten, then towards the city center. Parking in the city center is scarce during the festival — public transport or cycling recommended.