Kunst!Rasen Bonn Open Air

The Rheinaue as a Stage

The Rheinaue Bonn is one of the most impressive park landscapes in western Germany: created between 1973 and 1979 for the Federal Garden Exhibition, it extends over 160 hectares on the left and right banks of the Rhine between Bonn and Bad Godesberg. The festival site – called "Kunst!Rasen" – is located directly on the water, with a view of the Rhine and the Siebengebirge mountains in the background. For concert evenings, this offers one of the most beautiful open-air backdrops in Germany: the left Rhine arm in front of the stage, with a view of Königswinter and Drachenfels to the right.

More Than a Festival – A Festival Summer

Unlike most festivals, Kunst!Rasen doesn't last a weekend but two months: from early July to late August, over 20 concert evenings take place, each featuring an international star and a selected supporting program. This creates a "festival summer" through which Bonn residents and visitors move from concert to concert. Up to 10,000 spectators per evening fill the meadow in front of the stage.

Founded in 2012, Supported by Bonn Residents

Behind Kunst!Rasen is Kunst!Rasen GmbH, based in Bonn, which founded the festival in 2012. The company is now organizing the festival for the 14th time. The success lies in the concept: a single venue, professional stage infrastructure, and a lineup that combines mainstream stars with musical quality. BAP has played here four times, Jan Delay twice, Kasalla twice – the festival is also a flagship for the Bonn and Cologne music scene.

Program Philosophy: Accessible, Diverse

The genre spectrum is wide: Rock and Alternative (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Marillion, Savatage, Fury in the Slaughterhouse), Pop and Electronic (Roxette, Moby, OMD, Montez), World Music and Chanson (Jovanotti, ZAZ, Agnes Obel), Ska and Reggae (Madness), Soul, Funk, and Disco (Nile Rodgers & Chic). Additionally, there are always family and classical formats: the Donots Grand Kiddie Slam (family slam format), the Klassik!Picknick (orchestra concert with blanket and wine), and the "Oh wie schön Festival" at the end of the season.

Bonn as a Festival City

Those traveling for Kunst!Rasen should also consider the city: Bonn is Beethoven's birthplace, the former federal capital, and today a UN location. The Beethoven House, the Haus der Geschichte (House of History), the Museum Koenig, and the Rhine promenade form the cultural backdrop. The city center and main train station of Bonn are reachable from the festival grounds by subway in 15 minutes.