nachtfrequenz Herne — Night of Youth Culture (HERBERT)

nachtfrequenz — NRW's Night of Youth Culture

nachtfrequenz is a statewide event series in North Rhine-Westphalia that shines a spotlight on youth culture every September. In over 30 NRW cities, concerts, theater acts, dance performances, poetry slams, workshops, and exhibitions with and for young people take place simultaneously on one night. Initiated and funded by the state of NRW, locally supported by the respective municipalities — in Herne by the Department of Culture of the City of Herne.

Herne Venue: the Flottmann-Hallen

In Herne, the Flottmann-Hallen in Herne-Mitte is the central venue. The former factory hall of the Flottmann machine factory (founded in 1872) was converted into a cultural center after the factory closed in the 1980s — today it is one of the most well-known industrial culture locations in the Ruhr area, regularly hosting concerts, exhibitions, and festivals. For nachtfrequenz, the hall becomes a youth culture platform — complemented by other venues in the city.

HERBERT — the Herne Youth Culture Prize

The centerpiece of Herne's nachtfrequenz is the awarding of the HERBERT Youth Culture Prize. Young Herne artists aged 14 to 23 can apply with their own works — whether in music, visual arts, dance, film, theater, literature, or performance. A jury of professional artists, administrative representatives, and young people awards prize money totaling €4,000. Additionally, the local audience selects a Public Choice Award. HERBERT has existed since 2013 — in 2026, it will be awarded for the 14th time. Application deadline for 2026: April 30, 2026.

Program of the Night

On Friday and Saturday evenings, the Flottmann-Hallen transform into an open stage: concerts by young bands, DJ sets, performances, live painting, poetry, and discussions alternate. Accompanying this are workshops (beatboxing, DJing, dance, screen printing...), information stands from the Herne youth culture scene, and catering. Free admission, accessible, for ages 14 and up — a deliberately low-threshold format aimed at attracting young people from Herne and the Ruhr area.

Herne in the Ruhr Area

Herne is an independent city in the Ruhr area with around 156,000 inhabitants — compactly located between Bochum, Recklinghausen, and Gelsenkirchen, well-connected via subway (U35) and highway (A42/A43). Besides the Herne Mondscheinfestival and the Cranger Kirmes, nachtfrequenz is one of the fixed dates in Herne's cultural calendar — and the most important format explicitly aimed at young people.