New Colours Festival Gelsenkirchen 2026

International Music in Gelsenkirchen's Industrial Landscape

The New Colours Festival has been the most cross-genre music festival in the Ruhr area for years. From September 24 to 27, 2026, it will transform the city of Gelsenkirchen into a festival city — four days, ten venues, musicians from eight nations. The concept: genre diversity instead of genre loyalty. Jazz meets electronic music, world music meets funk, improvisation meets composition. This is precisely what makes the New Colours Festival one of the most important genre-bridging festivals in Germany.

The Ten Venues

MIR — Musiktheater im Revier

The iconic Musiktheater im Revier is the central festival stage — one of the most beautiful post-war German theater architectures, featuring works by Yves Klein and Norbert Kricke. Headliner concerts will take place here.

Nordsternturm — Concert at a Height of 60m

Spectacular venue: the Nordsternturm in Nordsternpark, a former winding tower structure of the Nordstern colliery, crowned by an 18-meter-high Hercules statue by Markus Lüpertz. The festival concert at a height of 60 meters with a view over the Ruhr area is one of Germany's most unusual concert experiences.

KAUE

The KAUE is a repurposed mine washhouse in the Gelsenkirchen-Schalke district — an industrial location with special acoustics for jazz and world music sets.

Bleckkirche

The Bleckkirche, Gelsenkirchen's oldest church (1735) in the Bismarck district, is now a church of cultures — perfect for acoustic and chamber music sets.

Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche

The Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf was repurposed into a cultural and event church after its deconsecration — a sacred space with great acoustics.

Leibniz Gymnasium, Stadtbauraum, and others

Further venues include the Leibniz Gymnasium, the Stadtbauraum, and other locations throughout Gelsenkirchen — from Schalker Markt to the Old Town.

Musical Spectrum

Jazz at the Core, Genre Diversity Around It

The festival's core profile is Jazz — from modern mainstream to experimental avant-garde formats. Concentric circles build around it: Electronic music (from improvised live electronics to DJ sets), Funk (classic and Nu-Funk), World Music (from the home countries of the invited artists), and New Improvisation.

Musicians from 8 Nations

Each year, the festival brings together artists from eight nations — with a focus on Europe and North America, plus rotating focuses on Africa, Asia, or Latin America. The program announcement for 2026 will be on June 12, 2026.

Ticket Structure

Festival Ticket €135 (reduced €90)

The Festival Ticket grants access to all concerts over the four days, without seat reservation. Limited edition, free seating.

Day Tickets

Friday €55 (reduced €30) | Saturday €45 (reduced €25) | Sunday €75 (reduced €48). Day tickets allow for targeted entry.

Gold Card €250 (reduced €150 for under 25s)

The Gold Card is the premium option: seat reservation in the main halls, fast-track entry, transferable to all concerts. The best package for regular attendees and festival lovers.

Gelsenkirchen as a Festival City

Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr area (NRW) has become one of the most exciting cultural cities in the Ruhr area after its structural transformation — with the MIR, the Musiktheater im Revier, its industrial heritage architecture, and an active creative scene. The New Colours Festival is one of the festivals that cultivate this tradition and make it internationally visible.