Ruhrsommer Open Air Cinema Mülheim

Open-Air Cinema on the Turntable — A Mülheim Summer Tradition

The Ruhrsommer Open Air Cinema in Mülheim an der Ruhr is an extraordinary format: films under the open sky on the historic turntable of the Ringlokschuppen. Three film evenings are spread throughout the summer, making the open-air cinema a firm highlight of the Mülheim cultural calendar. The Mülheim City Cultural Department organizes the event together with filmriss projektkino. The event is part of the larger Ruhrsommer program, which fills the summer in the city with open-air concerts, theater, and children's events.

Ringlokschuppen Ruhr — Railway History Meets Culture

The Ringlokschuppen Ruhr is a former railway engine shed dating back to 1880, which has now become a cultural flagship of Mülheim. The turntable — where locomotives were once turned to be moved into one of the radially arranged shed bays — is used for open-air events in the summer. This makes every film evening a fusion of industrial culture and film art — a setting that can only be found in the Ruhr area.

What You Can Experience

The 2026 program is not yet known in detail at the time of publication — the dates and films are traditionally announced in mid-June. The practice of recent years: three evenings in August with a mix of current arthouse films, selected mainstream cinema with discussion potential, and nostalgic classics. The film starts at dusk — so in August between 9:00 PM and 9:30 PM. Before and after the film, the turntable offers open-air catering with drinks, small snacks, and picnic spots.

filmriss projektkino — The Mülheim Film Club

Co-organizer is filmriss projektkino, a Mülheim cinema initiative that shows sophisticated films beyond the mainstream in the Ringlokschuppen all year round. In the summer, they move their screenings to the turntable — which is how the open-air cinema originated. The combination of a citizens' initiative (filmriss) and municipal cultural work (Kulturbetrieb) makes the format authentic and non-commercial.

Mülheim an der Ruhr — The City on the River

Mülheim an der Ruhr is located in the middle of the western Ruhr area, between Essen, Duisburg, and Oberhausen. The city with around 170,000 inhabitants has a strong cultural scene — Theater an der Ruhr, MüGa Park, Mülheimer Stücke (Theater Festival), Camera Obscura, Aquarius Water Museum. The Ringlokschuppen is one of the central flagships of this scene. Anyone spending the summer in Mülheim cannot miss the Ringlokschuppen — and certainly not the open-air cinema on the turntable.