Paul Kalkbrenner Open Air — SparkassenPark Mönchengladbach

SparkassenPark Mönchengladbach — Germany's Western Open-Air Arena

The SparkassenPark Mönchengladbach is one of North Rhine-Westphalia's most renowned open-air concert arenas. Located in the Hardt district at the Hockeypark, the open-air venue offers seating for around 15,000 people under the open sky. For over a decade, SparkassenPark has attracted international top acts to the Lower Rhine region — from Deep Purple and Limp Bizkit to Annenmaykantereit and Unheilig, Kygo, and Flo Rida. The open-air season traditionally starts in May and runs until September. In 2026, Paul Kalkbrenner will kick off the season with his "The Essence" live set.

Paul Kalkbrenner — From the Berlin Underground to Stadiums

Paul Kalkbrenner (born 1977 in Leipzig, grew up in East Berlin) is one of Germany's defining electronic artists. With his soundtrack for the film "Berlin Calling" (2008) and the track "Sky and Sand" (with his brother Fritz Kalkbrenner) featured on it, he broke through beyond the Berlin techno scene. "Sky and Sand" became an anthem for an entire generation of electronic music fans. With nearly 1.5 billion streams, Kalkbrenner is now among the most listened-to electronic artists worldwide, and his tours have been sold out for years.

"The Essence" (2025) — Ninth Studio Album After a Seven-Year Break

In October 2025, Paul Kalkbrenner's ninth studio album, "The Essence," was released — his first studio work since "Parts of Life" (2018), marking a seven-year hiatus. The album signifies a return to his roots: melodic electronic music with warm synthesizer textures, driving beats, and Kalkbrenner's signature blend of club-friendliness and compositional depth. The SparkassenPark show is part of the "The Essence" Live Tour 2026 and combines new tracks with classics from "Berlin Calling" and "Parts of Life."

The Concert on May 30, 2026

• Date: Saturday, May 30, 2026
• Admission: 5:30 PM
• Start: 8:00 PM
• Support: K-Paul & Gunjah
• Venue: SparkassenPark Mönchengladbach, Am Hockeypark 1, 41179 Mönchengladbach

Paul Kalkbrenner performs his set live on synthesizers and sequencers — not a classic DJ set, but a meticulously composed live performance with a dynamic light show.

Tickets and Pre-Sale

The official pre-sale began in several phases starting December 2025:

• Telekom Pre-Sale: Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 1:00 PM
• Ticketmaster Pre-Sale: Thursday, December 18, 2025, 10:00 AM
• General Sale: Friday, December 19, 2025, 10:00 AM

Accessible seating is available upon request for wheelchair users and severely disabled individuals (with a "B" mark on their pass); a companion receives free entry.

SparkassenPark and Mönchengladbach

For those traveling from afar and combining the concert with an overnight stay: Mönchengladbach (approx. 270,000 inhabitants) is the largest city on the left bank of the Lower Rhine, easily accessible by train from Düsseldorf (30 min), Cologne (50 min), and the Ruhr area. Borussia-Park, Rheydt Castle, the historic center of Rheydt, and the Lower Rhine lowlands offer nearby options for a day around the concert.