Recklinghäuser Hurz — The Quirky Comedy Award
The Quirky Comedy Award — 10th Anniversary Edition
About Hurz
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A Comedy Award Born from a Sketch
In 1992, two artists who grew up in Recklinghausen created a sketch that went down in German television history: Hape Kerkeling and Achim Hagemann spoofed the rituals of the classical music scene as a pseudo-composer and pseudo-singer with the pseudo-song "Hurz." Two generations later, the two Recklinghausen natives have transformed the sketch's name into an annual comedy award — the Recklinghäuser Hurz, officially presented in its hometown for 25 years since the sketch's premiere.
2026 — The 10th Anniversary Edition
On September 21, 2026, the award ceremony will take place at the Ruhrfestspielhaus — the festival hall on Recklinghausen's "Grüner Hügel" (Green Hill) and a venue for the Ruhrfestspiele. Should the ongoing stage technical renovations not be completed by then, the show will move to the Kassiopeia hall, with an additional balcony and supplementary screens to ensure visibility.
Moderation and Jury
The event will be hosted by Steffi Neu (WDR), one of the most well-known voices in North Rhine-Westphalian radio. The jury will be presided over by Achim Hagemann — alongside Recklinghausen's mayor Axel Tschersich. Together, they decide on the awarding of the Hurz, which annually goes to a comedy personality or a comedy contribution with a special courage for quirkiness.
Format and Atmosphere
The Hurz is a mix of an award ceremony, a comedy show, and a stage party. Performances by established and new comedy voices alternate with the announcement of the award winners. The format is explicitly high-quality: comedy on a grand stage set, accompanied by a live band and stage direction at Ruhrfestspiele level. The fact that tickets regularly sell out quickly shows that the Hurz has earned a firm place in the Ruhr area's comedy calendar.
Recklinghausen — The Festival City
Recklinghausen — the district town of Recklinghausen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia — has been one of Germany's oldest festival cities since 1947 with the Ruhrfestspiele. The Hurz fits into this tradition as a younger, decidedly quirkier variant.
Hurz — edition 2026
10th Recklinghäuser Hurz — The Anniversary
The tenth edition of the Recklinghäuser Hurz coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Hape Kerkeling/Achim Hagemann sketch "Hurz" (1992) and the multi-year existence of the official comedy award ceremony in Recklinghausen. The venue is the Ruhrfestspielhaus on the "Grüner Hügel" — provided the ongoing stage technical renovations are completed. Should the main hall not be available by September 2026, the ceremony will move to the Saal Kassiopeia, with an additional balcony and supplementary screens for visibility.
Moderation and Jury
The hosting will be done by Steffi Neu (WDR radio). The jury consists of Achim Hagemann as president and the current Recklinghausen mayor Axel Tschersich.
Show Format
A mix of award ceremony, stage show, and comedy gala. The individual award winners will be announced during a live show alternating with comedy acts, accompanied by a live band and stage direction at the Festspielhaus level.
Advance Sales
Starting April 15, 2026, at 6 PM via ticket.io. Initially, 800 tickets will be released; if the main hall is available, around 200 additional seats will be offered. Experience from recent years suggests a quick sell-out.
Programme Hurz 2026
Monday, September 21, 2026 — Ruhrfestspielhaus Recklinghausen
- Show start, according to the standard of previous years, at 8 PM (admission approx. 6:30 PM)
- Host: Steffi Neu (WDR)
- Jury: Achim Hagemann (President) + Axel Tschersich (Mayor of Recklinghausen)
- Comedy Acts (lineup to be announced successively)
- Announcement of Award Winners
- Live Band Accompaniment and Stage Direction
Full program overview available from summer 2026 at derhurz.de.
Highlights Hurz 2026
Prices Hurz 2026
Practical information — Hurz
Getting There
By train: Recklinghausen Hauptbahnhof, then take a bus to the Ruhrfestspielhaus.
By Car
A2 exit Recklinghausen-Süd, follow signs to the Festspielhaus.
Tickets
Advance sales start April 15, 2026, at 6 PM. Based on experience, the 800 seats are quickly gone — if the main hall is available, an additional 200 seats will be offered.
Show
Admission to the Ruhrfestspielhaus is expected from 6:30 PM, show start at 8 PM (according to the standard of previous years).
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Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Hurz al mejor precio.
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Where it takes place Hurz
Ruhrfestspielhaus
Otto-Burrmeister-Allee 1, 45657 Recklinghausen