Ruhr International — The Festival of Cultures

The Festival of Cultures in the Ruhr Area

Ruhr International is one of the few festivals in Germany that celebrates intercultural diversity on such a scale and with such consistency. It is the successor to the legendary Kemnade International, which brought together the international community of the Ruhr region at Burg Kemnade starting in the 1960s. Since 2019, the concept has continued at a new location: at and in the Jahrhunderthalle Bochum, one of Europe's most impressive industrial monuments. The 8th edition runs on June 13 and 14, 2026.

The Program Concept — Stage and Message

Ruhr International is a festival with a clear stance. The organizers state it openly: „AGAINST racism, war, discrimination, and violence! FOR a culture and society of diversity!". This stance translates into a program of live music, dance, street art, acrobatics, discourse formats, and workshops. Regional and international artists*, communities, and initiatives are involved.

Program 2026 — First Confirmed Acts

• Bia Ferreira — Singer-songwriter and activist from Brazil
• Banda Senderos — Latin Reggae from Cologne
• RADIO JAGUAR — global beats
• Hüsnü Işık & Band — Turkish singer-songwriter with band

Further acts will be announced in the weeks leading up to the festival on ruhr-international.de.

More Than Concerts — Discourse and Encounter

Beyond the live stages, the festival features street art performances, acrobatics, dance from around the world, international culinary offerings, and political-cultural discourse formats. Communities from the Ruhr region — Kurdish, Turkish, Brazilian, Ukrainian, Congolese, and many more — present themselves with their own program segments. A central program point is the open stages for local initiatives.

The Jahrhunderthalle Bochum — Industrial Monument as Festival Venue

The Jahrhunderthalle is one of the most famous industrial monuments in the Ruhr region. Originally built in 1902 as an exhibition hall for Bochumer Verein-Werke, it served as a blowing engine hall for steel production and is now a venue for the RuhrTriennale. For Ruhr International, both the large hall and the surrounding Westpark area are used.

Bochum and the Ruhr Area Context

Bochum is located in the heart of the Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr area) in North Rhine-Westphalia — one of Germany's most diverse regions with over 5 million inhabitants and people from more than 170 nations. Ruhr International is an expression of this diversity and, at the same time, a clear political statement.

Free Admission

Like its predecessor Kemnade International, Ruhr International is accessible free of charge. Donations and catering revenue contribute to the festival's operation.