Ruhrpott Rodeo Festival Hünxe

Ruhrpott Rodeo — The Ruhr Area's Punk Festival

The Ruhrpott Rodeo is one of Germany's most important Punk and Hardcore festivals. From July 24th to 26th, 2026, the open grounds at Schwarze Heide Airfield in western Münsterland will transform into an open-air festival stage with a campsite, multiple stages, and an atmosphere that has been a place of longing for the scene since its first edition in 2006. Around 10,000 to 12,000 festival visitors travel to the Münsterland village of Hünxe in the Wesel district every year — right on the edge of the Ruhr area.

Line-up 2026 — Punk Classics and Hardcore Giants

The announced 2026 program brings some of the most important names in the international Punk and Hardcore scene to the stage:

• Dropkick Murphys — Folk-Punk giants from Boston
• Feine Sahne Fischfilet — Political Punk from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• Turbonegro — Deathpunk from Norway
• The Stranglers — Punk pioneers from England
• Napalm Death — Grindcore trailblazers
• New Model Army — Post-Punk classics
• Madball — New York Hardcore
• Biohazard — Crossover pioneers
• Hot Water Music — Melodic Hardcore
• Sondaschule — Ruhr Area Ska-Punk
• Oxo86 — Berlin Punk
• Jaya The Cat — Reggae-Punk

A total of more than 40 bands on multiple stages. More acts will be announced in Spring 2026.

From Insider Tip to Festival Classic

The Ruhrpott Rodeo originated in 2006 from a DIY initiative of the scene and has since grown into one of the largest Punk festivals in Western Europe. Its charm: organized by punks for punks — no major festival mainstream, but genuine scene connection. Newcomers and insider tips play on the original Cuore stage, while the headliners perform on the larger stages. The Skate Area, the DIY market, and the community tents complete the program.

Schwarze Heide — Airfield Becomes Festival Ground

The festival grounds are the Schwarze Heide Airfield in Hünxe (Wesel district, North Rhine-Westphalia) — a small general aviation airport that is transformed into a Punk festival site for three days once a year. The vast asphalt area provides space for stages, camping, and infrastructure without needing to protect sensitive ground. An ideal festival location, in a way.

Wesel District and the Western Ruhr Area

Hünxe belongs to the Wesel district — the region between the Rhine and Lippe rivers, on the western edge of the Ruhr area. Industrial history and rural idyll meet here. Those who visit the festival often combine their stay with short trips to Dinslaken, Wesel, or Voerde — or with day trips to the nearby Reichswald forest and the Hünxer Wald nature reserve.