Sommerfestival Schloss Berge

Over 50 Years of Open-Air in the Palace Park

The Sommerfestival Schloss Berge is one of the most traditional open-air festivals in the northern Ruhr area — over 50 years of tradition as a family summer highlight in Gelsenkirchen. The venue is the Schloss Berge Park on Berger See — described by organizers as the most beautiful park in the northern Ruhr area, a classic English landscape park surrounding the baroque moated castle Berge.

2026 Dates — July 17 to 19

Three days of festival from Friday, July 17 to Sunday, July 19, 2026, in the Schloss Berge Park in Gelsenkirchen-Buer.

Friday, July 17 Program — Electronic Meets Schlager-Pop

Opening on Friday with electronic-influenced music and entertainment:

• DJ Timo Scheppert — combines DJ, MC, and entertainer roles
• Icons Show — Tribute performance
• Malin Brown — modern Schlager-pop
• Calvin Kleinen — modern Schlager-pop

Saturday, July 18 Program — Families, Kids Rave, and Fireworks

Saturday combines family attractions with musical highlights:

• ELE Family World with a 26-meter-long inflatable slide and carousels
• Kids Rave Showcase — emerging young artists (EIJI from Japan, Phil Schaller)
• „80th Alive“ Tribute Show — 80s hits
• John Diva — Rock Celebration
• 10:45 PM: Fireworks — the festival's highlight

Sunday, July 19 Program — Family Time until 6 PM

Family activities continue until 6:00 PM, with folk-pop acts:

• Edy Edwards — folk-inspired pop
• Chris Cassidy & David Minchin — “Music from the 60s to today”

Partykumpel Stage Throughout All Three Days

A dedicated „Partykumpel“ Stage offers electronic music on all three days — Techno, House, and Dance sets. Spacious and set apart from the main stage area, with its own atmosphere.

Ticket Prices — ELE-Card Logic

The Sommerfestival uses a special pricing model, sponsored by ELE (Emscher Lippe Energie):

• ELE-Card Holders + Family: Free
• Children without ELE-Card: €5
• Accompanying Adults for Children: Free

This structure makes the festival particularly attractive for ELE customers.

Schloss Berge Park — the Most Beautiful Park in the Northern Ruhr Area

The Schloss Berge Park in Gelsenkirchen-Buer covers approximately 33 hectares with old trees, the Berger See lake, spacious meadows, and the historic baroque moated castle Berge at its center. During the Sommerfestival, the park transforms into a festival mile once a year, without losing its park-like atmosphere.

Gelsenkirchen

Gelsenkirchen, with around 260,000 inhabitants, is a central city in the northern Ruhr area. Buer, in the north of the city, is one of the wealthier and greener districts, with Schloss Berge Park as its central recreational space. The Sommerfestival is one of the summer's top strolling highlights in the northern Ruhr area.