Summer Opening — The Bottrop City Festival

Bottrop's Biggest Summer Party

For years, the Summer Opening has been Bottrop's largest city center festival and the unofficial kick-off to summer. For three days — from June 19th to 21st, 2026 — the pedestrian zone belongs to the stages, bands, clubs, and visitors. The ELE stage at Kirchplatz is the musical hotspot, while the stage at Mensingplatz focuses on walking acts, comedy, and family programming.

Program — Three Days of Live Acts

The 2026 lineup is confirmed and diverse:

Friday, June 19th, 2026 — Opening

• 5:00 PM — Official opening by Mayor Matthias Buschfeld
• 5:30 PM — BeBot BigBand (Bottrop City Orchestra)
• 8:00 PM — Pauker & Trompeten (presented by Sparkasse Bottrop)

Saturday, June 20th — Day of Diversity

• ELE Stage: Posaunenchor Bottrop-Altstadt (11:00 AM), ADTV Tanzschule Frank (12:00 PM), 1. TSV Bottrop (1:00 PM), Amber Bringenberg (2:00 PM), NJ Gymnastics (3:00 PM), Jump-Academy (4:00 PM), FRIDAY! (5:00 PM), DJ Julian Peilert + Timo K. & DA HOOL (from 8:00 PM)
• Mensingplatz Stage: Professor Z Magic Workshops (1:15 PM / 4:15 PM), Minze the Ventriloquist (2:00 PM), Die Zweitbesetzung (3:30 PM), “Banalitäten” (5:00 PM)

Sunday, June 21st — Family Day + Sunday Shopping

• ELE Stage: KG Grün-Weiße Funken (11:00 AM), JeKits Children (12:00 PM / 3:00 PM), KG Boyer Narren (1:00 PM), Die Zweitbesetzung (2:00 PM), NJ Gymnastics (4:00 PM), Die Emscherspatzen (5:00 PM), Sarah Stefanski (6:00 PM)
• Mensingplatz Stage: Minze the Ventriloquist, Die Zweitbesetzung, Professor Z, Dominic Merscheid

Two Stages — Two Characters

The staging across two stages is intentional: While the ELE stage at Kirchplatz is designed for live bands, DJ sets, and major acts, Mensingplatz is dedicated to walking acts and children's/family programming: magic workshops, ventriloquism, smaller sets without festival volume. This creates two festivals within the festival — and relieves parents of stress, as small children can be present at Mensingplatz without ear protection.

Sunday Shopping

Sunday, June 21st, 2026, is a Sunday shopping day — Bottrop's city center shops are open from 1 PM to 6 PM. This extends the festival into a shopping stroll and ensures a high-revenue conclusion for retail and gastronomy.

Organizers and Partners

The Summer Opening is organized by the City of Bottrop, coordinated through the press office and city marketing. Sparkasse Bottrop and ELE (Emscher Lippe Energie) are main partners — the ELE stage bears the energy provider's name. Local choirs, dance schools, sports clubs, and carnival societies shape the daily program.