An all-day festival of colorful events marking the finale of the Ruhrfestspiele festival season on June 13, around the Ruhrfestspielhaus, with a children's disco, installations, circus, dance, a headphone party and more.

Finale on the Green Hill

Ruhrfestspielhaus

Headphone party on the Grüner Hügel – closing day of the Ruhrfestspiele 2026 with two exclusive DJ sets and an interactive jukebox channel. Age recommendation: 16+. A €20 deposit in cash is required for borrowing the headphones.

Finale Festival Fete

Foyerzelt - Großes Festspielzelt

The Dutch company ISH fuses hip-hop, breakdance and urban sports on the theatre stage. "Elements of Freestyle" explores the decisive seconds in which a difficult trick finally succeeds: total concentration, a pounding heart, ecstasy and the feeling of perfect freedom.

Elements of Freestyle

An immersive virtual reality experience by Schippers&VanGucht about loneliness, closeness and distance. German premiere.

IRGENDWO

A defiant ballet comedy by La Fleur. Concept and direction: Jérôme Bel. Choreography: Leïla Ka. Dancers: Justine Agador, Adèle Bonduelle, Océane Crouzier, Lise Messina, Flore Ruiz. Choreographic assistant: Jane Fournier Dumet. Lighting designer: Laurent Fallot. Costumes: Leïla Ka. Age recommendation: 14+. No language. Duration: 1 hour, no intermission.

Maldonne

Dance walk in public space. Guru Dudu invites you on a silent disco walk through the Recklinghausen city center and the Stadtgarten by the Ruhrfestspielhaus, using Bluetooth headphones. English-language, recommended for ages 6+, duration 50 min, no intermission.

Guru Dudu: Silent Disco Walking Tour

Drübbelken

Joachim Król reads stories by Franz Kafka. Kafka's stories, parables and prose pieces form the core of his literary work.

Stories by Franz Kafka

Political cabaret program by Christian Ehring on current social controversies. A satirical evening that combines humor with political reflection.

Versöhnung

Theater Marl

A conversation and reading with author Nora Gomringer and literary critic Denis Scheck about her first novel, "Am Meerschwein übt das Kind den Tod."

Nora Gomringer in Conversation with Denis Scheck

When Germans seek out the special and the exotic, they travel to faraway lands. Yet they need only look over the fence, and they would make the most incredible discoveries. For right in the middle of Germany there are countless paradises, one can join strange dances or attend a coronation. It is astonishing what a secret world comes to light when one approaches Germans with the loving patience and friendly curiosity that Wladimir Kaminer brings to them. And because he also has a special sense of humor, he observes just as much that is amusing as that which is astonishing. His stories about the secret life of Germans open our eyes to entirely unknown sides of the country and its people.

The Secret Life of Germans

An evening for singing along and laughing together. Four musicians (cello, piano, bass, guitar) invite audiences of all ages to sing together; the song lyrics are shown on a screen. Well-known songs from the "Mundorgel" and classics from music history.

The Mundorgel Project

An experiment: Arrival, Dissolution, Departure. Theater Club 10+ with Franziska Rieckhoff and Kevin Wahlbrinck. For participants aged 10 to 14. In collaboration with the Institute for Cultural Work of the City of Recklinghausen, funded by the State Government of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Funkenflug

Bürgerhaus Süd

A play by Caroline Guiela Nguyen. German premiere. When Valentina comes home from school one afternoon, she finds a letter on the table from a doctor to her mother, written in French, a language her mother does not speak. The girl has to translate the message for her and faces a difficult dilemma: should she tell her mother the truth or not?

Valentina

Stand-up evening with Katrin Bauerfeind. Personal, pointed and candid, she opens the 'second half' of life. Duration: 1 h 50 min incl. intermission.

Halftime Show – Jetzt oder nie

Three bodies. Three principles of movement. In "Concrete," the trio Knot on Hands distills partner acrobatics to its essence. Three distinctive dynamics form a clear narrative arc: "Roll" opens the evening as an organic flow of movement, "Weave" condenses rhythmic patterns into vivid images, fragile and yet powerful at once. In "Stay," finally, the trio defies gravity.

Concrete

Halle König Ludwig 1/2

In search of a new culture of remembrance. Hadija Haruna-Oelker presents the joint book “Alles auf Anfang” and speaks with moderator Azadê Peşmen. Max Czollek is unable to participate at short notice. The event will be simultaneously interpreted into German Sign Language. Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes, no intermission.

Alles auf Anfang

Katharina Thalbach reads texts by Erich Kästner. Cast: Katharina Thalbach. Staging: Oliver Reese. Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes, no intermission.

Kästner's Berlin

Foyer tent concert. Lina Bó combines German-language folk pop with temperament from around the world. The singing takes center stage, supported by guitar, violin, piano or accordion.

Lina Bó

The "Krabbelkonzert" has become a fixed part of the Ruhrfestspiele repertoire. In a relaxed atmosphere, this concert experience allows young and old alike to listen to the music that surrounds them from all sides. The children may crawl, sit, dance or lie down, while the musicians of the Musa! ensemble perform works by Debussy, Handel or Schumann all around them.

Crawling Concert

Half concert, half circus: sibling magic. Brothers Vejde and Mischa Grind weave folk, technology, eccentric outfits and contemporary movement art into an exhilarating performance. Recommended for ages 10 and up; understandable without any knowledge of the language.

OPA FASHION

Based on the novel of the same name by Gaea Schoeters, in conversation with Denis Scheck. The author Gaea Schoeters talks with literary critic Denis Scheck about her new book "Das Geschenk."

Trophäe

Gaea Schoeters in conversation with Denis Scheck. Based on the novel of the same name by Gaea Schoeters. Directed by Roger Vontobel. A co-production of the Ruhrfestspiele and the Bühnen Bern. German premiere. With: June Ellys Mach, Susanne-Marie Wrage, Patrycia Ziolkowska, Oscar Wittek. Recommended for ages 16+. Running time: 1 h 50 min.

German premiere. How much can we achieve? How much are we willing to achieve? Who draws the boundaries of what is possible? And what does it cost to keep pushing them back? In this spectacular show, the Australian performance collective Pony Cam delivers a tour de force on four treadmills. Language: English and German. Recommended age: 12+. Duration: 1 hour, no intermission.

Burnout Paradise

Choreography: Marco da Silva Ferreira. Commissioned by Staatstheater Mainz. Age recommendation: 14+. Language: understandable without any knowledge of the language.

Sugar Rush

A play about superheroes and what is worth fighting for. A workshop using film and performance techniques as well as elements of object theater, led by Clara Gohmert and Michael Zier of Armada Theater.

Superheroes in Private

10,000 hours of practice are supposedly needed before one truly masters something. This rule was formulated by the American psychologist Anders Ericsson. 10,000 hours to perfection, to world-class mastery. But what happens in all those hours? It is the routines no one sees: countless repetitions, failure, new attempts, failing again, failing better. A persistent and patient circling around the not-yet-succeeding.

Ten Thousand Hours

A critics' club for participants aged 10 to 18: writing theatre reviews, producing podcasts, videos and social media posts, conducting interviews, and attending theatre performances together.

Boo or Bravo – The Critics' Club

Four days of do-it-yourself workshop for participants aged 14 to 18, led by Marlene Ruther. The scenes, experiments and performances created along the way are presented to an audience at the end.

ShortClub 14+ Funkensprung

A rebellious ballet comedy by La Fleur. Co-production of the Ruhrfestspiele with La Fleur.

La Langue de Molière

Bjarne Mädel, Angelika Richter and Bettina Stucky read texts by Ingrid Lausund. A panorama of episodes about contemporaries and their attempts at interior decorating.

Next Door. Monologues for Home

A play about disappearance and loss by Helgard Haug (Rimini Protokoll), with music by Barbara Morgenstern. Directed by Helgard Haug. It all begins with a subtle change in everyday life: a forgotten date, a mixed-up name, a gap in conversation. For author and director Helgard Haug, it is the moment when her father slowly begins to disappear from their shared life. The diagnosis of dementia turns many small lapses into an irreversible withdrawal. In her theater evening, this private experience is interwoven with a global event: the mysterious disappearance of Flight MH370 in March 2014.

All right. Good night.

Jazz-Punk-Fusion. The seven-piece band mixes jazz, punk, blues, folk, funk, Balkan and pop into a cross-genre blend ("JUNK").

Botticelli Baby

After the eponymous novel by Miranda July. Smack in the middle of life. Mid-forties. A woman has prepared everything for a long-planned road trip across the United States, but instead ends up in a seedy motel room. This room becomes more than a refuge: it transforms into a fantasy space in which she explores her body, her desires, her shame and the grand life dreams she has pursued until now. She embarks on a radical experiment in self-discovery. What follows are three weeks of ecstasy, control, desire, emptiness – and an unexpected transformation.

On All Fours

Empowerment for a strong community: an interactive workshop on racism, led by Joshua Ikpegbu and Mireille Letellier of KiTma e.V. For participants aged 15 and up in group settings.

Racism – Not with Me!

Between Laughter and Loss. An object and clown theatre piece without words by Christina Gelsone about grief, humor and new beginnings. Direction and artistic collaboration: Matthew Ferraro. European premiere. Recommended for ages 16+, no spoken language, running time 1 hour, no intermission.

GREEF

Object theatre by La Mula. A wordless poetic performance between surrealist dream and graphic novel. Duration: 1 hour, no intermission.

Thauma

Griechisch geprägter Jazz: Athina Kontou (double bass) explores the musical traditions of her Greek homeland with Jazz improvisation, blending Greek, Armenian and Turkish roots with contemporary compositions.

MOTHER

Actress Bibiana Beglau reads stories by Carson McCullers. Her stories are about loneliness, love and the courage to live.

Bibiana Beglau Reads Stories by Carson McCullers

Acrobatic sound theatre with Camiel Corneille, concept and direction by Hanne Vandersteene and Mahlu Mertens. Recommended age 4 to 7, running time 50 min, no intermission.

murmur

A project by Jan-Christoph Gockel. World premiere. Co-production of the Ruhrfestspiele with the Deutsches Theater Berlin and the Théâtre National du Luxembourg, in collaboration with the Alfred Wegener Institute. With: Julia Gräfner, Wolfram Koch and Anton Berman (music). Language: German with English surtitles. Age recommendation: 12+. Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes, no intermission.

Polaris

Workshop for children aged 4 to 6 in which a picture book is transformed into a lively stage. Led by Marlene Ruther. Tip: see the performance "murmur" by Grensgeval / Aifoon (May 17–19).

Picture-Book Theater: Sound Worlds

German premiere. Awareness of the impermanence of all things is one of the foundational principles of Buddhist philosophy: "Anitya." For the Israeli-French aerial artist Inbal Ben Haim, this concept, which resonates with the chaos of our time, is a call not to give in to despair, but instead to find a beginning in every rupture and a new connection in every destruction.

Anitya - Impermanence

In "Haus Himmelreich" beats the heart of an entire world: in his new novel, Frank Goosen takes us into an old corner pub, where stories come and go like the guests – and stay. Behind the bar reigns Lovely Rita, who once had entirely different dreams and yet ended up here anyway.

Lovely Rita

At Rehearsal: A Glimpse into the Making of “Catladies”. A documentary-style production with music by werkgruppe2. A co-production of the Ruhrfestspiele, Theater Oberhausen and werkgruppe2. World premiere.

Catladies

Concept and direction: Jérôme Bel. A conceptual dance evening in which Jérôme Bel opens the theatre to people who are otherwise not represented there, and with a cast of amateur and professional dancers shows the uniting power of art. Recommended age 8+, no spoken language, running time 1 h 30 min, no intermission.

Gala

A theater piece about food, encounter, sharing and culture for children ages 5 to 8. Devised theater, premiered at the Jungen Nationaltheater Mannheim.

Abschmecken

Zusammenhaltestelle. The Power of WE. Solo program by comedian, poetry slammer, activist and bestselling author Sebastian 23 – his tenth solo show, a plea for optimism, empathy and new paths forged together.

Sebastian 23 – Zusammenhaltestelle

German premiere. Two extraordinary artists meet on stage: the Spanish flamenco virtuoso Israel Galván and the French-Moroccan theater maker Mohamed El Khatib explore, in their joint work, what connects them and what separates them. Language: French with German surtitles. Recommended age: 14+. Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes, no intermission.

Israel & Mohamed

The internationally acclaimed ensemble VOCES8 returns to the Christuskirche after four years. The program “Nightfall” takes the audience on a musical journey through the night – from the Renaissance through the Romantic era to contemporary choral music, complemented by arrangements from pop and jazz.

Nightfall

Christuskirche

Jubilate. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Exsultate, jubilate; Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 1 in C minor (Linz Version, Original Version 1868). Conductor: Rasmus Baumann. Soprano: Chen Reiss.

Symphony Concert of the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen

By Charles Dickens, in an adaptation by Lucien Haug. Directed by Antú Romero Nunes. A co-production of the Ruhrfestspiele with the Thalia Theater Hamburg.

Hard Times

Empowering crossover sound. Five women musicians from Chile, Venezuela, Argentina and Spain; flamenco, hip-hop, trap and Catalan rumba with empowering, feminist lyrics.

KETEKALLES

By Sunan Gu, directed by Ruth Mensah. Translated from the English by Ulrike Syha. Co-production of the Ruhrfestspiele with the Schauspiel Essen. World premiere at the Grillo Theater, Essen. Recommended age: 14+.

Mouse, Money, Ghost

Grillo-Theater

Joy wakes at night, drenched in sweat. When she turns on the light, a young woman is sitting in her room, who tells her that Joy will die soon. Joy hates this young woman on the spot, yet at the same time is fascinated by her, because she apparently seems to know almost everything about Joy's life. But through this love-hate relationship, she learns something about herself that she never wanted to know.

Carrousel brings modern French-style folk pop to stages around the world: melodic lyrics and rhythmic choruses with a touch of poetry, wrapped in French chanson, pop and folk. With Sophie Burande and Léonard Gogniat, plus a guest musician.

Éclaircies

Teresa Reichl talks about her life between village and city, about literature, trends, society, politics and life as a woman today. Her program is funny, clever and honest.

So Far

A mobile dance performance by Sauf le dimanche. With "Between the Pages," the Ruhrfestspiele arrive as a surprise visit directly to kindergartens, briefly interrupting the usual daily routine. Ages: 3 to 6 years; no knowledge of a language required.

Between the Pages

mobil in Kindergärten

How Huang Yi and KUKA Came Together. Concept and choreography: Huang Yi. The Taiwanese dancer, choreographer and inventor Huang Yi invites an industrial robot to dance. Duration: 1 hr 10 min, no intermission. Age recommendation: 12+. Language: no language.

Der mit dem Roboter tanzt

A production by the Shieveh Theater Company. The performances have been cancelled; the production is planned for the Ruhrfestspiele 2027.

The Child

Opening speech by Ursula Krechel, followed by "HUANG YI & KUKA" — concept and choreography: Huang Yi. Age recommendation: 12+. Duration: 2 h 10 min, including intermission.

Festive Opening 2026

Opening speech by Ursula Krechel, part of the festive opening of the Ruhrfestspiele 2026

Opening Speech

Art exhibition of the Ruhrfestspiele at the Kunsthalle Recklinghausen. Exhibition management: Nico Anklam, Anders Härm, Kerstin Weber-Baumann. Exhibition assistant: Theresa Widua. This year's Ruhrfestspiele art exhibition presents the Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson (born 1976), whose humorous and melancholic works explore major themes such as time, emotion and failure.

Ragnar Kjartansson: Sunday Without Love

Kunsthalle Recklinghausen

Cultural folk festival to open the Ruhrfestspiele 2026. May Day rally of the DGB with a march to the Ruhrfestspielhaus, followed by a varied program of literature, music, dance and singing, presentations by clubs and initiatives, a family and children's adventure land, and food stalls.

May 1 on the Green Hill

Your Stage: Transform Yourself! Free Easter holiday project for participants aged 8 to 16, with a range of workshops (radio play, costume, movement/gesture, contemporary circus). Presentation on April 11.

Easter Holiday Project 2026

Art exhibition of the Ruhrfestspiele at the Kunsthalle Recklinghausen. Retrospective of Judy Chicago, a pioneer of feminist art, first shown at the Serpentine, London, and reconceived for the Kunsthalle Recklinghausen.

Ruhrfestspiele

Jun 13, 2026

Finale on the Green Hill

Jun 13, 2026

Finale Festival Fete

Ruhrfestspiele