Ruhrtriennale enters its second round

The second festival season of the Ruhrtriennale under the artistic direction of Ivo Van Hove begins on August 21. The opening production, I Did It My Way, featuring music by Nina Simone and Frank Sinatra and starring Lars Eidinger and Larissa Sirah Herden, is already sold out.

Tickets are still available for other events during the packed opening weekend, such as Saturday's Erased Music concert Tribute to Wendy Carlos in the Turbinenhalle Bochum and the Rave-L Party in the Maschinenhalle Zweckel in Gladbeck. Tickets are also still available for the first discussion in the Brave New Voices series with host Sivan Ben Yishai and Dr. Janosch Schobin on the topic of loneliness, and for the organ concert 124 Years of Reverb featuring the music of Radiohead legend Jonny Greenwood at the Evangelische Kirche am Markt Katernberg. The dance performance Último Helecho at PACT Zollverein is already sold out.

On Friday, August 22, the Urbane Künste Ruhr project for the Ruhrtriennale Zwischen Erfinden und Erfassen. Suchbewegungen im Duisburger Innenhafen with performative works in the harbor area of Duisburg, workshops, guided tours, and discussions will open as well. The performances range from the cotton candy cart soft smoke with gray cotton candy to a parkour performance with dance and acrobatic movement. The weekend will also see the start of the free formats at Bochum's Wunderland, including the first part of the Spoken Acts with the Wohnzimmerslam on Friday afternoon, the first concert in the Ruhr Diamonds series with Joël-João, and the opening party with Cute Community Radio on Saturday evening.

Artistic director Ivo Van Hove: "Once again we want to celebrate togetherness this year at the Ruhrtriennale, especially in these conflict-ridden times, when it is more important than ever. We have invited artists who want to understand and shape our changing world through art, and we are showing productions that address the issues of our time. In doing so, we always want to focus on what we have in common, on what connects us, not on what divides us."

Minister-President of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia Hendrik Wüst: "The Ruhrtriennale combines industrial culture with contemporary art in the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia. Every year, it demonstrates anew how vibrant, multifaceted, and innovative the cultural landscape in the Ruhr region is. It stands for bold ideas, creative approaches, and artistic diversity from around the world. As a place of encounter and dialogue, it continues to provide important impulses for cohesion, respect, and harmonious coexistence in our society this year."

Minister of Culture and Science of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia Ina Brandes: “Unconventional and daring productions are as much a part of the Ruhrtriennale as the industrial culture of the Jahrhunderthalle. In addition, Ivo Van Hove and his team are succeeding in sparking young people’s interest in art and culture through new formats ranging from parkour to poetry slams. Most of the tickets have already been sold, which is impressive proof of the appeal of this year’s Ruhrtriennale.”

Director Ruhr Regional Association Garrelt Duin: “In addition to the artists, the impressive industrial heritage sites in the Ruhr region are among the main attractions of the festival. They have a special power and atmosphere. Where once machines and hard work set the pace, outstanding productions from musical theater, drama, and dance will delight a diverse audience in the coming weeks.”

Other highlights in the 2025 festival program include Łukasz Twarkowski's multimedia production Oracle, the musical theater production GenZ Don't Cry by the Junge Triennale, the musical theater production We Are The Lucky Ones, and Guernica Guernica by the theater collective FC Bergman. Oracle is set in post-war England and in a timeless, digital space. Immersive soundscapes and cinematic projections blur the line between reality and illusion. In GenZ Don't Cry, visions of the future and virtual reality intertwine. The action on stage can be experienced intensely by the audience through headphones. We Are The Lucky Ones is a touching mosaic of memories and dreams based on interviews with people born between 1940 and 1949. Guernica Guernica works exclusively with images, music, and mass scenes, confronting the audience with the impossibility of truly depicting war.

On the last Sunday of the festival, the Mortier Awards will be presented to conductor Hartmut Haenchen and director Frieda Lange at the Jahrhunderthalle Bochum. The awards are given to artists who, in the spirit of the Ruhrtriennale's founding director, combine bold artistic innovation with social dialogue.        

Every year, the Ruhrtriennale invites contemporary artists to transform the monumental industrial architecture of the Ruhr metropolis into spectacular performance venues. This year, the festival starts on August 21 and ends on September 21. This year, there will be a total of 35 productions and projects with 137 events in Bochum, Duisburg, Essen, and Gladbeck, including 13 in-house and co-productions as well as commissioned works. A total of around 630 artists from 38 countries will participate in the Ruhrtriennale 2025.

Shortly before the festival begins, two-thirds of the approximately 45,000 tickets have already been allocated. Among the most popular productions are I Did It My Way, Oracle, and Rave-L Party, as well as the dance productions Delay The Sadness and Último Helecho. This year, the Ruhrtriennale is once again offering its Bring Your Friends promotion. Visitors can purchase up to three additional tickets at a 50% discount for each full-price ticket for selected performances of Oracle, We Are The Lucky Ones, and Falaise.

Further information about the program can be found at https://www.ruhrtriennale.de/en/programme. Detailed information about all productions is available in our press kit and at https://www.ruhrtriennale.de/en/press. Image material is also available there and will be continuously updated during the festival.