Music, participation, togetherness: Pott Fest at the Carl Colliery

Picture: Malakow Tower, Carl Colliery (c) Holger Mylluks

On the last weekend in August, the Carl Colliery in Essen will be the stage for a new festival that is just as diverse as the Ruhr region itself: The Pott Fest celebrates its premiere on 30 and 31 August 2025 - with free admission, lots of music, art, hands-on activities and a lively sense of community. The event is organised by the well-known influencer collective essendiese, whose mixture of meme culture, love of the city and social criticism has long been known beyond Essen's city limits.

Saturday: Three stages, 20 DJs, 100 per cent electronic

The festival kick-off on Saturday is all about electronic music. Around 20 DJs will be playing techno and house on three stages - curated by various clubs and collectives from the entire Ruhr region. Local scene stars, newcomers and established acts will meet a party-loving audience united by one thing: a love of beats. The historic backdrop of the Carl colliery provides the perfect industrial flair.

Sunday: encounters, participation and a lot of Ruhrpott heart

While Saturday is for celebrating, Sunday is for socialising: under the motto „Day of the encounter“ the festival site is transformed into a creative activity area with a varied music programme, family activities, workshops, graffiti, small exhibitions and even a tattoo space.

Numerous non-profit organisations from the region present their work, there are hands-on activities for young and old - and of course plenty of street food from the many food trucks on site. A chill area invites you to linger - whether to chat, relax or enjoy.

The Pott Parade becomes the Pott Fest

Originally, essendiese had planned the first Pott Parade with up to 20 music trucks through Altenessen for this summer. However, due to the expected crowds, the event was postponed to 2026 for safety reasons - and so the idea for the stationary Pott Fest on the grounds of the Carl Colliery was born. A new format that is no less colourful, loud and committed - just at a fixed location.

A weekend in the Ruhr region - with an overnight stay at Essen Youth Hostel

If you would like to experience the whole festival weekend, you will find the Essen Youth Hostel an inexpensive and uncomplicated accommodation option - perfect for individual guests, groups or families. You can find more information about the Pott Fest at essendiese on Instagram.