Tip: Click for a preview!
This Week in the Ruhr Area: Pure Energy on All Stages
The new year is barely a month old, and already it's clear: 2026 is going to be massive! From Wednesday to Saturday, the Ruhr area delivers a wild mix of hardcore, metal, post-punk, and dark wave – and the weekend is absolutely stacked.
Wednesday: Post-Punk and Progressive Metal in Cologne
Kicking things off, the Cologne scene sets the tone: Forever Grey plays their emotional post-hardcore at Helios 37, while Madmans Esprit brings progressive metal with atmospheric sounds to Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld.
Thursday: Hardcore Thunder in the Ruhr
The absolute highlight hits at Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen: Stick To Your Guns brings their powerful hardcore show alongside Static Dress and Paleface Swiss to the Ruhr area. A combination guaranteed to shake the walls!
At the same time, things get loud at Turock in Essen: Burning Witches deliver full-force power metal, and Hammer King also takes the stage. At Don't Panic in Essen, Kontrollverlust and König Kobra bring regional hardcore and punk – König Kobra hailing straight from Essen! And at Kulttempel in Oberhausen, Coppelius delivers a unique steampunk-classical-metal show.
Friday: Punk Rock and Metal Across the Region
Friday kicks off with Swedish punk rock: The Baboon Show brings their high-energy live show to FZW in Dortmund. At Zeche Bochum, 667 gets things moving, and at Das Parkhaus in Duisburg, Sector cranks the metal up.
Over on the Rhine, things get brutal too: Napalm Death tears apart Cologne's Essigfabrik with their legendary grindcore, and Militarie Gun brings hardcore to MTC.
Saturday: The Big One
Saturday is absolutely packed with highlights. At Turock in Essen, the Testimony Records Metal Festival delivers a full day of death metal excellence with seven bands: Dutch legends Asphyx headline, joined by AntropomorphiA, Nightbearer, Scalpture, Slaughterday, New World Depression, and Rats Of Gomorrah. A must for every death metal fan!
At Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen, Royal Republic rocks the house with their irresistible arena rock. Right next door at Kulttempel, there's top-tier dark wave: Clan Of Xymox plays alongside Golden Apes – essential for the dark scene.
At Zeche Carl in Essen, absent presents the Katharsis Tour, while Messer makes post-punk fans happy at Stapeltor in Duisburg. In Witten, Rock Orchester Ruhrgebeat performs at Erlöserkirche – rock meets orchestra in a special atmosphere.
Local Scene on Saturday
But Saturday has even more to offer – especially for fans of the local underground scene! At Resonanzwerk in Oberhausen, Sunshine Melodic Death Grind rips through their set, at Noisebox in Essen Monocene delivers atmospheric sounds, and Sober Truth heats things up at Cologne's Valhalla Metal Pub. Kontrollverlust also returns after their Thursday gig at Don't Panic for another show at Gebäude 9 in Cologne – the regional scene showing what it's got!
If you can make it to Düsseldorf: Biffy Clyro plays at Mitsubishi Electric Halle – a highlight for all alternative rock fans.
Why You Should Be There This Week
From post-punk to death metal, from steampunk to dark wave: this week shows why the Ruhr area has one of the most vibrant scenes in Germany. Whether it's the Testimony Records Metal Festival with seven bands at Turock, the hardcore double bill with Stick To Your Guns at Turbinenhalle, or the numerous local acts in the smaller clubs – there's something for everyone.
The venues – from Turock to Turbinenhalle to Zeche Carl – are institutions known for their intense atmosphere. And don't forget the smaller locations like Noisebox, Resonanzwerk, or Valhalla Metal Pub, where the local scene lives and breathes.
Find all the details about shows, tickets, and more right here on KRACH. Never miss another show in the Ruhr area!
