30 YEARS OF KIESGRUBE: EUROPE’S LONGEST RUNNING OPEN-AIR CLUB UNVEILS FULL 2026 SEASON

Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, Peggy Gou, The Martinez Brothers, Amelie Lens, Maceo Plex, Sven Väth, Dixon B2B Jimi Jules & more are all confirmed to play.

In 2026, Kiesgrube celebrates 30 years as one of Europe’s longest-standing open-air electronic music venues. Since 1996, it has operated as a weekly open-air event, a format that has allowed it to remain a constant presence on the European circuit. Three decades on, the venue has been reimagined and rebuilt, with a brand-new L-Acoustics sound system and expanded dance areas for 2026 season.

 

“Over the last three decades, Kiesgrube has remained independent, defined by its raw, unfiltered connection between artist and audience”, says founder Tom Preuss. “For the 30th anniversary, our intention is to protect this spirit while preparing it for the decades ahead. Not only for Düsseldorf, but for the wider European dance music community.”

 

There is hardly a global electronic music heavyweight who has not played Kiesgrube over the years, but the venue has never been about names alone. It’s about the feeling that has always brought like-minded people together from around the world to gather each Sunday. That is reflected in this special season to mark its 30-year anniversary from April through August, culminating in a landmark closing celebration.

 

The 30th anniversary season kicks off on Sunday April 19, with a Pre-Opening Open Air led by Maceo Plex. The official Opening on Friday May 01 sees global icon Peggy Gou headline alongside Dennis Cruz, while May continues at full intensity with and WhoMadeWho on May 14, followed by a heavyweight pairing of Pawsa on May 25. Early summer reaches another peak on June 14 as Black Coffee returns, joined by, before techno takes centre stage on June 21 with Amelie Lens. Late June delivers one of the most anticipated highlights of the season on June 28, as Jamie Jones and The Martinez Brothers lead an all-star showcase alongside Vintage Culture and Paco Osuna. July continues with a landmark appearance from Cocoon legend Sven Väth on July 12, and he shares the bill with Dixon B2B Jimi Jules. The early August Weekender brings Mahmut Orhan across both outdoor and indoor formats while mid-August welcomes Boris Brejcha and Andrea Oliva. The 30-year celebrations culminate on Sunday August 30 with a monumental Season Closing featuring Joseph Capriati b2b Mau P.

 

Located in western Germany and within reach of Cologne, Düsseldorf and the wider NRW region, it has become a cornerstone of European club culture and a place of musical immersion set within raw, natural surroundings. As part of the 30-year renovations, the venue is planning a brand new restaurant concept, a dedicated food area and upgraded digital infrastructure improvements designed to elevate the experience while keeping the club’s spirit intact. The sprawling site delivers Ibiza-inspired open-air energy with sand underfoot, green trees overhead and a dance floor to remove the usual barriers between headliner and crowd. The audio-visual setup is high-spec and high impact, and the closeness of DJ and dancers creates an intensity rarely found elsewhere.

 

Thirty years on, Kiesgrube remains what it has always been: a sanctuary for electronic music lovers under the sun and the stars. 

 

For tickets and more information head to; http://kiesgrube.net

 

LINE UPS

 

SUN APRIL 19 – Pre Opening Open Air

Maceo Plex

Marten Lou

Joëlla Jackson B2B Chris Di Perri

Onfaya

Mike Litt

 

FRI MAY 01  

Kiesgrube Opening Open Air 

Peggy Gou pres. Gou Talk

Peggy Gou

Dennis Cruz

More to be revealed

 

THU MAY 14

WhoMadeWho

  • Special Guest

 

Nick Curly B2B Manda Moor

 

Belladonna

Darpat

 

MON MAY 25

Pawsa

Chris Stussy

Thabo

Klaudie

Ludwig

 

THU JUNE 04 – Fronleichnam

Gordo

+Special Guest 

Nic Fanciulli B2B Dubfire

Somma & Yuma

Ludwig

 

SUN JUNE 14

Black Coffee

  • Special Guests



SAT JUNE 20 – Season Special

BUNT.

Marco Faraone

Steve Bug

 

SUN JUNE 21

Amelie Lens

Deborah De Luca

Negitiv

Brian Knauss

 

SUN JUNE 28

Jamie Jones 

The Martinez Brothers 

Vintage Culture

Paco Osuna 

Stassy

Tina Colada

 

SAT JULY 12

Sven Väth

Dixon B2B Jimi Jules

Jonathan Kaspar

Jamiie

 

SAT AUGUST 01 – Weekender Day 1

Hugel

Sebastian Konrad

Nicole Da Silva

Isa Roos

Mr. Conery

 

SUN AUGUST 02 – Outdoor Weekender Day 1

Mahmut Orhan

Rivo

People Like Us

Lilya Mandre

 

SUN AUGUST 02 – Indoor Weekender Day 2 Night

Mahmut Orhan

  • Guests 

 

SUN AUGUST 16

Boris Brejcha

Andrea Oliva

Lovra

Tobi Neumann

 

SUN AUGUST 23

Novah

Cloudy

Negitiv

Vagabund

 

SUN AUGUST 30 – Season Closing

Joseph Capriati 

Mau P 

A Very Special Guest 

DJ Gigola

Paola Poletto B2B Francisco Allendes

MIGRANT OPENS 2026 CATALOGUE WITH POWERFUL NEW SINGLE “FEEL THE BEAT”

For his first release of the year, Migrant delivers a dynamic house release built on deep staccato basslines, hypnotic vocals and immersive synth work.

Renowned electronic music producer and DJ Migrant launches into 2026 with "Feel The Beat", a commanding new house record that Out now, the track blends powerful club energy with atmospheric depth, delivering a sound designed for both peak-time dancefloors and introspective listening moments.

 

Built around rolling, staccato basslines and tightly programmed rhythmic grooves, “Feel The Beat” establishes an immediate sense of movement. Hypnotic vocal samples weave through the arrangement, acting as both rhythmic elements and emotional anchors, while mesmerising synth arpeggios create texture and tension across the track’s evolving structure. The production balances power with restraint, allowing each sonic element to breathe while maintaining a relentless forward drive.

At the heart of the record lies a pensive, atmospheric breakdown; a moment of reflection that contrasts with the track’s kinetic energy before returning to its full-bodied groove. This interplay between intensity and introspection highlights Migrant’s growing confidence as a producer, emphasizing musical storytelling as much as dancefloor impact.

 

The single follows a creatively expansive 2025 for Migrant, during which he explored a wide spectrum of sounds – from spiritual and meditative textures to bass-driven club experimentation – culminating in his deeply personal release “Tarase”. That project, inspired by the fragile beauty of India’s Aravalli mountain range, emphasized themes of preservation, culture, and connection, and included a site-specific performance within the landscape itself. These experiences helped shape a more intentional artistic identity moving forward, with a clearer sonic focus rooted in rhythm, emotion, and atmosphere.

 

As his first single of 2026, “Feel The Beat” marks the beginning of this next phase; one defined by purposeful production choices, stronger rhythmic signatures, and a deeper commitment to the dancefloor as both a physical and emotional space. With its bold sonic palette and immersive energy, the release sets the tone for what promises to be a focused and ambitious year ahead.

INNELLEA TAKES AIM AT ALGORITHM CULTURE ON “SLAVE TO THE HYPE”

Due for worldwide release on March 20, the new single arrives as a playful critique of the modern electronic music landscape, and a parody of the endless cycle of hype, engagement and algorithm-chasing that now shapes the scene.

A new beginning for Innellea: Off the back of a phase of artistic friction, shaped by algorithms, expectations and a scene increasingly driven by fast-moving digital trends, Innellea now unveils “Slave To The Hype”: a deliberately provocative release that acts as both parody and a tongue-in-cheek critique of the modern electronic music landscape. Due for worldwide release on March 20, the new single sees Innellea turn a mirror towards an industry increasingly defined by hype cycles, algorithmic visibility and the pressure to constantly chase the next viral moment.

 

On February 11, Innellea shared a deeply personal message across his social channels, admitting he felt creatively stuck within an ecosystem increasingly shaped by metrics, online feedback and the pressure to constantly deliver the next moment of hype. The post quickly resonated far beyond his immediate audience, sparking a wave of support from fans, fellow artists and industry peers who recognised the same tension between creativity and the expectations of the digital age.

 

What began as a pause quickly became a moment of clarity; a chance to break with the past and create something new, yet still born from the same seed. By shedding expectations, familiar routines and the frameworks that had built up around the project, “Slave to the Hype” emerges from this space: reduced, direct and guided once again by instinct rather than external noise. 

 

The artistic process itself becomes the defining focus once again. After years of working towards outcomes – the next hit, the next sold-out show, the next milestone – Innellea now reconnects with what made him fall in love with music in the first place: the joy of creating, the community and the freedom to follow curiosity rather than pressure. A strong wave of support from his community has reinforced this shift, reminding him of a time when everything felt lighter, more honest and unfiltered. 

 

Musically, “Slave to the Hype” leans into raw rhythm, tight percussion and a driving, hypnotic bassline. The production is direct and club-first, built for late nights and dancers who move with their eyes closed. Conceptually, the release reflects a broader reset. Rather than refining a single “Innellea sound”, Michi reclaims the freedom to move across the full spectrum of electronic music without being boxed in by expectations or past successes. 

 

For Innellea’s label belonging, the track also marks a subtle realignment. The label remains rooted in contemporary dance music while pushing toward a tougher, more minimal and uncompromising aesthetic. Less spectacle, more intensity. Less narrative, more motion. This is not nostalgia for an old rave; it is a statement for what comes next.