Cultural programme on Düsseldorf’s vibrant stages

UEFA EURO 2024 puts Düsseldorf squarely in the spotlight of international football. But not everything will take place on the pitch. The sporting spectacle is accompanied by a rich and varied cultural programme. Across Germany, the football and culture foundation Stiftung Fußball & Kultur is kicking off events that will showcase art and culture as part of UEFA EURO 2024, using the theme ‘Touched by football’. Harking back to the fondly remembered 2006 World Cup, also held in Germany, the aim is to once again promote openness, joy and hospitality among visitors and locals. Düsseldorf will be transformed into a vibrant stage on which music, theatre and urban art are performed and celebrated. Here is a first taste of the cultural treats to come.

Faith, Love, Football

Faith, Love, Football is an extraordinary event, taking place right in front of Düsseldorf’s Schauspielhaus theatre on Gustav-Gründgens-Platz. The open-air spectacle featuring actors and fans is being stage-managed by Peter Jordan and Leonhard Koppelmann. Jordan is well-known in Germany as a film and television actor. He has also been collaborating with Koppelmann as a writer and director for quite some time. Faith, Love, Football opens on 24 May, with more than 20 performances planned. But theatre is not the only thing happening in front of the Schauspielhaus. The space is also the location for an official fan zone. The area around the Kö-Bogen II ensemble, the Dreischeibenhaus tower and the Schauspielhaus will offer fans a full range of entertainment, with public screenings of matches, live music and interactive events. Indoors, the beautiful game is also high on the agenda. The Junges Schauspiel youth theatre will premiere the play Spielverderber (spoilsport) by Veronika Maurer. This production is aimed specifically at children aged eight and over. Created in collaboration with Fortuna Düsseldorf football club and Germany’s Child Protection Association, the play explores football’s more negative aspects along with the fun parts. It opens on 26 May at the Kleines Haus theatre. The ‘Future (t)here’ youth congress rounds off the wide-ranging EURO 2024 programme offered by the Schauspielhaus.

Programme runs from 24 May to 14 July 2024, more information at dhaus.de.

11 Walls

Sport, art and music all have a universal language. And when you combine those ingredients it can result in some exciting collaborations. Viva con Agua has joined forces with the Millern Tor Gallery, or MTG for short, and initiated the 11 Walls project to mix things up a bit. Here, urban art meets football, in the host cities of UEFA EURO 2024. As the name suggests, eleven murals are being created by local artists. Each of them takes as its subject the resource of water and the energy inherent in football. There will also be pop-up concerts. For many years, Viva con Agua has campaigned for clean drinking water for everyone, everywhere, and highlighted the fact that more than 700 million people do not have safe access to drinking water. The organisation also promotes awareness of the need to protect our own waters and our environment. UEFA EURO 2024 wants to use its cachet as an international sporting event to raise awareness of sustainability issues. Viva con Agua does this through positive activism, i.e. it regularly organises fun events under the motto ‘Water for all’, including in Düsseldorf.

For more information, visit 11walls.org.

Kickin' Beats – European DJ Sessions

The organisers of the New Fall Festival, which features unconventional venues and artists, are a natural fit for Stiftung Fußball & Kultur’s cultural programme. A series of events entitled Kickin‘ Beats – European DJ sessions is set to present the sound of Europe in café Pong at the NRW Forum and at café Ping in the Theatermuseum. The aim is to showcase football as an integral part of European pop culture and to celebrate its role as a unifying element in a diverse society during UEFA EURO 2024. On ten dates in June and July, Pong and Ping will become the place to be for fans of music and football. Each of these sessions will feature two DJs from the countries participating in the tournament, who between them will present a broad range of European music. The events range from sundowners with relaxed beats to club nights where you can party till dawn. The focus of each event is on celebrating Europe’s cultural diversity and peaceful coexistence. Let love rule!

Programme runs from 15 May to 14 July 2024, more information at new-fall-festival.de.

Konami – the football dance

The Forum Freies Theater, better known as FFT, is located near the main train station. Founded in 1999, it has always championed independent performing arts and international cooperation. The performance group La Fleur and director Monika Gintersdörfer have created a show that combines songs and dance. It explores the complex interplay between football, pop culture and migration, and shows the reality of life for young footballers and showbiz stars. It’s about dreams of fame and success. The story focuses on sportspeople who come to Europe, sometimes taking great risks, because they are unable to fulfil the promise of their talent and their ambitions within elite sports in Africa. The members of the international performance group La Fleur originally come from Germany, France and Ivory Coast, and the production ‘Konami – the football dance’ is based on their own lived experience. The company have personal contacts with African professional footballers and interweave their stories with those of pop stars. After Düsseldorf, Konami will be performed in Frankfurt, Palermo and Paris.

Performances from 26 April to 28 April 2024, more information at fft-duesseldorf.de.

Stadium of Dreams

24 nations, 24 events. Every country that has qualified for EURO 2024 can be found in the "Stadium of Dreams" on Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz. There, the diversity of Europe will unfold in dance, art, literature, sport and cuisine. Organized by citizens, volunteers and migrant associations, it reflects the multifaceted culture of Düsseldorf. The project offers all citizens the opportunity to help shape EURO 2024 in Düsseldorf so that it becomes everyone's home game. Whether volunteer, migrant association, aid organization and/or community: everyone can participate! EUR 5,000 is available for each country and the events planned by them. This budget, as well as all associated processes, will be managed by the project team so that you can concentrate fully on your ideas! The event days are arranged according to the drawn groups, starting with group A. A kick-off and closing event, planned by the project team, will serve as a platform for all stakeholders to come together and exchange ideas. Suggestions and ideas are now needed to present your favorite country!

Program from 14.06. to 14.07.2024, idea submission and more information at Stadion der Träume - Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf (duesseldorf.de).

These five projects are just a taste of will be on offer in Düsseldorf during UEFA EURO 2024. They show that football is more than just a game – it is a passion that unites people and brings cultures together. Experience the excitement up close and become part of UEFA EURO 2024, where sport and culture meet. We want to make everyone feel like it’s their home game!

The details of each event will be available at visitduesseldorf.de nearer the time.

More information can be found at stiftung.fussball-und-kultur2024.eu.

Text: Tim Schoster
Main photo: La Fleur, photo: Roberto Boccaccino
Düsseldorf’s Schauspielhaus: Visit Düsseldorf
Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz: Visit Düsseldorf, photo: U. Otte
Other photos: Press