Press releases

As part of the 2026 World Equestrian Games, the event management team at the City of Aachen’s Cultural Affairs Department has curated a diverse cultural program in collaboration with the independent arts scene.

From August 11 through August 23, a wide variety of cultural events and artistic performances will take place at various locations in the city center and around the Musikmuschel in the Kurpark. For young and old, from classical to modern—there’s something for everyone. In the courtyard, in cooperation between the cultural office and Hofkultur e. V., various concerts, a graffiti workshop, and improvisational theater will take place.

Rainer Beck, Head of Event Management in the cultural sector, emphasizes the importance of the program: “Together with the independent arts scene, we want to showcase just how creative and multifaceted culture in Aachen is. The program is aimed at both out-of-town and international guests of the horse show as well as the citizens of Aachen.”

Tuesday, August 11, 2:00 p.m. Courtyard

Graffiti Stencil
Workshop Theater

Whether you're a beginner or already creative: from your first sketch to your very own stencil, from simple, single-color designs to multicolored works of art—anything is possible. The workshop will be led by Aachen-based street artist Lasse Schulze (aka W.TRASH).

Tuesday, August 11, 5:00 p.m. HofKlinkenberg


Improvisational Theater Theater

Lively, spontaneous, and boundless: This improvisational theater creates unique moments that can be understood without words. Through pantomime, body language, and playful ease, scenes emerge directly from the moment—inspired by the audience, the venue, and the atmosphere.

Wednesday, August 12, 5:30 p.m. Rotunde

Roda de Samba
Dance & Music

Let’s embark on a rhythm-filled journey together—let’s celebrate and dance! In the traditional Brazilian “Roda de Samba,” instruments blend with a dancing and singing audience, transforming a space into a community filled with the joy of life.

Wednesday, August 12, 3:00 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. / Thursday, August 13, 3:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. Elisengarten Ms

. Jeanna
Magic Magic Show

Immerse yourself in an interactive magic show that not only amazes the audience but also actively involves them in the action. “France” is a lively, stylish, and deeply emotional stage production that combines the elegance of French culture with the classic art of illusion.

Thursday, August 13, 4:00 p.m.

Courtyard Sir Duke
Trio Music

The three Aachen-based musicians of Sir Duke move effortlessly between the Baroque and the modern era, from Vivaldi to Stevie Wonder and from klezmer to jazz, offering diverse musical entertainment of the highest caliber.

Thursday, August 13, 6:00 p.m.
Hof
Renaud Marquart Trio
Musik                     

French Chansons: Renaud Marquat, the French singer based in Aachen, backed by Martin Rohdich’s delicate guitar playing and Karen Massin on percussion and backing vocals, presents a varied program featuring his own songs from his four albums released to date, as well as lovingly selected well-known chansons.

Friday, August 14, 3:00 p.m. & 5:30 p.m. Prinzenhof
and
Kurgarten “Tanzende Stadt” Festival in Aachen
Music & Dance

For the duration of one afternoon, the “Dancing City” brings movement, poetry, and color to public spaces. Dance becomes part of its surroundings, transforming its venues for a brief, fleeting moment and opening up new perspectives. At selected locations in downtown Aachen, various international dance companies showcase their own styles—an ideal example of cultural diversity.

Friday, August 14, 4:00 p.m. Start
:

Elisengarten BookaBella Kids

Fairytale encounters in downtown Aachen.
The BookaBella princesses enchant young and old alike with magical encounters, cheerful interactions, and unforgettable photo opportunities. Look forward to popular fairy tale characters like Rapunzel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, the Snow Queen, and many more, who will be strolling through downtown and making children’s eyes light up.

Friday, August 14, 4:30 p.m., 5:15 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.
Rotunde
Actor’s Nausea e. V.
Theater

English Studies as Theater—this nonprofit organization, composed primarily of students and alumni, stages both classic works and modern plays. As part of the World Cup, the group will perform short plays or excerpts from plays characterized by incisive dialogue and—in the spirit of the tournament—a great deal of physicality and movement. Each performance will last about 10 to 15 minutes.

Friday, August 14, 7:30 p.m. Couven

Museum Reading – “A Language of Love” Word
& Writing

Loretta Würtenberger and Hubertus Graf Zedtwitz share stories of love in many forms. Accompanied by Hubertus, her trainer and friend, Loretta seeks harmony with her beloved horse. Together, they discover that the language of horsemanship is, in truth, a language of love. Their learning process becomes a journey through five millennia of the relationship between horses and humans.

Samstag, 15. August, 14 & 18 Uhr
Stadtpark, Passstraße, vor dem NAK
Acoutsic Memory – An Audio Walk between City and Trees
Kultur

Located between the Equestrian Stadium and the city center, Aachen’s Stadtpark offers a haven of tranquility where walking and listening become a gentle, shared experience. In small groups, participants move through the park’s green landscape for about 60 minutes—mindful, relaxed, and unhurried. Through headphones, a soundscape composed specifically for this project by Christian Klinkenberg unfolds, interwoven with poetic text fragments by director Nicole Erbe. As they walk, an associative urban landscape emerges that the participants discover for themselves and piece together internally.

Saturday, August 15, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:30 p.m
. Start: Elisengarten, Hartmannstr.

Scheibub Mime

"The World of Mime Meets the World of Equestrian Games.

" The program by Aachen-based mime artist Scheibub revolves entirely around horses and the equestrian tournament—as a walk-through act right in the middle of the audience.

To engage, inspire, entertain, and get everyone involved.

Saturday, August 15, at 3:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. Prinzenhof
,

Jesuitenstraße KollektivARTTanz

“Cartography of Pulse” is a contemporary urban dance piece created and performed by five dancers living in Aachen. The dancers transform public space into a living, unstable territory that is constantly being rewritten. The dancers act as “moving cartographers” and trace invisible routes through physical actions.

Saturday, August 15, 5:00 p.m. Elisenbrunnen
/

Eisenmann KLANGKARRE Music

The KLANGKARRE has been rolling through Europe as the ultimate music vehicle since 2021. Originally conceived as a street music project, its centerpiece is a loop station on which all the instruments on board are recorded live. Within this multifaceted soundscape, a jazz-inspired saxophone adds stylistic variety to the live performances—which often begin with jazzy loops and seamlessly transition into danceable techno.

Sunday, August 16, 1:00 p.m. Musikmuschel

Ricarda Schuhmann –
Baroque Ensemble Music

This afternoon, Baroque music fills the air from the recently revitalized Musikmuschel in Stadtpark. The musicians are presenting a varied program featuring vocal and instrumental music by composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann, Henry Purcell, and George Frideric Handel.

Sunday, August 16, 2:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. Start
: Elisengarten, Hartmannstr.
Duo Pa[ya!]so
doblo Theater & Dance

¿Renkonto! Dance meets clowning—all without spoken language! With live music, theater, dance, and clowning, the performance playfully navigates a wondrously bizarre and whimsical carousel of emotions that arise from the simple yet complex act of encounter. The audience is invited to participate in the action through rhythm and song. “Renkonto” means “encounter” in Esperanto, a language created to connect people across borders.

Sunday, August 16, 6:00 p.m. MarktHARPER

– Newcomers and Old Hands
Music

A mix of art rock, R&B, glam, and funk, influenced by artists from the ’70s and early ’80s. The band, made up of experienced musicians from the Aachen scene, also ensures that the songs exude a contemporary and uniquely powerful vibe. The lyrics deal with life on both a small and large scale, the longing for security in times when nothing seems certain anymore, failure and new beginnings, and identity versus Instagram. A HARPER concert is just the thing for anyone who appreciates rousing grooves, originality, and musical craftsmanship.

Information on

The program is subject to change or postponement. You can find the latest updates in the City of Aachen's event calendar at https://www.aachen.de/veranstaltungskalender/ under the keyword “World Equestrian Games”