POTT FEST /// ESSENDIESE /// ZECHE CARL /// ESSEN

This event is organized by essendiese. For questions or other inquiries, please contact the organizer: essendiese

Free Festival in Essen Altenessen—Tens of Thousands Expected

The Pott Fest, organized by “essendiese,” is entering its second year. It is a free festival held on the grounds of Zeche Carl in Essen Altenessen. The event took place for the first time last year and was an immediate success. Nearly 10,000 people attended the Pott Fest on Saturday and Sunday.

This year, the event will run for three days. On Friday and Saturday, visitors can look forward to a total of three stages, a wide variety of street food, and hands-on activities (graffiti workshops, painting classes, and much more) for all ages.

The musical lineup features techno and house. Sunday is Family Day, when the music will be a bit more laid-back. Instead, there will be a large children’s program.

Event schedule at a glance:

Friday: 4:00 PM – midnight (music until 11:00 PM)

Saturday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM (music until 11:00 PM)

Saturday night: 11:00 PM – 7:00 AM

Sunday: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Once again this year, the organizing team expects several thousand visitors who, just like last year, will celebrate together peacefully and joyfully. The musical focus of the event is youth culture. That’s why a large part of the program is aimed at a young audience. However, since the organizers want to bring together the entire city of Essen and parts of the Ruhr region—and since the event takes place in a public space—the program has a cross-generational appeal. “It’s a festival for everyone, designed to facilitate encounters between different groups of people,” say the organizers.

Among the performing artists are local newcomers from Essen and the Ruhr region, up-and-coming regional artists, and international DJs who have already played at major festivals.

With the Pott Fest, the organizers aim to enrich cultural life in Essen: “There are more and more festivals where people have to pay hundreds of euros in admission fees. This trend is unfortunate, as culture should be as accessible as possible. We’re glad that we can offer such a well-curated program for free—right here in our home in Altenessen, a structurally disadvantaged neighborhood where cultural participation is even more important than elsewhere. Of course, this wouldn’t be possible without our many supporters,” says essendiese.