visual sound outdoor festival - Festival für Free Jazz, improvisierte Musik und Experimentelles, 13.08. - 15.08.2026

In the organizer's words:

visual sound outdoor festival
Festival for free jazz and improvised music

13.08. - 15. 08. 2026

We are delighted to invite you to the 7th edition of the Visual Sound Outdoor Festival!

Three days full of free jazz, improvised music and experimental formats await you from August 13 to 15.

You can expect 16 concerts, live DJ sets and visual art installations on two open-air stages on the Depot's courtyard square and in the Parzelle im Depot. There will be international bands and musicians from Europe, North America and Brazil, local scene players and young artists with a current repertoire.

A special highlight are the "Magic Ensembles" - line-ups put together especially for the festival, in which festival musicians come together for the first time. These concerts promise musical surprises and intense moments of exchange.

Ticket sales have started! Get your tickets at Rausgegangen Dortmund and experience three days full of exciting concerts, exchanges with artists and fresh perspectives on free jazz and experimental soundscapes.

We look forward to seeing you in Dortmund's Nordstadt - be there when the seventh edition of the VSOF once again transforms the Nordstadt into a vibrant cosmos of sound!

Program

Thursday, 13.08.2026

7:00 pm
MAGIC ENSEMBLE
Duthoit & Vicente
Isabelle Duthoit (F) - cl, voice
Luis Vicente (PT) - t

8:10 pm
MAGIC ENSEMBLE
Brice | Togander | Marraffa
Barbara Togander (ES) - tt, voc
Edoardo Marraffa (IT) - s
Olie Brice (GB) - db

21:20
Oswald & Nilssen-Love
Margaux Oswald (F-PHL/DK) - p
Paal Nilssen-Love (NOR) - dr

visual art: Triangle of transitions - Claudia Terlunen & Sabine Held
Photo exhibition: vsof 25 - Dawid Laskowski

Friday, 14.08.2026

5:00 pm
Right Now - Right Here (GB) feat. Barbara Toganer (ES)
Charlotte Keeffe - t, flh, comp, sound brush
Ashley John Long - db
Ben Handysides - dr
Moss Freed - g
Barbara Togander - tt, voc

6:10 pm
Maraffa 4 feat. Bart Maris
Edoardo Marraffa (IT) - s (IT)
Salvoandrea Lucifora (IT/NL) - pos
Aaron Lumley (CA/NL) - db
Onno Govaert (NL) - dr
Bart Maris (B) - t

7:30 pm
So Says the Drum (BRA/D)
Bruna Cabral - dr, performance
Bella Comsom - elec, light-performance

21:00
Duthoit | Heather | Moor
Isabelle Duthoit (F) - voice, cl
Steve Heather - (AU/D) perc, elec
Andy Moor (GB/NL) - g

22:30
MAGIC ENSEMBLE
Keeffe | Musson | Oswald | Sanders | Stewart
Charlotte Keeffe (GB) - t, flh, comp, sound brush
Rachel Musson (GB) - s
Margaux Oswald (F-PHL/DK) - p
Mark Sanders (GB) - dr
Luke Stewart (US) - db

23:30
ACH KUHZUNFT - tt, live DJ
Free admission

visual art: Triangle of transitions - Claudia Terlunen & Sabine Held
Photo exhibition: vsof 25 - Dawid Laskowski

Saturday, 15.08.2026

4:00 pm
MAGIC ENSEMBLE
Gottschalk | Muche | Blume
Gunda Gottschalk - vc, vcl
Matthias Muche - pos
Martin Blume - drNewsletter_Top concert this Friday & April/May

5:10 pm
Kurzmann & Gartmayer (AT)
Christof Kurzmann - lloopp, voice
Susana Gartmayer - s

6:20 pm
Toxodon
Salome Amend - vib
Raissa Mehner - g
Simon Camatta - dr

7:50 pm
Brice | Musson | Sanders (GB)
Olie Brice - db
Rachel Musson - ts
Mark Sanders - dr

Luis Vicente Quartet
Luís Vicente (PT) - t
John Dikeman (US) - ts
Luke Stewart (US/NL) - db
Onno Govaert (NL) - dr

10:20 pm
ACH KUHZUNFT - tt, live DJ
Free admission

visual art: Triangle of transitions - Claudia Terlunen & Sabine Held
Photo exhibition: vsof 25 - Dawid Laskowski

LUNCH TABLE - SYRIAN DELICACIES

Ghazwa Ghazi invites you to a varied "lunch table" on Fridays and Saturdays from 18:00 to 20:30! Look forward to authentic Syrian specialties - whether vegan, vegetarian or with meat - there is something for every taste. Delicious samples are also waiting for you at the counter! (insta@ghenacake)

FOR ALL RECORD LOVERS

delicate groove records is not only located at Kaiserstraße 101 - there's also a record stand at the festival with a fine selection to browse and discover. Martin Schüttler is looking forward to seeing you! https://delicate-groove.de

Supported by: Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Cultural Office of the City of Dortmund, District Council City Center North, Sparkasse für Dortmund Foundation, anne-fischer-stiftung, Pro Jazz e.V.

Cooperation partners: RuhrVolunteers e.V., train of hope e.V., Kulturort Depot e.V., Grünbau GmbH

Price information:

Reduced admission: valid for ProJazz e.V. members, schoolchildren, students/trainees, Dortmund Pass holders and severely disabled persons from GdB 70 (ID must be shown at the box office). Please note: if you have a "B" on your disabled pass, the accompanying person is admitted free of charge when purchasing a regular ticket.