Festival

Even during rain and storm did we build up our bass boxes to brave the weather. The God of weather is still impressed.

What makes
the Open
Source
Festival so
ooooooooo
ooooo
special?

The Music

Open and diverse, vibrant and energetic, experimental and substantial. Is that enough to describe the musical spectrum at the Open Source Festival?

No, of course not but its a good start. We love music, we love actual music and we love music for tomorrow. (We also love music from yesterday but not at our festival). Pop music and pop musical realisations are important to us, mainstream is not. We try to be independent and to arrange a unique festival program – year after year.

The Artists

There can be found a lot in Duesseldorf because that is the place where electronic music takes on an important role with a special history. To take care of and to continue this history is our great matter, if not our duty.

But this is just one side, maybe a focal point. The musicians and artists who are part of the development of the festival, brought to us their ideas and their charm from all over the world: from North-Rhine-Westfalia, from Germany, from all over Europe and the US, even Australia. That is how we could have turned Duesseldorf into a real “global village”.

Line-Up

The Audience

Dear audience, we like to repeat ourselves often: we love you. We love that you are as openminded and diverse as our musical program.

That you show up even when it rains and storms. And we find it amazing that you wanted to experience with us all highs and lows in the history of the festival and came back year after year – some of you since our very first festival. And that is what we would like to thank you for, wholeheartedly and with a program that we create once more for you and your great taste.

Your physical well-being

Of course its also about eating and drinking. Maybe to have one too many, but hey, we are not at a church congress.

It has always been important for us to offer some food that may not be common festival food. A good wine, vegan specialities or the perfect Espresso. Every year it is kind of a challenge to satisfy different tastes and claims – and we are gladly working on getting better and more diverse. On that note: Cheers!

Open Squares

The Open Squares have become established as a pop-up gallery for young creatives from NRW.

On a 3x3m big ground they can present their ideas to a huge audience and connect with other creatives. The Open Squares got more and more from year to year and by this time they are their own little festival in between the festival. Design, architecture, graphics, art, fashion, film, photography, music – genres, media and disciplines don’t act like borders but as a catalyst of creativity.

Location

Close to the city and easily accessible by public transport as well as by car or bike – still idyllic on the green site inside the woods though, one of the most popular day trip destinations of the region.

What should we say: the Open Source Festival takes place in one of the most beautiful festival locations of the country. That’s what our visitors think, and that’s what all the artists from around the world think, and we are a little proud of that. The first years at the Freibad Lörick were great for sure, but moving to the racecourse in the Grafenberger woods has made the Open Source Festival to what it is today: gem-like among all festivals.

Learn more about the location here…

Art

>> KHM x OSF << Already since 2009 the Open Source Festival invites students of the art school for media Cologne to presents actual artistic positions and concepts on the festival ground.

Involving local conditions and especially developed for the festival, the young artists of the class of Professor Mischa Kuball show video installations, experimental films or sound sculptures.