Sound force in Bottrop: Festival OrgelPLUS starts in January!

Sound force in Bottrop: Festival OrgelPLUS starts in January!

In a few days the OrgelPLUS festival in Bottrop will enter its next round. From January 3rd to 11th, 2026, the city will once again become a stage for extraordinary musical performances. For the 38th time, the passionate musician Gerd-Heinz Stevens is leading the impressive concert series, which has gained a loyal fan base not only among the people of Bottrop, but also far beyond the city limits. As the Bottrop newspaper reports, the festival is known for its unique combination of church organs and other instruments.

It starts with a taster concert on January 3rd in the Cyriakus Church, where the electric guitar takes center stage at 11 a.m. The following day, January 4th, there will be a festive opening service at 11:15 a.m. with a project choir performing “A Little Christmas Mass”. At 4 p.m. the musicians of the wind quintet “Embrassment” will provide further sounds.

The diverse program

The musical diversity continues on January 5th with a concert in the Sacred Heart Church in Oberhausen, where organ and piano will be played at 7:30 p.m. On January 6th there will be an extraordinary interaction between the organ and a pan flute in the Church of Our Lady. Another highlight is the family concert on January 8th, where “The Nutcracker” will be performed twice.

The event reaches its climax with the final concert on January 11th. Here the brothers Pascal and Markus Kaufmann play Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in the Church of Our Lady. Seniors are also catered for: on January 7th there will be a special concert at 3 p.m. in the August Everding Cultural Center.

• 3. Januar: Schnupperkonzert in der Cyriakus-Kirche – E-Gitarre, 11 Uhr
• 4. Januar: Eröffnungsgottesdienst, 11:15 Uhr
• 4. Januar: Bläserquintett „Embrassment“, 16 Uhr
• 5. Januar: Konzert in der Herz-Jesu Kirche, 19:30 Uhr
• 6. Januar: Orgel und Panflöte in der Liebfrauen-Kirche
• 8. Januar: Familienkonzert – „Der Nussknacker“, 16 und 17 Uhr
• 11. Januar: Abschlusskonzert mit den Brüdern Kaufmann

A very special item on the program are the excursions to impressive organs in other cities. On January 10th we go on a day trip to Arnhem, where we visit two churches and a museum. Remaining tickets for this excursion are still available and are expected to sell out quickly.

Maps and significance of the festival

Tickets for the concerts are available in advance at the theater box office in the August Everding Cultural Center and range in price from 15 to 20 euros. Martina Schilling-Graef, the head of the cultural department, emphasizes the great importance of the festival for Bottrop and emphasizes that it is not only musical, but also cultural.

Gerd-Heinz Stevens, the artistic director, also brings a special charm to the event with his impressive life story. Born in Rees-Millingen in 1957, he studied music history and contributed significantly to the development of organ culture. As the founder of the Organ PLUS festival since 1989, he is a defining figure in the organ music scene. His passion and commitment to the organ can also be felt in the concerts. As part of his work, he trained numerous organists and promoted organ culture in Germany, such as UNESCO notes.

The OrgelPLUS festival promises lots of music and a great atmosphere in Bottrop. It's worth marking the events in your calendar and being there!