Dusseldorf Entertainment

Dusseldorf’s Altstadt is known as ‘the longest bar in Europe’, for good reason. It attracts most everyone who visits the city at some point during their visit. Dozens of pubs, bars, clubs, cafés and restaurants pack the area between Kurze strasse, Andreasstrasse and Bolkerstrasse.

For dancing, the best choice is the Bilk quarter, which is the student sector. You will find theatres and cinemas spread throughout the Old Town. At the main tourist information centre, which is located at the city’s main train station (Hauptbahnhof), you can pick up a small booklet on current happenings in Dusseldorf.

Nightlife

Although there is nightlife in almost every corner of Düsseldorf, the best area for evening activities is the Altstadt. It’s not a large area – less than half a square mile, but its narrow streets and alleyways, bordered by Königsallee and the Rhine River, are packed with restaurants, discos, nightclubs and more than 200 taverns. The beer and songs flow freely in the taverns, filled with locals and visitors alike. The locals refer to a night out in the Altstadt, going from pub to pub, as an Altstadtsbummel.

Theatre and music

Dusseldorf is, without doubt, a city of culture, and one that provides a full range of theatre and music venues. Choices include live theatre at the Schauspielhaus, opera and ballet performances at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, variety shows at the Juta, classical music performances at the Ton Halle and modern dance recitals at the Tanzhaus. There’s also a popular puppet theatre - the Dusseldorf Marionetten Theater, and a famous circus, run by Roncalli and situated at the Apollo Variete, below the Rheinknie Bridge. If you’re interested in political cabaret, shows are staged at the Kommadchen.
Classical music has long been associated with Dusseldorf. Even though there are no specific tourist sites dedicated to the composers, the city was once home to Brahms, Mendelssohn and Schumann. The Düsseldorfer Symphoniker and its hall, the Ton Halle, are world-renowned, and the orchestra here normally offers twelve concerts each year. Deutsche Oper am Rhein is known country-wide for its outstanding productions. Performances are held in German, from September to June.
For jazz, Dr Jazz and Jazzschmeide are local favourites, and at Em Putzke, the jazz bands will be happy to play if you’re willing to part with a few euros. For folk music, Buck Mulligan’s is the top choice. There’s live music at Frontpage, with Dusseldorf’s version of Sinatra singing along. Concerts are held at both the Phillips Halle, for big names; and the Zakk, for smaller concerts, mostly featuring local bands.
For cinema, the old-style Black Box, Lichtburg, Metropol, Bambi, Cinema and Souterrain play Hollywood’s latest as well as classical films and art house fare. Cineplexes are situated at the main station and at the harbour, and offer mainstream Hollywood films dubbed in German. Films shown in their original language are listed as ‘OmU’, indicating original soundtrack with German subtitles.

Festivals

Dusseldorf offers a range of activities and events throughout the year, with it being likely that you will catch some special happening during your stay. 

• Every July, on the meadows bordering the Rhine at Oberkassel, the Sankt-Sebastianus marksmen's guild holds its traditional festival, lasting for nine days. The guild was founded in 1316, and the festival features an historic marksmen’s parade and the biggest fun fair held anywhere on the Rhine, with more than 300 stalls, attracting over four million visitors annually. After nightfall on the final day of the festival, there is a spectacular fireworks show.
• Held every September, the Kö Run is an event that is open to everyone, regardless of age, fitness or nationality. More than 14 events take place throughout the day including an inline-skating competition (4km), children's run (1.3km) and disabled persons’ competition (1.3km), with the main event being the 10km Aces Run, which attracts competitors from around the world.