Kaspar: What is Music Düsseldorf, and how did the idea for the festival — the concept and the festival itself — come about?

Felix Wurshorn: Altstadt Live is essentially a project by Music Düsseldorf, the association for Düsseldorf’s music industry. The idea emerged from the association’s activities, which had already been dealing with developments in the Old Town for some time.

Especially over the past year, there was a strong focus on the Ratinger Hof and its revival or re-establishment. This is closely connected to the City of Düsseldorf committing to the location, and to us as an association accompanying the entire development process and the ongoing transition with new operators.

It is very important to us to make the Old Town an attractive place for live music in Düsseldorf again. Over the years, both individually and collectively within our networks, we have observed that the number of live music stages in the Old Town has been steadily declining.

In particular, the developments around the Ratinger Hof sparked the thought that we need more than just individual venues scattered around. We need a broader strategy — ideas that address the Old Town as a whole.

Kaspar: You just mentioned that there are generally not many live music stages left in the Old Town. What is it like to organize concerts there today? Do organizers face obstacles? Is live music still on people’s radar? How is the concert infrastructure in the Old Town structured nowadays?

Felix Wursthorn: We pursued several different approaches. We involved venues that still have stages, as well as places like the Ratinger Hof, which has recently come back into the picture. We also included the Salon, which may not host live music constantly, but does so regularly and therefore still serves as an alternative stage in the Old Town.

At the same time, it was important to us to create low-threshold, new formats. This meant bringing together venue owners who don’t usually host live music with promoters who could activate these spaces with their content, artists, and — very importantly — their communities.

Kaspar: “Low-threshold” is a good keyword — also when it comes to ticket prices. All the concerts had very fair prices, which is surely connected to funding. How did Music Düsseldorf e.V. help make concerts affordable again, given that prices have risen so much in recent years? With Altstadt Live, it felt like you could attend everything.

Felix Wursthorn: Through our collaboration with the Cultural Office of the City of Düsseldorf, we were able to subsidize each show.

For this first edition — and also with an eye on future projects — it was important for us to make this possible. Especially in locations that aren’t fully equipped for concerts, there are additional challenges such as rental equipment and infrastructure costs.

We wanted to convince both venue owners and promoters to participate, while also providing a certain level of security so that no one involved would suffer financial losses. The goal is to create incentives for implementing concert formats like this in the city.

Kaspar: You’ve mentioned promoters several times. The concept was that different promoters from across the city would each choose a partner venue in the Old Town. Was this appealing to them? Promoters like Zack and Jazzmine were involved — how was the response to gaining visibility in the Old Town?

Felix Wurshorn: We quickly had the feeling — and this was confirmed — that we were pushing at open doors on both sides. The feedback we received was entirely positive.

The Old Town still has a certain appeal and offers additional public visibility for events. It also allows promoters to reach beyond typical cultural bubbles and connect with a broader audience. In that sense, it’s a “best of both worlds” situation.

You can combine a cultural program with a night out in bars, which remains attractive both for promoters and audiences.

Kaspar: All the Altstadt Live events I saw were sold out, which is great feedback. Do you think live music in the Old Town can be financially viable without funding in the future? Is there hope that it can become economically sustainable on its own?

Felix Wurshorn: That really depends on the specific constellations — how venue owners or operators and promoters work together.

With low-threshold live concepts, both sides need to meet each other halfway and take current economic realities into account. Given today’s challenges and the demands even small-scale concert production brings, it’s not getting easier.

But if people engage in dialogue, it is possible. For venue owners, this may particularly apply to weekdays that are currently weaker. For promoters, efficiency in production is key, as well as working with agencies and artists who are open to making low-threshold projects like this happen.

Kaspar: Speaking of artists — were there any curatorial guidelines? What kind of program did you end up with?

Felix Wurshorn The program was quite broad. Unlike a classic festival, we didn’t book centrally. Instead, Altstadt Live functioned as an umbrella.

The selection process focused on choosing different promoters and curators whom I trust to be very strong in their respective fields. This resulted in a diverse program ranging from young, contemporary topics like indie pop — both international and national — to jazz, punk rock, and stoner rock at the Ratinger Hof.

Stylistically, it covered a wide spectrum, as well as a range from local to international acts. I’m very happy with that, because distributing the curatorial responsibility among different promoters brings together diverse competencies and communities. That kind of diversity and authenticity is something I sometimes miss at other festivals.

Each promoter is rooted in their scene and brings a genuine perspective, which adds a lot of quality.

Kaspar: You mentioned the Salon earlier. With Ritus, you organized a concert there yourselves. You’re not only involved with Music Düsseldorf and Altstadt Live, but also run Ritus as a concert series. What is Ritus about, and who did you invite to play at the Salon?

Felix Wurshorn: We’ve been organizing concerts with Ritus in Düsseldorf for nine years now. The focus is on a broad spectrum around psychedelic rock, krautrock, garage rock, post-punk, and more recently also leftfield pop.

It’s a somewhat wild mix, but always centered on underground or scene-based music, often with a loose connection to Düsseldorf’s musical heritage. We work in various venues like Kulturschlachthof, Zack, WP8, and frequently the Salon.

As part of Altstadt Live, it made sense to activate our existing connection with the Salon in this context as well. We hosted Marc William Lewis there. The show was very well attended — sold out — and it was great to see that it attracted a particularly young audience.

Kaspar: Marc William Lewis is currently on a fairly large tour. How did that work logistically? Did you plan far in advance to fit the Salon into his tour?

Felix Wurshorn: Yes, we contacted the agency early enough and made an offer that made the show possible. The involvement of Altstadt Live gave us additional security, so we knew we could realize the show with confidence.

Kaspar: Finally — will there be a next edition?

Felix Wurshorn: Yes, we’re already planning for next year. We’re aiming in roughly the same direction — autumn 2026. Details such as exact dates, scale, and the number of participating venues and promoters are not set yet.

But the lessons learned this year clearly show that this format resonates strongly. The idea also encourages people to think more about year-round cooperation — even beyond the festival itself. That feedback really confirms our work and motivates us to continue providing impulses for Düsseldorf’s cultural landscape.

Fotos: Ludovic Schuld