The final hurdle for Düsseldorf’s controversial Open Air Park venue has been cleared by the city council.

Venue developers D.Live and local promoter Concert Team announced the new “plug-and-play” 80,000-cap open-air venue in February, promising a “new era” for outdoor events in Germany.

The venue was scheduled to open on 8 July with a concert by AC/DC but the project was delayed due to concerns about tree felling, as well as objections about traffic disruption, noise, and anxiety over anti-social behaviour.

Subsequently, D.Live announced that AC/DC’s concert would take place on the same date in the adjacent Merkur Spiel-Arena (cap. 52,500).

“I’m optimistic and looking forward to many unparalleled concerts and festivals”

The project has now been given the green light to launch in 2026 after receiving a majority vote at the Düsseldorf City Council meeting on Wednesday (May 28). Only members of the Left Party, the AfD, the Climate Action Party, and the Animal Welfare Party voted against.

Speaking for the majority of the council, FDP parliamentary group leader Mirko Rohloff emphasised the potential of the area and its unique position as the largest open-air concert venue in North Rhine-Westphalia.

“I’m optimistic and looking forward to many unparalleled concerts and festivals,” he said at the meeting. IQ has reached out to D.Live for comment.

The furore around Düsseldorf’s Open Air Park is reminiscent of a similar situation seven years ago when a scheduled outdoor show by Ed Sheeran, in the same location, had to be cancelled after objections in relation to the felling of trees, and worries over local wildlife.

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Plans for AC/DC to open Düsseldorf’s controversial Open Air Park venue this summer have been shelved, with the gig instead switching to the nearby Merkur Spiel-Arena.

Venue developers D.Live and local promoter Concert Team had hoped the legendary rockers’ 8 July concert would mark the start of a new era for the city, with a proposed outdoor venue catering for up to 80,000 fans. However, concerns about the number of trees that would need to be cut down, as well as objections about traffic disruption, noise, and anxiety over anti-social behaviour have seemingly delayed the project, with local authorities stalled on approving full planning consent.

Instead, D.Live has announced that the show will take place on the same date in the adjacent Merkur Spiel-Arena (cap. 52,500).

The delay is another setback for Düsseldorf’s venue portfolio, following a similar situation seven years ago when a scheduled outdoor show by Ed Sheeran, in the same location, had to be cancelled after objections in relation to the felling of trees, and worries over local wildlife.

“The event would not have come to Düsseldorf if this opportunity had not existed”

Undeterred by the delay, D.Live managing director Michael Brill notes that AC/DC would not have visited the city at all had they not been able to present Düsseldorf’s range of facilities to the band and their representatives.

“Düsseldorf as the location for the AC/DC concert also reflects the strategic importance of the upcoming Open Air Park,” says Brill. “Although it is now being relocated, the event would not have come to Düsseldorf if this opportunity had not existed. Through its portfolio strategy, D.Live is solidifying Düsseldorf as a top location for live entertainment.”

Noting that, “The relocation of the event has no connection with the development plan procedure for the Open Air Park,” on which the City Council will announce its bylaw resolution on 28 May, Brill adds, “Fortunately, we can react very flexibly to changing requirements here in Düsseldorf and relocate shows to one of our other venues. Of course, we find it very unfortunate that we won’t be celebrating the premiere of the Open Air Park Düsseldorf with AC/DC this year and have postponed it to 2026. At the same time, however, we are pleased that the concert with these global stars will take place in Düsseldorf.”

The show’s relocation means that tree felling in the park will not be carried out this year, but D.Live says other development steps involving the provision of electricity, water, and sewage systems are “still in full swing.”

Fans who had already purchased standing room tickets, or tickets for the outdoor show’s wheelchair access area will need to exchange their ticket to book places in the relevant areas of the arena, but other fans should be able to use their existing tickets for entry to the relocated event.

AC/DC’s PWR UP tour will also visit Berlin’s Olympic Stadium (30 June) and Messe Karlsruhe (17 August), and elsewhere the band’s European dates will include appearances in Prague, Warsaw, Madrid, Imola, Tallinn, Gothenburg, Oslo, Paris, and Edinburgh.

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The German city of Düsseldorf is investing €120 million in improving its live music infrastructure over the next four years, it has been announced.

Germany’s seventh-largest city is home to the 66,500-cap Merkur Spiel-Arena, which is being systematically remodelled in a €60m scheme by 2029 to meet current and future requirements for multifunctional stadiums.

The revamp will include the installation of a photovoltaic system on the roof of the venue with an area of over 7,000 m². Other measures include the complete new construction of the MERKUR Business Club, expanded 360° LED perimeter board technology, the conversion of the public catering area and a new wayfinding system.

Meanwhile, €11m has been set aside for new 80,000-cap “plug-and-play” venue Open Air Park Düsseldorf, which will launch this July with a concert by AC/DC. The site, which is being developed with a complete permanent infrastructure for electricity, water and waste water supply, promises to elevate North Rhine-Westphalia as a top-tier touring option alongside Berlin and Munich.

In addition, the listed Rheinterrasse events venue is being future-proofed with a planned investment of in excess of €12m. The measures include design and technical optimisation, repairs, a redesign of the event technology and “pioneering” energy management. A completely new brand identity is also being developed.

“No other location in Germany is so committed to developing existing venues – whether clubs, arenas, stadiums or open-air spaces – in order to remain competitive in the international live entertainment and sports market and attract top events in the long term,” says Michael Brill, CEO of operator D.LIVE. “In this way, we will be able to meet the changing demands on the visitor experience and production conditions and continue to guarantee that Düsseldorf remains a leading location for top-class sports, music and cultural events in Europe.”

“With these investments, Düsseldorf is sending a clear signal for the future of live entertainment”

Other Düsseldorf venues will also be developed further, with the PSD Bank Dome (cap. 15,000), Mitsubishi Electric Halle (7,500) and Castello Düsseldorf (4,000) set to benefit from investments “to optimise their technical equipment, the customer journey and sustainability standards”.

“With these investments, Düsseldorf is sending a clear signal for the future of live entertainment,” says Düsseldorf city director and D.LIVE supervisory board chairman Burkhard Hintzsche. “The continuous development of the venues ensures that we offer ideal conditions for top international events as well as for regional event concepts. These measures are a crucial step towards making Düsseldorf even more attractive as a leading event location and attracting further top-class events.”

Elsewhere in Germany, plans for a new arena in Munich have taken another step forward after being presented to the city’s planning and design advisory committee. The committee, which is an official part of the approval process, praised the current planning and gave its consent and support to continue with the project.

Bavaria-based developer SWMunich will build and operate the proposed 20,000-cap Freising venue, backed by more than €300 million of private sector investment.

“The positive response from the Design Advisory Board encourages us in our endeavours to create a concert arena that meets the highest standards,” says Munich Arena managing partner Lorenz Schmid. “The advisory board’s suggestions will flow directly into the further development of the Munich Arena concert arena to make it an enrichment for Freising and the region.”

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Düsseldorf’s burgeoning live music circuit has been further enhanced thanks to the expanded standing capacity of its PSD Bank Dome multi-purpose arena.

The floor of the 15,000-cap German venue can now accommodate 6,666 fans for concerts, with dimensions of 59.5m x 41m, giving it the largest interior capacity in the region. Previously, it was able to host just 3,720 people.

American singer-songwriter Teddy Swims became the first artist to perform in the extended space, which forms part of the D.Live portfolio. The show had originally been scheduled for the city’s 7,500-cap Mitsubishi Electric Halle, but was upgraded due to high demand.

“The new, wider infield capacity has created an atmosphere that I have never experienced before in a comparable venue,” says PSD Bank Dome general manager Claudia Daufenbach. “The fact that we were able to inaugurate this adaptation with such an enthusiastic crowd shows the enormous potential of this innovation – an evening full of emotion that leaves you wanting more.”

“It is impressive how the Dome can maintain such an intimate concert atmosphere in its compactness with this increased capacity”

The Teddy Swims concert took place on Tuesday (11 February) and was promoted by Prime Entertainment and Live Nation.

“The new capacity of the PSD Bank Dome allowed us to offer even more fans a unique concert experience,” adds Jochen Breit-Tiffe, MD of Prime Entertainment. “It is impressive how the Dome can maintain such an intimate concert atmosphere in its compactness with this increased capacity. This elevates the venue’s attractiveness to the next level.”

Upcoming shows include Central Cee, Rauw Alejandro and Electric Callboy.

Earlier this month, D.Live was announced as the developer and operator of new 80,000-cap “plug-and-play” venue Open Air Park Düsseldorf, which will launch this July with a concert by AC/DC. The Düsseldorf-based company’s other venues include Club MTV, Ratinger Hof and the city’s 66,500-cap Merkur Spiel-Arena.

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A new “plug-and-play” 80,000-cap open-air venue set to kick off a “new era” for outdoor events in Germany will launch this summer with a concert by AC/DC.

The rock legends have been confirmed as the first headliners for Open Air Park Düsseldorf – the largest permanent open-air venue in North Rhine-Westphalia – on 8 July.

The fully developed site, which will be developed and operated by D.Live, promises to offer promoters and artists a “new dimension” for open-air concerts, festivals and major events in the country.

“We have been working on this for a long time,” says D.Live CEO Michael Brill. “Now the biggest national and international artists finally have the option of playing the Western hotspot of Germany alongside Berlin, Hannover and Munich. We are happy to celebrate a spectacular start with AC/DC.”

Düsseldorf-based Concert Team will serve as the local promoter for the show by AC/DC, who will also play two other gigs in Germany this year – at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium (30 June) and Messe Karlsruhe (17 August) – as part of their 2025 PWR UP European tour.

“The Open Air Park Düsseldorf is a significant enrichment for the live industry, both locally and country-wide”

“As a Düsseldorf promoter, we are particularly pleased to be the first to play the new open-air venue,” says Concert Team MD Berni Lewkowicz. “The Open Air Park Düsseldorf is a significant enrichment for the live industry, both locally and country-wide.”

The venue will enhance D.Live’s existing venue portfolio, which ranges from small venues such as Club MTV and Ratinger Hof up to the city’s 66,500-cap Merkur Spiel-Arena, filling a gap in the international and national event market.

“With the Open Air Park Düsseldorf, D.Live is setting new standards in the event industry,” says city director Burkhard Hintzsche, who is also chairman of D.Live’s supervisory board. By expanding its portfolio, D.Live once again demonstrates its commitment to being one of Germany’s leading venue management companies.”

Open Air Park Düsseldorf is located directly next to Messe Düsseldorf and Merkur Spiel-Arena. Allowing for different capacities and stage configurations, it will be able to host concerts well as festivals with up to five stages.

“The opening of the Open Air Park is a significant step for Düsseldorf as an event city,” adds mayor Dr Stephan Keller. “The Open Air Park will be an important location for major international artists and will strengthen our position as a leading event metropolis.”

AC/DC have also announced dates at Prague Letňany Airport in the Czech Republic (26 June), PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland (4 July), Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium in Spain (12 July) and Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy (20 July), as well as Tallinn’s Song Festival Grounds on 24 July, which will mark the band’s first ever concert in Estonia.

In addition, they will visit Ullevi in Gothenburg, Sweden (28 July), Oslo’s Bjerke Racecourse in Norway (5 August) and Paris’ Stade de France (9 August), finishing up at  Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland (21 August).

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Dusseldorf’s Dome arena, most recently called the ISS Dome, was renamed PSD Bank Dome yesterday (1 July) under a new naming-rights partnership between the German bank and arena operator D.Live.

In addition its new name, the arena is getting a capacity increase, from 14,300 to 15,151, as well as a range of new improvements, including new LED lighting, a 70m² LED screen at the visitor entrance, revamped VIP boxes, new parking spaces (taking total capacity to 2,300) and a modernised and expanded backstage area.

PSD Bank Dome (pictured), which in is former guises has hosted performances by the likes of Foo Fighters, Pink, Panic at the Disco and Udo Lindenberg, has also installed a new Covid-secure ventilation system with a high rate of fresh-air replacement.

Michael Brill, CEO of D.Live, says: “Modern, innovative and comfortable – the new Dome has all of these attributes. Over the past months all areas of the venue have been redesigned, renovated and modernised so that all of our partners, event organisers, artists and visitors feel completely at home here.

“We have listened carefully to our promoters and customers over the past few years”

“Thanks to this upgrade, the Dome 2.0 can now develop its full potential and be the attractive live entertainment venue that we want for the city of Düsseldorf.”

“We have listened carefully to our promoters and customers over the past years, taken their opinions and criticisms of the Dome on board, and integrated them into our makeover of the venue,” says the venue’s manager of booking and events, Jele Schuh. “Some examples of that include the bigger crew catering area and the expanded backstage areas. We are confident that productions and audiences alike will feel the positive effects of these changes.”

Gregor Eßer, general manager of the Dome, adds: “People will be laughing, dancing and rocking at the Dome. … We are delighted to welcome our partners and our public to the new ambience and the new look. Making live entertainment an experience that you can touch and feel – that’s the new mission of the PSD Bank Dome.”

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Dusseldorf’s D.Live has set up an in-house event technology operation, D.Production, under the leadership of experienced venue/production professional and IQ Unsung Hero Fabian Müller.

Müller (pictured) joined D.Live in 2018 and has been technical manager of Mitsubishi Electric Halle (7,500-cap.) and general manager of Castello Düsseldorf (3,300-cap.). Prior to joining D.Live, he spent five years as head of production at the SparkassenPark hockey (and beach-chair concert) venue in Mönchengladbach.

D.Production’s brief will include looking after all production matters for D.Live’s venues, which also include the 54,600-seat Merkur Spiel-Arena and 12,500-capacity ISS Dome, as well as the Alltours Kino open-air cinema.

“With Fabian Müller we have one of the industry’s best experts leading our team”

“With D.Production we are pooling all of our technical know-know so we can take a flexible and fast approach to handling technical matters at any event in Düsseldorf, be it a major sporting event like the Universiade, open-air cinema, or a small conference,” explains Michael Brill, managing director of D.Live.

Daniela Stork, D.Live’s director of booking and ticketing, says: “By centralising, organisers, associations and federations as well as corporate event customers now have a central technical team for their events. Another positive effect is that our know-how is brought to bear at all of our venues based on best practice.”

“With Fabian Müller we have one of the industry’s best experts leading our team, someone who has been around the industry for many years, and is passionate about live entertainment,” adds Brill.

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Venues and festivals across Europe have offered their services as vaccination centres as the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine nears roll-out.

The vaccine is now approved in the UK, with the first vaccinations starting next week, and the EU and US are expected follow suit in the coming weeks. According to its makers, the vaccine is more than 90% effective against Covid-19.

In Germany, Dusseldorf venue company D.Live is establishing a vaccination centre in sports and entertainment venue Merkur Spiel-Arena, the 66,500-capacity stadium which serves as the ground of football team Fortuna Düsseldorf.

The centre, which will serve Dusseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, will stretch over 8,000m² across two storeys and have the capacity for up to 2,400 immunisations a day, with the potential to expand if necessary.

Patients arriving at the stadium will first visit one of 12 check-in counters, before making their way through a one-way system to a waiting area, and then on to one of the ten boxes which are being converted into vaccination rooms.

Local guidelines dictate that the vaccine be made available gradually to the entire population on a voluntary basis, starting with vulnerable groups, including hospital staff and patients and carers in care homes.

Covid-19 vaccinations could start in the 27 EU nations before the end of December

Authorities in the UK are similarly requisitioning stadia and other event venues, with the 27,000-seat Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol, the Etihad Stadium campus in Manchester, Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey and among the sites identified for mass vaccinations in England.

The Bristol facility reportedly has the capacity to deliver up to 110,000 vaccinations a week to residents of the city and the surrounding areas, starting next week and continuing until April 2021.

In Belgium, meanwhile, newly formed Wallonian festival association FFMWB (Fédération des Festivals de Musique Wallonie-Bruxelles) is offering up its members’ sites and services to help the Belgian government achieve its goal of eight million vaccinations (around 70% of the country) when the vaccine is approved there.

“Our sector has been at a standstill for many months, and our many staff are eager to bring their creativity and dedication to the fight against coronavirus,” says Dour Festival’s Damien Dufrasne, president of the FFMWB.

FFMWB’s 11 members include Les Francofolies de Spa, Les Nuits Botanique and Brussels Summer Festival.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said last week that said Covid-19 vaccinations could start in the 27 EU nations before the end of December. The EC has agreements with six suppliers that would allow it to purchase more than 1.2 billion doses of the vaccine.

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Live Nation GSA has been forced to postpone the biggest show Germany has seen since March, in light of new increasing coronavirus infections in the country and “imminent new capacity restrictions”.

Return to Live (which has also been promoted under the banner of Give Live A Chance) was due to take place on 4 September in the all-seated Merkur Spiel Arena, Dusseldorf but will now be rescheduled for late autumn.

Up to 12,000 fans were expected to watch artists including Bryan Adams, Sarah Connor and Rea Garvey.

Earlier this month, authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia raised concerns about the concert after the country saw an increase in coronavirus infections but agreed to monitor the situation and make a final decision by 31 August, at the latest, as to whether it could go ahead.

Now, Live Nation GSA says that despite the event’s conclusive hygiene and protection concept, new reservations of the state government – as well as a rising infection rate and imminent new capacity restrictions – have made it clear that it will be impossible to proceed with the event in September.

“We are still of the opinion that our catalogue of measures offers comprehensive protection”

“The health and safety of our fans, artists and employees is our top priority. Whilst we understand that the situation is constantly evolving, we are still of the opinion that our catalogue of measures offers comprehensive protection,” explains Return to Live organiser Marek Lieberberg. 

Lieberberg expressed his conviction that live music events would take place at full capacity in the not-too-distant future.

“It is not possible to suppress the desire of fans and artists in the long run! The Düsseldorf model is and remains the right concept for a gradual return to normality. This is what the 150,000 suspended employees of this highly diverse and vital industry in Germany, tens of thousands of artists and millions of music lovers are waiting for”. 

All ticket holders will now be reimbursed including advance booking fees.

Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, previously announced in June that major events in the country will be banned until the start of November unless organisers can prove that social distancing measures and hygiene protocol can be met.

Live Nation GSA has mentioned “imminent new capacity restrictions” but the government is yet to announce any new measures.

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He studied law but readily admits that he found working in the live entertainment sector far more enjoyable, so he dropped the law degree and underwent training as a specialist in event engineering.

“Straight after that I pursued further qualifications to become a master for event engineering,” he tells IQ, while he later added qualifications such as the Professional Certificate in Event Safety & Security Management from the International Training Centre for Crowd & Safety Management (IBIT) to boost his professional credentials.

“I basically began working in the live entertainment sector when I was 14. At the time, apart from going to school, I did casual work as a temporary helper for event [organisers] and wedding DJs. However, I quickly noticed that there was more than just bouncy castles and DJs, and after a short while I began to work as a helper for a local service provider before commencing my studies and training.”

Having completed his training, Müller became self-employed and worked as a technician and operator in the lighting trade before kickstarting his career at one of the world’s biggest events: “My first job as freelancer was as a light technician at the Eurovision Song Contest in Düsseldorf,” he reports.

“I was fascinated by the opportunities at D.Live, a company that operates all event venues of a metropolis is unique in Europe”

His relationship with D.Live started through work at then-parent company Düsseldorf Congress Sport & Event GmbH on behalf of a local event organiser and venue operator, meaning his first contact with the company was as a client.

“I therefore knew Michael Brill, our CEO,” explains Müller. “When Michael went to D.Live, I was fascinated by the opportunities offered there – a company that operates all event venues of a metropolis is unique in Europe.

“They also have a team brought together from all over Germany, with each one of them an expert in their own field. However, what was really special for me was the common interests shared by all colleagues – the love of their profession, the love of live music, and the dynamism, which really impressed me right away.”

A native of Düsseldorf, Müller’s first concert experience was at the Mitsubishi Electric Halle (then called PhilipsHalle), so coming full circle to putting on shows and concerts in the venue is particularly pleasing.

“My personal highlights have been when I went against recommendations and the success proved that I had been right”

“Each of our venues tells a tale of my personal history,” he says. “As a matter of principle, I put 100% of my efforts into working for D.Live. Nevertheless, you will see me every year with one or two bands as production manager at festivals or on medium-sized tours.

“I find it extremely important to collect new experiences, to see what other people are doing and to support colleagues. And if we are really honest about it… you can’t and don’t want to completely give up touring.”

Müller admits that taking on the seemingly insurmountable is his favourite aspect of working in production. “My personal highlights have been when I really put my heart and soul into projects, went against the recommendations of others or even had to face up to people who wanted to prevent something, and at the end of the day, the success proved that I had been right,” he says.

“One of these highlights was undoubtedly the Horst Festival in Mönchengladbach, which – as an outdoor, free festival – was completely organised and staged by volunteers to enable their fellow citizens to enjoy culture.” He also cites ARAG Big Air, a ski and snowboard event, as another highlight, while the recent drive-in shows in Düsseldorf are another project that he is immensely proud of.

“Every task was a challenge with the drive-in cinema…there were no references or tips that we could have fallen back on”

“Every task was a challenge with the drive-in cinema,” he states. “We developed a completely new product and we were the first in the world to stage drive-in concerts. There were no references, experiences or tips that we could have fallen back on.

“We had to consider various issues, such as lines of sight from cars, distances between the vehicles and heights of stages. After all, the windscreen of a passenger car always restricts the field of vision.

“The whole behaviour of fans travelling to the show was new. Who comes? When do they come? We discovered that the first step taken by guests was going to the toilet, since some of them had already spent hours in their cars. But there were also new learnings with regard to the productions.

“Here, occupational safety was once again highlighted from another perspective. Issues such as distancing rules and, in particular, measures to protect crews against infection were constantly relevant. One of the great things about our profession, namely sitting together with the crews and drinking a beer after the show, was suddenly forbidden.”

“The amount of work required has considerably increased, while possible capacities have decreased exorbitantly”

Müller and the D.Live team had to persuade the on-stage talent to participate in public announcement tasks. “We had to urge the artists to motivate the guests to stick to the applicable rules… and not lose sight of corona.” And he reveals that fan interaction took on another dimension during the vehicle-centric shows.

“There are few possibilities for communication and reaction from inside the car. To protect local residents from noise during the cinema, we had to ban honking the horn and develop an app that enables interactive clapping, cheering, rejoicing and laughing, and which can be integrated in the transmission sound.”

Addressing the pandemic situation that led to the necessity for the drive-in shows, Müller notes, “Corona accompanies us everywhere. Unfortunately, that will remain so for a long time and we currently do not expect that the market will be able to settle down by the middle of next year or recover its former strength.

“Nobody regarded themselves as being too good to do something on behalf of the event”

“Every event that we are considering is looked at from the perspective of current findings and regulations. The amount of work required has considerably increased, while possible capacities, which I always refer to as ‘our currency,’ have decreased exorbitantly.

“Despite this burden, my employees perform excellent work. The way my boys and girls put their hearts and souls into implementing the drive-in cinema at lightning speed was incredible. Everyone did everything: nobody regarded themselves as being too good to do something on behalf of the event.”

He adds, “The set-up phase particularly reminded me of ‘the good old days.’ It was all just a super experience. And, as a team, the time once again brought us even closer together.”

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