Amid the old industrial landscapes of the mining industry, “New Colours” creates a space where, over four days, numerous stages tell their own stories, thereby continuing this legacy.

Jazz is live music. What emerges there happens in the moment—between the artists, the space, and the audience. As organizers, we take a risk every time we put together the program, because a festival only truly reveals itself when the sequence, contrasts, and transitions of the program items come together as a whole over the course of the festival.

The venues are also part of this narrative: Musiktheater im Revier, Kaue, Nordsternturm, Bleckkirche, stadt.bau.raum, Kunstraum Norten,

die werkstatt, Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, and—new this year—the Neue Zeche Westerholt. These aren’t interchangeable stages, but spaces with their own unique atmosphere and acoustics that shape the sound, create moods, and thus become instruments in their own right. And then there are the many other exciting places in the city that are well worth exploring.

Four days, ten venues, thirteen acts. From the bass clarinet to the dance floor. A program that shows its true colors—diverse, lively, and full of energy. International sounds meet Ruhr Valley charm. Anyone who has experienced the festival knows: “New Colours” is no ordinary event. It is a promise that culture connects, breaks down musical boundaries, and makes it possible for a city to shine in new colors.