How the Call for Participation Shaped the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Festival Programme

A central element in the lead-up to the festival programme of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games was the Call for Participation. It offered local clubs, artists, initiatives and organisations the opportunity to actively take part in the Games and contribute their own ideas. This process created a diverse programme that enriched the sporting competitions with creative, cultural and social impulses.

The response was impressive: more than 80 applications were submitted in total. Across the region, participants came forward who wanted to help shape the festival stages and spaces. As a result, 16 local artists performed on stage, bringing fresh energy to the programme through concerts, performances and DJ sets. In the Show & Sport category, 19 partners presented formats ranging from spectacular stage shows to interactive physical activities. A further eight partners in the Discover category ensured that themes such as sustainability, science and education had a firm place within the festival.

Results were visible across all the host cities

The results were visible across all three host cities. At the Ruhr Games Festival in Bochum, urban culture met top-level athletic performance. The Park Festival in Essen combined major concert moments with encounters centred on sport, science and sustainability. And the Beach Festival in Duisburg, with its open atmosphere, emphasised the special closeness between audience, sport and culture, creating memorable experiences. The Call for Participation invited everyone to get involved, showcasing the diversity of North Rhine-Westphalia – and laying the foundation for a vibrant, varied and accessible programme.

Special thanks go to all participating artists, partners and initiatives whose creativity and passion ensured that Rhine-Ruhr 2025 set standards not only in sport, but also in culture and society. Their contributions turned the Games into a collective experience that went far beyond sporting competition.