AC/DC to christen new 80k-cap German venue

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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