Haldern Pop is an annual German open air music festival, first held in 1984.[1] It takes place in Rees-Haldern (North Rhine-Westphalia).
Focus
The Haldern Pop Festival cannot be limited to one genre. The focus ranges from experimental metal, punk and indie-pop to jazz, classical concerts and German folk music. Played on several stages in the village of Haldern. Next to the main stage, a mirror tent on the festival grounds will be used for the performances. The other stages are the pub "Haldern Pop Bar", the St. Georg church, a youth center and a recording studio in the village.
History
The festival started as an annual party on the premises of Haldern's Old Riding Arena organized by local altar servers.[2] During the first years (1981–1983), music was played from records only.[2] The Haldern Pop festival was officially launched with live music on 23 June 1984.[2]
The organizers want to remain true to their concept of "the small, cozy festival in the Lower Rhine area". The venue (an old horse range) should be kept, which limits the number of visitors to about 7000 people.[citation needed]
Haldern Pop has long been considered one of the most unique festivals in Europe. The curation of Haldern Pop by local festival organizer Stefan Reichmann has been awarded countless prizes over the years, including the "Helga Award" for best booking and best festival.[3] In addition, the festival was highlighted as one of the best European festivals by the Guardian in 2011.[4]
The Haldern Pop Festival has acquired the reputation of being a trend setter in Europe. Many bands such as Mumford & Sons (2009), IDLES (2017), Sam Smith (2014), or Muse (1999) made their first steps at the Haldern Pop Festival.[2]
The 2020 festival had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, instead there was a Live Streaming Festival with the following bands playing live from Dingle, Ireland: Cormac Begley, Lisa Hannigan, Peter Broderick, and the following band playing live from Live from Haldern: stargaze, Black Country, New Road, All The Luck In The World, Loney Dear
2021
14
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the festival took place from August 12 to 14, 2021 in a scaled-down form as walking tours & bike tours with concerts, marketplace concerts and church concerts, with the following artists performing: All the Luck in the World, Black Country, New Road, Cantus Domus, Catastrophe, Denise Chaila, Elias Bender Rønnenfelt, Fabian Simon & The Moon Machine, Jelly Cleaver, Kikagaku Moyo, Tereza, The Holy, Tim The Lion Tamer, Wu-Lu
2022
64
1000 Robota (DE), Aaron Smith (GB), Anaïs Mitchell (US), Anna Calvi (GB), Anne Müller (DE), BADBADNOTGOOD (CAN), Beatsteaks (DE), Bettina Bruns (DE), Black Country, New Road (GB), Black Midi (GB), Buntspecht (AT), Cantus Domus (DE), Chartreuse (GB), Curtis Harding (US), Dry Cleaning (GB), Eli Smart (US), Ellie Dixon (GB), Emilie Zoé (CH), Erdmöbel (DE), Eric Pfeil (DE), Etaoin (IRL), Ethan P. Flynn (GB), Extraliscio (IT), Famous (GB), Friedberg (AT/GB), Fruit Bats (US), Geese (US), Ghum (GB), Gilla Band (IRL), Glauque (BE), Grace Cummings (AUS), Gustaf (US), Hatis Noit (JP), Horse Lords (US), Husten (DE), Kae Tempest (GB), Kathryn Joseph (SCO), King Hannah (GB), Loney Dear (SE), Meskerem Mees (BE), Mid City (AUS), Nilüfer Yanya (GB), Parquet Courts (US), PITS feat. Jan Brauer (UKR/DE), Robocobra Quartet (IRL), Seratones (US), Shame (GB), Shortparis (RUS), Sinead O‘Brien (IRL), Sons of Kemet (GB), Sports Team (GB), Squid (GB), stargaze (EU), TEKE::TEKE (CAN), Terra Profonda (HU), The Lounge Society (GB), The Physics House Band (GB), Thumper (IRL), Thus Owls (CAN), Tom Jahn (DE), Vasco Brondi (IT), Wet Leg (GB), Wu-Lu (GB), Yard Act (GB)
2023
67
Adam French (GB), Alela Diane (US), Anushka Chkheidze (GE), Baby Volcano (CH/GT), Balming Tiger (KR), Bear's Den (GB), Ben Fox (GB), Bingo Fury (GB), Bipolar Feminin (AT), Bo Ningen (JP), Brockhoff (DE), Butch Kassidy (GB), Cantus Domus & Sven Helbig (DE), Childe (GB), Christian Lee Hutson (US), Courting (GB), Die Nerven (DE), Divorce (GB), Dobrawa Czocher (PL), Douglas Dare (GB), Dylan Cartlidge (GB), Emilie Zoé (CH), Famous (GB), Floodlights (AUS), Frankie and the Witch Fingers (US), Freddy Fischer & His Cosmic Rocktime Band (DE), Gaspar Claus (FR), Gemma Thompson (GB), Get Jealous (DE), Glauque (BE), Glen Hansard (IRL), Grainne Hunt (IRL), Gurriers (IRL), Hamish Hawk (SCO), Hania Rani (PL), James Bach (IT), Katy J Pearson (GB), Lanterns on the Lake (GB), Leoniden (DE), Lie Ning (DE), Lily Moore (GB), Low Cut Connie (US), Marina Herlop (ES), Mario Batkovic & The Broke Bankers (CH), Matthis Pascaud & Hugh Coltman (FR/UK), Susan O‘Neill (IRL), Nation of Language (US), Nnamdï (US), November Ultra (FR), Olivia Dean (GB), Omni Selassi (CH), Panic Shack (GB), Porridge Radio (GB), Protomartyr (US), Rolf Blumig (DE), Sorry (GB), Special Interest (US), Staples Jr Singers (US), Sylvie Kreusch (BE), The Comet Is Coming (GB), The Golden Dregs (GB), The Joy Hotel (SCO), The Mysterines (GB), Tom Odell (GB), Wendy McNeill (CAN), Willie J Healey (GB), Wunderhorse (GB)
2024
69
Angélica Garcia (US), Anna Ternheim (SE), Anushka Chkheidze (GE), Avalanche Kaito (BE), BC Camplight (US), Bel Cobain (GB), Berq (DE), Big Special (GB), Billie Marten (GB), Blanco White (GB), Büşra Kayıkçı (TR), Cantus Domus (DE), Chalk (IRL), Chilly Gonzales (CAN), Conchúr White (IRL), Crème Solaire (CH), Dave Okumu & 7 Generations (GB), Deadletter (GB), Debby Friday (CAN), Devendra Banhart (US), Dino Brandão (CH), Dog Race (GB), EBBB (GB), Elephant (NL), Faber (CH), Fat Dog (GB), Fitzgerald & Rimini (CH), Fontaines D.C. (IRL), GINA ÉTÉ (CH), Go-Jo (AUS), Gringo Mayer & die Kegelband (DE), Hana Stretton (AUS), Heisskalt (DE), Holly Macve (GB), HONESTY (GB), Jacob Alon (SCO), John Francis Flynn (IRL), Just Mustard (IRL), King Hannah (GB), Lanterns on the Lake (GB), Laura Masotto (IT), Loney Dear (SE), Los Sara Fontan (ES), Mary in the junkyard (GB), Mel D (CH), Mestizo (COL/GB), Michael Wollny Trio (DE), Mick Flannery (IRL), Molly Parden (US), Moon Hooch (US), Nichtseattle (DE), Obliecht (CH), Philipp Johann Thimm (DE), Picture Parlour (GB), Porcelain id (BE), Puma Blue (GB), Quirinello (DE), Roosmarijn (NL), Sam Akpro (GB), Sharktank (AT), Susan O‘Neill (IRL) & stargaze (EU), The Mary Wallopers (IRL), The Silhouettes Project (GB), Tramhaus (NL), UTO (FR), Villagers (IRL), YARD (IRL), Yard Act (GB)
Haldern Pop Bar
When a pub was to be abandoned in the middle of the village, a concept for an off-day hotel was developed. Since 2009, bands who have a day off between two gigs get free board and lodging in exchange for an evening concert "on a donation basis" at the Haldern Pop Bar. Besides unknown new artists who are just starting their careers, well-known bands such as Courtney Barnett or Nada Surf have already performed in the Pop Bar. Also bigger artists like George Ezra or Orville Peck have been performing here before their world career started. The venue also houses the event agency Raum 3, which organizes the festival, the Haldern Pop Recordings label, Haldern Pop Booking agency and the Haldern Pop Shop record store, among others, so that a close cooperation is possible.
In 2019, Haldern Pop founded a booking agency at the lower rhine area. The artists represented there include Mid City, Moon Hooch, Thirsty Eyes, and James Leg from Black Diamond Heavies