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Ratingen. The Ratingen Festival will take place this year as a “Limited Edition”, informs the organizer Ratingen Marketing. The program for the event on August 20th and 21st will be spread over five stages in the city area.
Thousands of people celebrate together in a lively atmosphere on the market square – the people of Ratingen have to do without this familiar image of the Ratingen Festival, which takes place every year in the summer months. However, Ratingen Marketing GmbH (RMG) has come up with an alternative that enables “limited execution in compliance with the current requirements” – “Limited Edition”.
“After these difficult months for retailers and restaurateurs, it is important to us to revitalize the city center and to give the residents and visitors of the city of Ratingen access to culture again”, explains Nina Bauer, Managing Director of RMG “ and so we decided to organize the Ratingen Festival at five different locations in the city center this year. “
This year, the Ratingen Festival will take place from August 20th to 21st in a cozy atmosphere, with various program items spread throughout the city center:
The “Top Acts” appear on the main stage on the town hall forecourt on Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 11pm.
Make the start on Friday from 5.30 p.m. the Groove Delighters, one of the hottest party and event bands in Germany. No wonder, because the sympathetic professional musicians, including the charismatic Spanish singer Sylvia Gonzales Bolivar, who has already performed on stage with Phil Collins and Rod Steward, are all masters of their craft with years of stage experience. With their very varied repertoire consisting of pop, rock, disco and chart hits from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s, Groove Delighters offers a special kind of musical highlight.
Around 9 p.m. the band Bell, Book + Candle will be there on stage, which began an international triumph with its first single in 1997. “Rescue Me” reached top chart positions in more than 20 countries with gold and platinum status in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Sweden and Spain. Other hits of the band, such as “Read My Sign” or the Tatort Schimanski song “Bliss In My Tears”, are known to almost everyone. In over 20 years they played around 1800 concerts between Templin and Texas.
With unbridled passion, a penchant for large melodies and multi-layered arrangements, Jana Groß, Andreas Birr, Hendrik Röder and their three guest musicians are a band that enriches the open-air stages of the republic. In their repertoire there are some hits and song pearls that you know from the radio, but would not necessarily be assigned to this band. Bell Book and Candle also plays its own cover versions of other well-known songs and cool, rocking medleys with hooks from Metallica to Michael Jackson and a very fresh version of the Bon Jovi hit “It’s my life”.
Then stand on Saturday from 5 p.m. the three guys from the band TIL on stage who, despite their young age, can look back on 15 years of band history together. Because Dennis (vocals and guitar), Eniz (bass) and Jona (drums) from Olpe in the Sauerland already made music together in kindergarten and quickly founded the band TIL, with which they can look back on many successes.
In 2015 they won the “Toys2Masters” band contest and in 2017/2018 they played the largest school tour in the world under the name “TILmySchool” with over 250 concerts at schools across Europe. This was followed by two English singles and many TV and radio appearances (e.g. RTL, Nickelodeon, etc.). Since December 2018 they have switched to German lyrics and are now working on a debut album, among others with producers like Florian Nowak (Jennifer Rostock, Itchy, Blackout Problems), Ludi Boberg (Lina, Prinz Pi).
Form the conclusion from 8 p.m. then the Groovin Affairs, one of the most successful event bands in Germany. With crisp grooves and precise beats, they play a rousing mix of current chart hits and the classics of pop, rock, funk and soul.
Together with top-class stars like Sarah Connor, Melanie Thornton and La Bouche, Groovin Affairs have already been a permanent live and TV band on European tours and in well-known TV shows (Wetten, dass ..?, Harald Schmidt Show, TV Total , Top of the Pops) played numerous and exciting live performances. They shared the stage with musical greats like Xavier Naidoo, Scorpions, Shakira, Mick Jagger and Gentleman.
Another stage in the arcade courtyard
Another stage will be set up in the arcade courtyard. Only local singers and bands perform here in a homely atmosphere.
The start on On Friday from 6 p.m. Florian Alexander Kurz will contest, who was a talent at The Voice of Germany in 2018. Three coaches wanted him: Mark Forster, Fanta 4 and Yvonne Catterfeld. He decided on the Yvonne team and made it into the battles there. He describes himself as a singer / songwriter, although he also likes to cover. Ed Sheeran, Joris, Johannes Oerding, Philipp Poisel are his role models. Florian Alexander accompanies himself on the guitar but also half playbacks appear in his program. On November 25th, 2019 Florian Alexander released his first solo single “Haus am Meer”.
From 8 p.m. the band Martini and the Rocks will be there on stage. Rhythm, rock pipes and resonance. The party & cover band really heats up with this simple mood recipe. Well-known songs, danceable music and pure joie de vivre are experienced by everyone in front of and on stage at every performance.
Am Saturday from 5 p.m. it continues with Wild @ Heart. The cover band stands for crisp guitar riffs, driving grooves and sophisticated vocals. The program of the Wuppertal party band includes immortal rock classics by Billy Idol, Survivor, AC / DC and Tina Turner, as well as modern rock songs by Pink, Him, Radiohead, the White Stripes and Anastacia. The experienced musicians and their powerful-voiced front woman Aurora Menzel primarily rely on handmade rock music without frills, midi files and double bottom.
This is followed by from 8 p.m. the Ratinger band “readymade” on stage. With songs from the Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings of Leon, Nirvana, Police, Pearl Jam, Green Day and many more, the focus is clearly towards rock. Songs that everyone knows and loves! But exactly the songs that you don’t hear from every cover band. Nobody misses these “forgotten” songs – until READYMADE play them.
Locations “Am Alten Steinhaus”, Oberstrasse and Bechemer Strasse
On Friday, August 20 and on Saturday, August 21, there will be a DJ for visitors to the “Am Alten Steinhaus” square from 5 to 10 p.m. local outdoor dining lounge music hang up and on the market square street food carts will take care of the physical well-being of the visitors in addition to the local restaurateurs. In addition, the program will be broadcast from the town hall forecourt for the gastronomy guests around the market square via loudspeakers.
Be in Oberstrasse and Bechemer Strasse Street artist a real eye-catcher with their extraordinary performances. Martin Freund, who was born in Ratingen, will enchant his audience under the motto “amazement and laughter”, while Jens Ohle will be there breakneck stunts to inspire on a really high artist leader and juggling interludes.
“The implementation of such an event is still characterized by strict hygiene requirements, requires twice as much planning effort and is also associated with higher costs”, says the RMG team, “so we ask for your understanding that we are for the concerts this year have to charge a small nominal fee on the town hall forecourt and in the arcade courtyard. “
The tickets cost between three and five euros per gig and can be purchased from the following advance booking offices, among others: Office for Culture and Tourism of the City of Ratingen, at the Tonnaer travel agency or online at: www.eventim.de.
All planning is subject to the approval of the event by the responsible regulatory authority, which in individual cases depends on the further development of the corona pandemic, Ratingen Marketing announced.
Information and the then applicable Corona requirements are available at www.rmg-ratingen.de.
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