FROM THE SCENE, FOR THE SCENE!
The PopBoard is the advocacy group for pop culture in NRW.
400+
Festivals
North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany’s festival hotspot
More than 400 pop music festivals take place annually in North Rhine-Westphalia, making it number 1 in Germany. From small local formats to specialized scene festivals and large international events, festivals shape pop culture throughout the state.
The extraordinary density of festivals makes North Rhine-Westphalia one of Europe’s most vibrant festival locations. Millions of people flock to the state’s festivals every year, making them central meeting points for live music and pop culture. At the same time, they are important stages for new talent: around 27% of the performing acts are newcomers – festivals thus make a decisive contribution to the development of the next generation of artists.
Sources:
PopBoard NRW – Pop Music Festivals: Insights into the NRW Festival Landscape (2025)
Musikinformationszentrum – Music Festivals in Germany (2025)
No. 2 in Germany
North Rhine-Westphalia is a music industry hub
North Rhine-Westphalia is one of the central drivers of the music industry in Germany. From concert organizers, clubs, and festivals to labels and publishers, as well as management, distributors, and numerous creative service providers: the entire value chain of pop music is represented in NRW.
This diversity and density of actors makes the state the second most important music industry location in Germany. At the same time, the music industry in North Rhine-Westphalia is strongly characterized by independent structures: a large proportion of the actors work in the independent sector. Thus, pop in NRW is not only created in individual metropolises but throughout the entire region – supported by local scenes, initiatives, and businesses.
Source: PopBoard NRW – Pop Landscape NRW 2024
Highest Club Density
North Rhine-Westphalia is the No. 1 Clubland
North Rhine-Westphalia has the highest club density in Germany. From small DIY venues to socio-cultural centers and established live venues, countless stages shape pop culture throughout the state.
This multitude of concert venues creates spaces for new artists, local scenes, and international acts – making NRW one of the most important places for live music and club culture in Germany.
Source: PopBoard NRW – Pop Landscape NRW 2024
Local Pop – Voices from the Scene
Cultural Policy
The PopBoard NRW sees itself as a central platform for developing cultural policy positions and representing the bundled interests of pop culture in NRW. It strengthens exchange, networking, and knowledge transfer between actors in the scene and political decision-makers.
It highlights structural deficits, calls for better framework conditions, and develops sustainable solutions together with politicians and the scene – for a diverse, future-proof, and sustainably strengthened pop location in NRW.
Projects
Pop-Map NRW
A scene that supports the entire state
The Pop-Map shows the power of the scene in NRW
Pop music in North Rhine-Westphalia is strongly regionally networked and polycentrically organized. Instead of concentrating on a single metropolis, pop emerges simultaneously in many cities and regions – supported by thousands of acts and artists, several hundred associations and initiatives, as well as numerous labels, publishers, studios, rehearsal room centers, clubs, festivals, and music schools.
The Pop-Map NRW makes part of this infrastructure visible and documents hundreds of independent pop music structures. Even this excerpt shows how large, diverse, and vibrant the pop ecosystem in North Rhine-Westphalia is.
Showcase NRW
showcase.nrw is your platform for the local music scene in North Rhine-Westphalia. It makes visible aspiring bands and solo musicians who often get lost on large streaming platforms. Through a regional search, you can discover new acts from your area. At the same time, showcase.nrw bundles information on funding programs, networks, and support options for musicians in NRW – with the aim of connecting and sustainably strengthening the scene.
A project in cooperation with create music NRW and New.Heimat.Sounds.
Consulting Services
Application Consulting
We provide individual advice on funding applications – whether for your first application or for larger projects aimed at further professionalization. We support you in finding suitable funders, with your financial plan, the application process, as well as with concept development and time management, so that you can successfully implement your projects.
Pop Support NRW
Do you want to professionalize your initiative or take your association to the next level? PopBoard NRW offers you uncomplicated advice with “Pop Support NRW” to help you with your projects. We assist with everything from event planning to founding an association and connect you with the right people.
Pop – Inclusive & Accessible
Our service “Pop – Inclusive & Accessible” offers free, individual advice for anyone who wants to make their events more inclusive and accessible. The experts from the Barrierefrei Feiern initiative will support you, regardless of your current status or prior knowledge.
Practical Knowledge
