Ruhrpott Rodeo 2025: A crazy ride

Photos by @tijsvl

Ruhrpott Rodeo is a three‑day annual punk festival held since 2007 at Hünxe, about 30 minutes drive from Duisburg, Germany. Even though the festival has been going on for a while, this year was our first time attending. Unfortunately, we were only able to catch the second day but had so much fun nevertheless. 

Originally a regional, underground punk gathering, Ruhrpott Rodeo has now evolved into a well-known event where veteran punk acts share the stage with new artists. The 2025 edition featured legendary punk bands such as Sex Pistols (with Frank Carter filling in for Johnny Rotten), Cock Sparrer, The Damned, and The Exploited together with WIZO, Lagwagon, Mad Caddies, Zebrahead, Ignite, Donots, German hip‑hop/punk hybrid Antilopen Gang, eclectic Balkan ska/punk band Dubioza Kolektiv and many more. 

The festival typically draws 7,000–9,000 fans and it’s known for its DIY spirit. Beyond music, the festival is known to be family friendly, there’s a lot of vegan food options, a ferris wheel and, in true rodeo spirit, fans could even do mechanical bull riding. Our highlights included: 

Zebrahead

We wrote about Zebrahead at Slam Dunk Utrecht, saying that they played like a headliner. They've proven this once again at Ruhrpott Rodeo. Right from the start they hit hard, instantly igniting moshpits and circle pits all over the place. With a musical catalogue to fall back on that would make many bands jealous, this band has no shortage of pop punk anthems that get the crowd moving. Not only do they connect with the crowd through their fast paced funpunk, but also with decades of stage experience and props they know what works well without making it feel like a routine show. Sending a few of their crew guys to crowdsurf on inflatables while you're being bombarded with fast guitar noise, your senses are being overrun in the best way possible.

Maid of Ace

Straight out of Hastings on England’s south coast, Maid of Ace are four sisters delivering fierce, adrenaline-charged punk rock. Alison, Anna, Amy, and Abby Elliott first hit the stage back in 2005 at their high school and haven’t slowed down since. We first saw them last year at Tells Bells, another punk festival in Germany, also known for its DIY spirit and culture. They stood out with their great live energy, raw authenticity, and powerful stage presence.

And not surprisingly, it’s truly been a remarkable year for the girls, they’ve been playing more and more shows across Europe and even opened for Green Day at several stadiums including Wembley last summer. With their loud, no-nonsense punk sound and unstoppable spirit, Maid of Ace are a band you definitely want on your radar.

Dubioza Kolektiv

Initially being the odd one out in a mainly punkrock line-up, Balkan powerhouse Dubioza Kolektiv took the Ruhrpott stage at 18:35, delivering their signature fusion of ska, hiphop, reggae, and Balkan folk, but all flavored with a punkrock energy. The band played the festival for the second year in a row, proving that fans just can never get enough of their magnetic sound. Known for their politically charged lyrics and relentless touring schedule, Dubioza were live for about an hour, packing that time with both older hits like U.S.A.,No Escape (From Balkan), Free.Mp3 (The Pirate Bay Song), and brand new songs like BLKRCZM. If you’re looking for a truly entertaining band to see live, look no further. From their bright yellow uniforms, to unique sound and unstoppable interaction with the crowd, jumping and singing like there’s no tomorrow, Dubioza’s performance is unbeatable. They are an absolute pleasure to see on stage and if you haven’t checked them out before, you definitely should! 

Cock Sparrer

Anything we say about Cock Sparrer’s performance at Ruhrpott Rodeo won’t be enough. We expected them to be good, but their set left us speechless. 

The veteran punk legends hit the stage at exactly 20:15. They are one of those bands that just deliver. Despite more than fifty years on the punk circuit, it is clear that age is just a number for these guys and they haven’t lost their charisma at all. 

At Ruhrpott Rodeo, the London band played classics like Riot Squad, Working, England Belongs to Me, together with newer songs such as With My Hand On My Heart. Cock Sparrer truly showed they are still relevant and the show felt anything but nostalgic. The band had incredible stamina, stage presence, and Colin McFaull’s spot on vocals kept punk fans of all ages singing along.

Antilopen Gang

The German genre-bending trio Antilopen Gang hit the stage right before the headliners Sex Pistols. If you haven’t heard of them, you definitely should. German bands love mixing music styles and Antilopen Gang is no exception, they successfully blend punk rock with socially conscious hip-hop and the result is super memorable songs that just stuck in your head for days. Their latest album Alles muss repariert werden (Everything needs to be fixed) even cleverly includes a track titled Ruhrpott Rodeo, which we can easily say became the anthem of this year’s festival edition. 

Their blend of rap and punk injected fresh dynamics into the traditionally punk-dominated lineup. Both fans and organizers were buzzing with energy throughout the performance, with nonstop singalongs echoing across the festival grounds. Antilopen Gang delivered a memorable set that seamlessly mixed sharp satire with serious themes, keeping the crowd in constant motion.

If you get the chance, definitely catch them live. They mostly tour in Germany, but their shows are very popular with fans and the atmosphere is just incredible. 

Sex Pistols 

Headlining day two of Ruhrpott Rodeo, Sex Pistols proved that even without Johnny Rotten, their punk spirit still burns. Expectedly, their set leaned almost entirely on Never Mind the Bollocks, the band’s sole studio album. The crowd was lucky enough to hear anthems like Holidays in the Sun, Pretty Vacant, God Save the Queen, and more. Absolute classics and true reminders of the band’s glorious days.

Their stand-in frontman, Frank Carter, best known from Gallows and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, brought real energy to the stage. His strong presence and charisma sometimes made it feel like a Frank Carter show playing Sex Pistols songs, rather than just the Pistols with a new singer. Still, he didn’t try to copy Johnny Rotten. Instead, he worked hard to capture the raw power that makes the band special.

Since their last tour with John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) in 2008, one question has been circulating across fan circles over and over again: do the Pistols even need a new singer? Some people think it’s more emotional and true to see original members Steve Jones, Glen Matlock, and Paul Cook perform the songs themselves. After all, Glen wrote Pretty Vacant and has sung parts of it many times, and Steve was actually the Pistols’ first singer in their early days.

That said, it’s hard to imagine the band being quite the same without Rotten. But since having him back doesn’t seem possible, Frank Carter’s fiery spirit has helped keep the Sex Pistols a band worth seeing and hearing live.

In summary, Ruhrpott Rodeo embodies the punk ethos with grassroots organisation, authentic vibes, community feel, and affordability. It’s a festival which offers great energy, legendary performances, and a crowd that truly lives the scene. Truly a must-visit for anyone into punk culture.