Join a day trip from Amsterdam to Manifesta 16 Ruhr!

On Saturday the 3rd of October 2026, we invite visitors from the Netherlands to experience Manifesta 16 Ruhr during the biennial’s final weekend. Board our bus in Amsterdam and tour with us across the Ruhr Area to discover transformed former church buildings in Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen and Bochum.

The 16th edition of the European Nomadic Biennial takes place from the 21st of June to the 4th of October 2026. Under the title This is not a church, the biennial explores the future of Europe’s growing number of vacant church buildings and asks how these spaces might be transformed into collective places for communities. Across twelve post-war former churches in Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen and Bochum, Manifesta 16 Ruhr presents work by more than 100 participating artists, collectives, social designers and architects, of which 67 are newly commissioned projects.

The day trip begins at 08.00 in Amsterdam, with departure from Paulus Potterstraat near the Stedelijk Museum. During the journey, Manifesta’s founding Director Hedwig Fijen will introduce Manifesta 16 Ruhr.

The first stop is Kulturkirche Liebfrauen in Duisburg, where, among others, Elizabeth Price and Abbas Zahedi present newly comissioned work. The programme then continues to St. Josef in Gelsenkirchen – where visitors can experience the large-scale installation by Penique Productions – before travelling to Christ-König in Bochum for a Group Walk led by a trained guide. At Christ-König, visitors can encounter works by participants including Luc Tuymans, Małgorzata Mirga-Tas and Eva Koťátková.

The day concludes with time for dinner and a drink at Bochum’s Bermuda3Eck, a lively pedestrian area with bars and restaurants, before the coach returns to Amsterdam, arriving at 21.00 back in the Paulus Potterstraat.

Tickets for the day trip cost €39.50 and include return travel by comfortable coach, admission to Manifesta 16 Ruhr, an introduction to the biennial, a guided tour at one of the churches, a route map and the Manifesta 16 Ruhr Guide. Places are limited and bookings must be made in advance.

Saturday, 3rd of October 2026
Departure from Amsterdam: 08.00 (please arrive 15 minutes in advance)
Return to Amsterdam: approximately 21.00
Price: €39.50 per person